source ⟩ hypertext ⟩ public ⟩ hymns ⟩ en.pug

//- meta
	slug: "hymns"
	lang: en
	title: "The Orphic Hymns Online"
	pageCreated: "2026-04-17"
	pageUpdated: "2026-04-29"

extends ../../views/layout.pug

mixin navbar
	block navbar
		ul
			li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-left: a(href="/") #[span.dingbat ☙] #[b #[i The Satyrs’ Forest]]
			li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-right: a(href="/hymns/proem") #[i Proem] #[b(lang="grc") Προοιμιον] #[span.dingbat ❧]

mixin hymn-link(hymnSlug, greek, english)
	li
		a(href=`/hymns/${hymnSlug}`)
			figure
				img(src=`/hymns/thumbnails/${hymnSlug}-${Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) ? "ancient" : "modern"}.jpg` alt="")
				figcaption
					strong(lang="grc")= greek
					small= english


append cosmetics
	link(href="/hymns/hymnal.css", rel="stylesheet")
	link(href="/hymns/hymndex.css", rel="stylesheet")
	script(src="/hymns/hymn-themer.js") 

block body
	div#body-container.articles
		header#subsite-header
			img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/proem-ancient.jpg" alt="Ancient mosaic of Orpheus")
			h1: a(href="/hymns") #[strong(lang="grc") Οἱ Διαδικτυακοὶ Ὀρφικοὶ Ὕμνοι] #[small The Orphic Hymns Online]
			img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/proem-modern.jpg" alt="Modern painting of Orpheus")
		nav.navbar#navbar-top
			+navbar
		div#main-body
			div#settings
				button#toggle-nomenclature(onclick="toggleNomenclature();")
					.icon 📛️
					div.button-greek(lang="grc") Λατῖνα ὀνόματα
					div.button-english(lang="en-GB") Roman names
				button#toggle-theme(onclick="toggleTheme();")
					.icon 🌗️
					div.button-greek(lang="grc") Λευκὸν χρῶμα
					div.button-english(lang="en-GB") Light theme
			p The Orphic Hymns are among the most fascinating works of ancient devotional literature. Long of interest to scholars and occultists the world over, they comprise eighty-seven hymns to various Gods, Goddesses, and assorted Dæmons thought to have been invoked by an Anatolian mystery-cult in the tradition of Orpheus. #[i (Thirty-six have been added to this page so far. It’s a work in progress.)]
			p They are, at least by classical standards, quite easy to find online, but their presentation tends to leave something to be desired. These pages present the original Ancient Greek (with romanisation) opposite an exquisite Georgian-era translation by the great #[a(href="https://prometheustrust.co.uk/thomas-taylor/") Thomas Taylor], including a treasure trove of footnotes elaborating on the hymns’ philosophical background. (He referred to the Gods by their Roman names; by default, these have been swapped out for the original Greek, but you can read his versions using the toggle in the top left corner.)
			ul.hymn-list
				+hymn-link("proem", "Προοίμιον", "Proem")
				+hymn-link("hecate", "αʹ. Εἰς Ἑκάτην", "i. To Hecate")
				+hymn-link("prothyraea", "βʹ. Προθυραίας", "ii. To Prothyræa")
				+hymn-link("nyx", "γʹ. Νυκτός", "iii. To Nyx")
				+hymn-link("ouranos", "δʹ. Οὐρανοῦ", "iv. To Ouranos")
				+hymn-link("aether", "εʹ. Αἰθέρος", "v. To Æther")
				+hymn-link("protogonos", "fʹ. Πρωτογόνου", "vi. To Protogonos")
				+hymn-link("astron", "ζʹ. Ἄστρων", "vii. To the Stars")
				+hymn-link("helios", "ηʹ. Ἡλίου", "viii. To Helios")
				+hymn-link("selene", "θʹ. Σελήνης", "ix. To Selene")
				+hymn-link("physis", "ιʹ. Φύσεως", "x. To Nature")
				+hymn-link("pan", "ιαʹ. Πανός", "xi. To Pan")
				+hymn-link("heracles", "ιβʹ. Ἡρακλέους", "xii. To Heracles")
				+hymn-link("cronos", "ιγʹ. Κρόνου", "xiii. To Cronos")
				+hymn-link("rhea", "ιδʹ. Ῥέας", "xiv. To Rhea")
				+hymn-link("zeus", "ιεʹ. Διός", "xv. To Zeus")
				+hymn-link("hera", "ιfʹ. Ἥρας", "xvi. To Hera")
				+hymn-link("poseidon", "ιζʹ. Ποσειδῶνος", "xvii. To Poseidon")
				+hymn-link("plouton", "ιηʹ. Εἰς Πλούτωνα", "xviii. To Plouton")
				+hymn-link("ceraunios", "ιθʹ. Κεραύνιου Διός", "xix. To Thundering Zeus")
				+hymn-link("astrapios", "κʹ. Διὸς Ἀστραπίου", "xx. To Zeus Astrapios")
				+hymn-link("nephe", "καʹ. Νεφῶν", "xxi. To the Clouds")
				+hymn-link("thalassa", "κβʹ. Θαλάσσης", "xxii. To Thalassa")
				+hymn-link("nereus", "κγʹ. Νηρέως", "xxiii. To Nereus")
				+hymn-link("nereids", "κδʹ. Νηρηίδων", "xxiv. To the Nereids")
				+hymn-link("proteus", "κεʹ. Πρωτέως", "xxv. To Proteus")
				+hymn-link("gaea", "κfʹ. Γῆς", "xxvi. To Gæa")
				+hymn-link("cybele", "κζʹ. Μητρὸς Θεῶν", "xxvii. To Cybele")
				+hymn-link("hermes", "κηʹ. Ἑρμοῦ", "xxviii. To Hermes")
				+hymn-link("persephone", "κθʹ. Ὓμνος Φερσεφόνης", "xxix. To Persephone")
				+hymn-link("dionysos", "λʹ. Διονύσου", "xxx. To Dionysos")
				+hymn-link("hymnos-coureton", "λαʹ. Ὕμνος Κουρήτων", "xxxi. Hymn to the Couretes")
				+hymn-link("athena", "λβʹ. Ἀθηνᾶς", "xxxii. To Athena")
				+hymn-link("nike", "λγʹ. Νίκης", "xxxiii. To Nike")
				+hymn-link("apollon", "λδʹ. Ἀπόλλωνος", "xxxiv. To Apollon")
				+hymn-link("leto", "λεʹ. Λητοῦς", "xxxv. To Leto")
				+hymn-link("artemis", "λfʹ. Ἀρτέμιδος", "xxxvi. To Artemis")
			p The original Greek versions were sourced from #[a(href="https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/%CE%9F%CF%81%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%AF_%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9") Wikisource]; Taylor’s translations were transcribed by #[a(href="https://sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/index.htm") the Internet Sacred Text Archive]. Both are, of course, in the public domain, owing to their age.

			block footer
				include ../../views/footer.pug

			if hasComments
				+comments(false, commentSubtitle)
		nav.navbar#navbar-bottom
			+navbar