The Festival Psalms · Psalm VIII: The Psalm of Samhain
To Persephone, Queen of the Dead, to Pluton, the Wealthy One, Lord of the Unseen, and to Anubis, Opener of the Ways, for the Night of Samhain, the 31st of October, when the Sun stands at 15° Scorpio and the veil is thin
72 passages · 24 to Persephone · 24 to Pluton · 24 to Anubis · Homeric-Ionic hymnic cola · Ancient Greek, transliteration, English, in 3 columns
How the Psalm Is Used
This Psalm belongs to Samhain: The Night of the Open Gate and is sung within its Rite at the points the festival page marks. It may also be read on its own on the day, before the altar or under the sky, as a complete prayer. Within the Temple's practice a ritual is a direct theurgical act; the Psalm gathers the mind and turns it toward the Gods, and gives the Rite its voice.
Each passage stands in 3 columns, read down the page: the Ancient Greek, the transliteration and the English. The Ancient Greek is the text itself. The transliteration carries the sound, in the Modern Greek liturgical reading used throughout the Temple's rituals and its Ancient Hymn Library: ee as in see, oo as in moon, th as in thin, kh as in loch, v for beta, f for phi, every consonant sounded.
The English carries the sense. A Zevist who doesn't yet read Greek sings the English and speaks the Greek of the first and last line of each movement; a Zevist who does, sings the Greek and lets the English stand beside it.
In a gathering the Chorus carries the Greek and the assembly answers the last line of every passage in English. Alone, read it through without hurry; 72 passages take about 40 minutes spoken, and the Rite allows for it. The Psalm is composed in the hymnic register of the Homeric and Orphic Hymns, in epithets, vocatives and the formulas of κλῦθι and χαῖρε, and it draws its lines from the ancient sources named at the end of the page.
Where a line is quoted from antiquity, it's quoted exactly; where the Temple composes, it composes in the same tongue.
The Key of the Psalm
| Movement | Greek title | English title | To | Passages | Isopsephy of the title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Ἡ Βασίλισσα τῶν Κάτω | The Queen Below | Persephone | 1 to 12 | 2933 |
| II | Τὸ Παραπέτασμα | The Veil | Persephone | 13 to 24 | 1179 |
| III | Ὁ Πλούτων | Pluton, the Wealthy One | Pluton | 25 to 36 | 1800 |
| IV | Ἡ Πύλη ἡ Ἀνοικτή | The Open Gate | Pluton | 37 to 48 | 993 |
| V | Ὁ Ἄνουβις | Anubis, Opener of the Ways | Anubis | 49 to 60 | 803 |
| VI | Ἡ Ζυγοστασία τῆς Καρδίας | The Weighing of the Heart | Anubis | 61 to 72 | 2044 |
The Psalm holds 72 passages in 6 movements of 12 (24 to Persephone; 24 to Pluton; 24 to Anubis). 72 is the number of the fifths of the circle: 72 × 5° = 360°, the wheel of the year drawn whole; 72 years are 1 degree of the precession of the equinoxes, 1 day of the Great Year. 12 is the number of the months and of the Olympians. The isopsephy of the Names in the Greek is counted, not guessed: ΠΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗ = 1018, ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ = 1730, ΑΝΟΥΒΙΣ = 733.
The titles of the movements carry their own numbers in the table. The Psalm speaks in 2 voices at once: the plain voice of praise, which anyone may sing, and a veiled voice that names the stations of the inner rite in the order in which they're passed. The second voice isn't explained on this page. Those who have passed the stations will read it without help; those who haven't, lose nothing by singing the first.
I · The Queen Below · Ἡ Βασίλισσα τῶν Κάτω (Persephone)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Κλῦθι, Περσεφόνη, Βασίλισσα τῶν Νεκρῶν, ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τοῦ τέλους τοῦ θέρους· ὁ Ἥλιος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ Σκορπίου ἵσταται, ὁ θερισμὸς ἔσω, τὰ φύλλα κάτω, καὶ ἡ Κόρη ἡ ἐν τῇ ἰσημερίᾳ καταβᾶσα κάτω τεθρόνισται, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ θρόνου αὐτὴν καλοῦμεν. | Kleethi, Persefonee, Vasilissa ton Nekron, en tee neekti too teloos too theroos· o Eelios en meso too Skorpioo istatai, o therismos eso, ta feella kato, kai ee Koree ee en tee iseemeria katavasa kato tethronistai, kai to onomati too thronoo afteen kaloomen. | Hear, Persephone, Queen of the Dead, on the night of summer's end; the Sun stands in the middle of the Scorpion, the harvest is in, the leaves are down, and the Maiden who went down at the equinox is enthroned below, and we call her by the name of the throne. |
| 2 | Σάμχαϊν, τὸ τέλος τοῦ θέρους· οὕτως οἱ Ἴβερνοι τὴν νύκτα ὠνόμασαν, καὶ ὁ χαλκὸς τοῦ Κολινὺ τὸν μῆνα Σαμώνιον ὀνομάζει· τὸ ἔτος τῶν Κελτῶν ἐνθάδε ἤρχετο, ἐν τῷ σκότει, ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα ἐν δύσει ἤρχετο· τὸ τέλος ἡ ἀρχὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑτέρας πλευρᾶς ὁρωμένη. | Samkhain, to telos too theroos· ootos oi Ivernoi teen neekta onomasan, kai o khalkos too Kolinee ton meena Samonion onomazei· to etos ton Kelton enthade eerkheto, en to skotei, os ee eemera en deesei eerkheto· to telos ee arkhee apo tees eteras plevras oromenee. | Samhain, summer's end: so the Irish named the night, and the Coligny bronze names the month Samonios; the year of the Celts began here, in the dark, as the day began at sunset; the end is the beginning seen from the other side. |
| 3 | Αἱ Ἀθῆναι τὰ Θεσμοφόριά σου ἐν τῷ μηνὶ τούτῳ ἦγον, τρεῖς ἡμέρας τῶν γυναικῶν μόνων· τὴν Κάθοδον, ὅτε εἰς τὰ μέγαρα κατέβαινον καὶ ἀνέφερον τὸ ἐκεῖ βληθέν, τὴν Νηστείαν, χαμαὶ καθήμεναι, καὶ τὴν Καλλιγένειαν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνὴρ ᾔδει τί ἐλέχθη. | Ai Atheenai ta Thesmoforia soo en to meeni tooto eegon, treis eemeras ton geenaikon monon· teen Kathodon, ote eis ta megara katevainon kai aneferon to ekei vleethen, teen Neesteian, khamai katheemenai, kai teen Kalligeneian· kai oodeis aneer eedei ti elekhthee. | Athens kept your Thesmophoria in this month, 3 days of the women alone: the Descent, when they went down to the chasms and brought up what had been thrown there, the Fast, seated on the ground, and the Fair Birth; and no man knew what was said. |
| 4 | Χοιρίδια εἰς τὰ χάσματα ἐν τέλει τοῦ θέρους βληθέντα, καὶ ἐν τῷ φθινοπώρῳ σεσηπότα ἀνενεχθέντα, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ μιχθέντα, ἵνα τὸ σπέρμα ἅψηται· τὸ νεκρὸν ἐν τῷ σκότει τὸ τὸν ἀγρὸν φέρειν ποιοῦν, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ᾔδεσαν. | Khoiridia eis ta khasmata en telei too theroos vleethenta, kai en to fthinoporo seseepota anenekhthenta, kai to spermati epi too vomoo mikhthenta, ina to sperma apseetai· to nekron en to skotei to ton agron ferein poioon, kai ai geenaikes eedesan. | Piglets thrown into the chasms at the summer's end, and brought up rotted in the autumn, and mixed with the seed on the altar, so that the seed would take: the dead thing in the dark is what makes the field bear, and the women knew it. |
| 5 | Βασίλισσα Δύο Κόσμων, ἐν τῷ σκότει ἐρριζωμένη καὶ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ ἐστεμμένη, τὰς ἑπτὰ πύλας τὰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποδυούσας φυλάσσεις καὶ τὸν θρόνον τῆς Ἰρκάλλας ἀρχαίῳ δικαίῳ· τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ ἔτους τὸ ἔαρ σόν, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τὸ ἕτερον ἥμισυ ἄρχεται. | Vasilissa Deeo Kosmon, en to skotei errizomenee kai en to foti estemmenee, tas epta peelas tas teen pseekheen apodeeoosas feelasseis kai ton thronon tees Irkallas arkhaio dikaio· to eemisee too etoos to ear son, kai tee neekti taftee to eteron eemisee arkhetai. | Queen of Two Worlds, rooted in the dark and crowned in the light, you keep the 7 gates that strip the soul and the throne of Irkalla by ancient right; half the year the spring is yours, and tonight the other half begins. |
| 6 | Οἱ νεκροὶ πλησίον τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, καὶ σοί εἰσιν· ἕκαστον δέχῃ τῷ ἀσπασμῷ τῶν πετάλων, χαῖρε, χαῖρε, χαῖρε, δεξιὰν ὁδοιπόρει· ὁ ἐν βίῳ σοὶ ᾄσας ἐν θανάτῳ σοὶ γνωστός, καὶ τοῦτο ἡ χρεία τοῦ ψαλμοῦ. | Oi nekroi pleesion tee neekti taftee, kai soi eisin· ekaston dekhee to aspasmo ton petalon, khaire, khaire, khaire, dexian odoiporei· o en vio soi asas en thanato soi gnostos, kai tooto ee khreia too psalmoo. | The dead are near on this night, and they are yours; you receive each one with the greeting of the leaves, hail, hail, hail, go to the right; the one who has sung to you in life is known to you in death, and that is the use of the Psalm. |
| 7 | Ἐρεσκιγάλ, Λίβερα, Προσερπίνα, Ἕλ, ἡ Μόρριγαν παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ πασῶν τῶν νυκτῶν· ἡ Βασίλισσα κάτω ὄνομα ἔχει ἐν πάσῃ γλώσσῃ ἣ τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῆς ἔθαψε, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῆς ἔθαψεν. | Ereskigal, Livera, Proserpina, El, ee Morrigan para ton potamon en tee neekti taftee pason ton neekton· ee Vasilissa kato onoma ekhei en pasee glossee ee toos nekroos aftees ethapse, kai pasa glossa toos nekroos aftees ethapsen. | Ereshkigal, Libera, Proserpina, Hel, the Morrigan at the river on this night of all nights: the Queen below has a name in every tongue that buried its dead, and every tongue buried its dead. |
| 8 | Ὁ Δάγδα τῇ Μόρριγαν παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν Οὔνιον ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν ἀπήντησε, καὶ ἡ χώρα βελτίων διὰ τοῦτο ἦν· ἡ Βασίλισσα τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ τῶν ζώντων ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ συνέρχονται, καὶ τὸ ἔτος τὸ ἐκ τῆς συναντήσεως γεννώμενον ἐν τῷ σκότει γεννᾶται, ὡς πάντα τὰ ἔτη. | O Dagda tee Morrigan para ton potamon Oonion en to Samkhain apeenteese, kai ee khora veltion dia tooto een· ee Vasilissa ton nekron kai o Pateer ton zonton en tee neekti taftee seenerkhontai, kai to etos to ek tees seenanteeseos gennomenon en to skotei gennatai, os panta ta etee. | The Dagda met the Morrigan at the river Unius on Samhain, and the land was the better for it; the Queen of the dead and the Father of the living meet on this night, and the year that is born of the meeting is born in the dark, as all years are. |
| 9 | Οὐ σὺν κέρασιν οὐδὲ σὺν οὐρᾷ σὲ γράφομεν, Βασίλισσα, οὐδὲ σὺν δρεπάνῳ θεριστοῦ· ἐκεῖνα τὰ προσωπεῖα ἃ οἱ φοβούμενοι τοῖς θεοῖς οὓς οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον ἐποίησαν· σὲ γράφομεν ὡς οἱ Ἕλληνες σὲ ἔγραφον, τεθρονισμένην, σὺν τῇ ῥοιᾷ καὶ τῇ δᾳδί, σεμνὴν καὶ καλήν. | Oo seen kerasin oode seen oora se grafomen, Vasilissa, oode seen drepano theristoo· ekeina ta prosopeia a oi fovoomenoi tois theois oos ook eginoskon epoieesan· se grafomen os oi Elleenes se egrafon, tethronismeneen, seen tee roia kai tee dadi, semneen kai kaleen. | Not with horns and not with a tail do we draw you, Queen, nor with a reaper's blade: those are the masks the fearful made for the Gods they didn't know; we draw you as the Greeks drew you, enthroned, with the pomegranate and the torch, grave and beautiful. |
| 10 | Ὁ Ζεὺς οὐ τέρας τῆς νυκτὸς ταύτης, καὶ οἱ θεοὶ οὐ δαίμονες φοβεροί· οἱ Χριστιανοὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς τὰ πράγματα ἃ ἐφοβοῦντο ἐνέδυσαν, καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἐνδύμασιν ἐξέπεμψαν· τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Ναοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐνδύμασι τῶν θεῶν ὡς οἱ θεοί εἰσιν ἐξέρχεται. | O Zevs oo teras tees neektos taftees, kai oi theoi oo daimones foveroi· oi Khristianoi toos theoos os ta pragmata a efovoonto enedeesan, kai ta tekna afton en tois endeemasin exepempsan· ta tekna too Naoo en tois endeemasi ton theon os oi theoi eisin exerkhetai. | Zeus is not a monster of this night, and the Gods aren't ghouls; the Christians dressed the Gods as the things they feared, and sent their children out in the costumes; the children of the Temple go out in the costumes of the Gods as the Gods are. |
| 11 | Θέριζε ὃ ἐσπάρη· ὁ θερισμὸς τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τελευτᾷ, καὶ τὸ ὕστατον δράγμα ἔσω· τὸ ἔτος τῆς ζωῆς τὸ ἐν τῷ Βελτάνε ἀνοιχθὲν ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν κλείεται, διὰ τοῦ τροχοῦ· τὰ δύο πυρὰ ἄλληλα ὑπὲρ τὸν σκοτεινὸν ἀγρὸν βλέπει, καὶ ἡ Βασίλισσα μεταξὺ ἵσταται. | Therize o esparee· o therismos tee neekti taftee telefta, kai to eestaton dragma eso· to etos tees zoees to en to Veltane anoikhthen en to Samkhain kleietai, dia too trokhoo· ta deeo peera alleela eeper ton skoteinon agron vlepei, kai ee Vasilissa metaxee istatai. | Reap what was sown: the harvest ends tonight, and the last sheaf is in; the year of life that opened at Beltane closes at Samhain, across the wheel; the 2 fires look at each other over the dark field, and the Queen stands between. |
| 12 | Χαῖρε, Περσεφόνη, Βασίλισσα Κάτω, ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὥρᾳ τοῦ λεπτοῦ παραπετάσματος· εἴκοσι τέσσαρες στροφαὶ σαὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, ὅσαι αἱ ὧραι τῆς ἡμέρας ἥτις ἥμισυ νύξ· δέξαι τὴν πρώτην, καὶ ἄνοιξον τὴν ὁδὸν τοῖς δύο τοῖς ἑπομένοις. | Khaire, Persefonee, Vasilissa Kato, en tee protee ora too leptoo parapetasmatos· eikosi tessares strofai sai tee neekti taftee, osai ai orai tees eemeras eetis eemisee neex· dexai teen proteen, kai anoixon teen odon tois deeo tois epomenois. | Hail, Persephone, Queen Below, in the first hour of the thin veil; 24 passages are yours tonight, as many as the hours of the day that is half night; receive the first, and open the way for the 2 who follow. |
II · The Veil · Τὸ Παραπέτασμα (Persephone)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τὸ παραπέτασμα λεπτόν, λεπτότερον ἢ ἐν πάσῃ ἄλλῃ νυκτὶ τοῦ ἔτους· οἱ νεκροὶ βαδίζουσιν, οἱ λόφοι ἀνοίγονται, τὰ πυρὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἀνάπτεται τὴν ὁδὸν οἴκαδε φωτίζειν· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς οὐ φοβεῖται τοῦτο· ἀνοίγει τὴν θύραν. | Tee neekti taftee to parapetasma lepton, leptoteron ee en pasee allee neekti too etoos· oi nekroi vadizoosin, oi lofoi anoigontai, ta peera epi ton eepseelon anaptetai teen odon oikade fotizein· o Zevistees oo foveitai tooto· anoigei teen theeran. | Tonight the veil is thin, thinner than on any other night of the year; the dead walk, the hills open, the fires are lit on the heights to light the road home; the Zevist doesn't fear this; he opens the door. |
| 14 | Οἱ Ἴβερνοι τὴν τράπεζαν τοῖς νεκροῖς ἔθεσαν καὶ τὸ πῦρ καιόμενον ἔλιπον καὶ τὴν θύραν ἄκλειστον· οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐν τοῖς Χύτροις τὴν χύτραν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῷ Ἑρμῇ καὶ τοῖς νεκροῖς ἕψησαν, καὶ τὰς θύρας πίσσῃ ἔχρισαν κατὰ τῶν Κηρῶν· ἡ αὐτὴ νύξ, οἱ αὐτοὶ ξένοι, ἡ αὐτὴ εὐγένεια καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ προσοχή. | Oi Ivernoi teen trapezan tois nekrois ethesan kai to peer kaiomenon elipon kai teen theeran akleiston· oi Atheenaioi en tois Kheetrois teen kheetran panton ton spermaton to Ermee kai tois nekrois epseesan, kai tas theeras pissee ekhrisan kata ton Keeron· ee aftee neex, oi aftoi xenoi, ee aftee evgeneia kai ee aftee prosokhee. | The Irish set the table for the dead and left the fire burning and the door unbarred; the Athenians at the Chytroi cooked the pot of all seeds for Hermes and the dead, and tarred the doors against the Keres; the same night, the same guests, the same courtesy and the same caution. |
| 15 | Ἔνδυσαι τὸ προσωπεῖον· τὸ Σάμχαϊν ἡ νὺξ τῶν κεκρυμμένων ὄψεων, καὶ τὸ προσωπεῖον ἀρχαιότερον τοῦ φόβου ᾧ ὕστερον ὑπηρετεῖν ἐποιήθη· ὁ τὸ πρόσωπον θεοῦ φορῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κατατίθησι, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐκβλέπει. | Endeesai to prosopeion· to Samkhain ee neex ton kekreemmenon opseon, kai to prosopeion arkhaioteron too fovoo Oh eesteron eepeeretein epoieethee· o to prosopon theoo foron to eaftoo katatitheesi, kai o theos ekvlepei. | Put on the mask: Samhain is the night of hidden appearances, and the mask is older than the fear it was later made to serve; the one who wears the face of a God lays down his own, and the God looks out. |
| 16 | Οἱ ἱερεῖς τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὸ προσωπεῖον τοῦ θωὸς ἐφόρουν καὶ Ἄνουβις τῇ τελετῇ ἦσαν· τὸ προσωπεῖον τῆς Χαράγης ἐν μουσείῳ, σὺν ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ κεκομμέναις· ἡ κρύψις τοῦ προσώπου ἡ δεῖξις τοῦ θεοῦ ἦν, καὶ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι οὐκ ἔπαιζον. | Oi iereis tees Aigeeptoo to prosopeion too thoos eforoon kai Anoovis tee teletee eesan· to prosopeion tees Kharagees en mooseio, seen tais opais ton ofthalmon en to trakheelo kekommenais· ee kreepsis too prosopoo ee deixis too theoo een, kai oi Aigeeptioi ook epaizon. | The priests of Egypt wore the mask of the jackal and were Anubis for the rite; the mask of Harageh is in a museum, with the eye-holes cut in the neck; the hiding of the face was the showing of the God, and the Egyptians weren't playing. |
| 17 | Τὸ προσωπεῖον τοῦ Διονύσου ἐπὶ τοῦ κίονος ἐκρέματο, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ προσωπείῳ παρῆν· ὁ ὑποκριτὴς αὐτὸ ἐνεδύσατο καὶ οὐκέτι ἑαυτὸς ἦν, καὶ τὸ θέατρον ἐκ τούτου ἐγεννήθη· πᾶν ἔνδυμα τοῦ Σάμχαϊν μικρὸν θέατρον, καὶ ὁ Ζευϊστὴς οἶδε τίνος. | To prosopeion too Dioneesoo epi too kionos ekremato, kai o theos en to prosopeio pareen· o eepokritees afto enedeesato kai ooketi eaftos een, kai to theatron ek tootoo egenneethee· pan endeema too Samkhain mikron theatron, kai o Zevistees oide tinos. | The mask of Dionysos hung on the pillar, and the God was present in the mask; the actor put it on and was no longer himself, and the theatre was born of that; every costume of Samhain is a small theatre, and the Zevist knows whose. |
| 18 | Κρύψον τὴν ὄψιν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια φαίνεται· τοῦτο τὸ Μυστήριον τοῦ προσωπείου· τὸ πρόσωπον ὃ ὅλον τὸ ἔτος φοροῦμεν τὸ προσωπεῖον, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ αὐτὸ ἀποτιθέμεθα ἕτερον ἐνδυόμενοι· οἱ νεκροὶ πρόσωπα οὐκ ἔχουσι, καὶ ἡμᾶς γινώσκουσι τῷ ὑποκάτω. | Kreepson teen opsin kai ee aleetheia fainetai· tooto to Meesteerion too prosopeioo· to prosopon o olon to etos foroomen to prosopeion, kai tee neekti taftee afto apotithemetha eteron endeeomenoi· oi nekroi prosopa ook ekhoosi, kai eemas ginoskoosi to eepokato. | Hide the appearance and the truth appears; that is the Mystery of the mask; the face we wear all year is the mask, and tonight we take it off by putting another on; the dead have no faces, and they know us by what is under. |
| 19 | Ἐνδύματα, ναί· αἱ εἰκόνες τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς μεταβολῆς, ναί· τὸ γεγλυμμένον φῶς ἐν τῇ θυρίδι, ναί· σκῶμμα τῶν θεῶν, οὔ· ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ πρᾶγμα σὺν κέρασιν, καὶ ὁ Ναὸς αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ λέγει· ἡ νὺξ τοῖς θεοῖς ὡς εἰσί, καὶ τοῖς νεκροῖς ὡς ἦσαν. | Endeemata, nai· ai eikones too thanatoo kai tees metavolees, nai· to gegleemmenon fos en tee theeridi, nai· skomma ton theon, oo· o Pateer oo pragma seen kerasin, kai o Naos afto en tee neekti taftee legei· ee neex tois theois os eisi, kai tois nekrois os eesan. | Costumes, yes; the imagery of death and of change, yes; the carved light in the window, yes; mockery of the Gods, no; the Father is not a thing with horns, and the Temple says so on this night; the night is for the Gods as they are, and for the dead as they were. |
| 20 | Ἡ μαντεία ἰσχυρὰ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ· τὸ μῆλον ἐν μιᾷ ταινίᾳ λελεπισμένον, τὸ κάρυον ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρός, τὸ κάτοπτρον, τὸ ὕδωρ· ἡ Βασίλισσα κάτω ἀμφοτέρωσε βλέπει, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν τοῖς ὀρθῶς αἰτοῦσι δανείζει· ἐρώτα περὶ τοῦ ἔτους τοῦ ἀρχομένου, μὴ περὶ τοῦ τελευτήσαντος. | Ee manteia iskheera tee neekti taftee· to meelon en mia tainia lelepismenon, to kareeon epi too peeros, to katoptron, to eedor· ee Vasilissa kato amfoterose vlepei, kai teen opsin tois orthos aitoosi daneizei· erota peri too etoos too arkhomenoo, mee peri too telefteesantos. | Divination is strong tonight: the apple peeled in 1 strip, the nut on the fire, the mirror, the water; the Queen below sees both ways, and lends the sight to those who ask it rightly; ask about the year that begins, not the year that ended. |
| 21 | Ἡ Ἐκκλησία τὴν τῶν Ἁγίων Πάντων τῇ πρώτῃ τοῦ Νοεμβρίου ἔθηκε καὶ τὴν τῶν Ψυχῶν τῇ δευτέρᾳ, καὶ τὴν παραμονὴν τῷ ἰδίῳ ὀνόματι ἐκάλεσεν· οἱ νεκροὶ οὐκ ᾔσθοντο, καὶ ἦλθον ὡς πρότερον· ἡμεῖς τὴν νύκτα τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτῆς καλοῦμεν, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἔρχονται ὡς πρότερον. | Ee Ekkleesia teen ton Agion Panton tee protee too Noemvrioo etheeke kai teen ton Pseekhon tee deftera, kai teen paramoneen to idio onomati ekalesen· oi nekroi ook eesthonto, kai eelthon os proteron· eemeis teen neekta to onomati aftees kaloomen, kai oi nekroi erkhontai os proteron. | The Church set All Saints on the 1st of November and All Souls on the 2nd, and called the eve by its own name; the dead didn't notice, and came as before; we call the night by its name, and the dead come as before. |
| 22 | Οὐκ ἦν θεὸς Σάμχαϊν ὀνόματι· οἱ Χριστιανοὶ αὐτὸν ἐπενόησαν ἵνα τι φοβῶνται· ἡ νὺξ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους τοῦ θέρους ὠνομάσθη καὶ ἀπ' οὐδενὸς ἄλλου· οἱ θεοὶ τῆς νυκτὸς ἡ Βασίλισσα, ὁ Ἄναξ καὶ ὁ Ἀνοιγεύς, καὶ ὀνόματα ἔχουσιν. | Ook een theos Samkhain onomati· oi Khristianoi afton epenoeesan ina ti fovontai· ee neex apo too teloos too theroos onomasthee kai ap' oodenos alloo· oi theoi tees neektos ee Vasilissa, o Anax kai o Anoigevs, kai onomata ekhoosin. | There was no God named Samhain; the Christians invented him to have something to fear; the night was named for the end of the summer and for nothing else; the Gods of the night are the Queen, the Lord and the Opener, and they have names. |
| 23 | Παραπέτασμα, λεπτὸν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, οὐ ῥηγνύομέν σε· τὴν γωνίαν αἴρομεν· ὃ διέρχεται εὐπρόσδεκτον, καὶ ὃ ὄπισθεν μένειν δεῖ μένει, ὅτι ἡ Βασίλισσα τὴν πύλην φυλάσσει· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς τοῖς νεκροῖς ὡς ξένοις λαλεῖ, καὶ αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν θύραν τῇ ἕῳ προπέμπει. | Parapetasma, lepton tee neekti taftee, oo reegneeomen se· teen gonian airomen· o dierkhetai efprosdekton, kai o opisthen menein dei menei, oti ee Vasilissa teen peeleen feelassei· o Zevistees tois nekrois os xenois lalei, kai aftoos pros teen theeran tee eo propempei. | Veil, thin tonight, we don't tear you; we lift the corner; what comes through is welcome, and what should stay behind stays, because the Queen keeps the gate; the Zevist speaks with the dead as with guests, and sees them to the door at dawn. |
| 24 | Χαῖρε, Περσεφόνη τοῦ λεπτοῦ παραπετάσματος, καὶ δὸς τὴν νύκτα τῷ ἀνδρί σου· ἡ Βασίλισσα τὴν πύλην ἤνοιξεν· ὁ Ἄναξ ἐν αὐτῇ ἵσταται· Πλούτων, Ἄναξ τοῦ Ἀοράτου, τὸ δεύτερον τρίτον τοῦ ψαλμοῦ σόν. | Khaire, Persefonee too leptoo parapetasmatos, kai dos teen neekta to andri soo· ee Vasilissa teen peeleen eenoixen· o Anax en aftee istatai· Plooton, Anax too Aoratoo, to defteron triton too psalmoo son. | Hail, Persephone of the thin veil, and give the night to your husband; the Queen opened the gate; the Lord stands in it; Pluton, Lord of the Unseen, the second third of the Psalm is yours. |
III · Pluton, the Wealthy One · Ὁ Πλούτων (Pluton)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Κλῦθι, Πλούτων, Ἅιδη, Ἀϊδωνεῦ, Ἄναξ τοῦ Ἀοράτου, Βασιλεῦ τῶν Κάτω, ἀδελφὲ Διός, ὁ τὸν τρίτον κλῆρον λαχὼν ὅτε οἱ τρεῖς Κρόνου παῖδες τὸν κόσμον διείλοντο· ὁ οὐρανὸς τῷ Διί, ἡ θάλασσα τῷ Ποσειδῶνι, ὁ ζόφος ὁ ἠερόεις σοί, καὶ ἡ γῆ κοινή. | Kleethi, Plooton, Aidee, Aidonef, Anax too Aoratoo, Vasilef ton Kato, adelfe Dios, o ton triton kleeron lakhon ote oi treis Kronoo paides ton kosmon dieilonto· o ooranos to Dii, ee thalassa to Poseidoni, o zofos o eeeroeis soi, kai ee gee koinee. | Hear, Pluton, Hades, Aidoneus, Lord of the Unseen, King Beneath, brother of Zeus, who drew the third lot when the 3 sons of Kronos divided the world; the sky to Zeus, the sea to Poseidon, the murky dark to you, and the earth in common. |
| 26 | Ἅιδης, ὁ Ἀειδής, ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν, Πλάτων ἐν τῷ Κρατύλῳ λέγει, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰδέναι, ἐπεὶ οἱ νεκροὶ πάντα ἴσασι καὶ ὁ Ἄναξ τῶν νεκρῶν πλεῖστα· ἀμφότερα ἀληθῆ, καὶ ἡ κυνέη τοῦ Ἅιδου τὸ δεύτερον ἐκ τοῦ πρώτου ποιεῖ. | Aidees, o Aeidees, apo too mee idein, Platon en to Krateelo legei, ee apo too eidenai, epei oi nekroi panta isasi kai o Anax ton nekron pleista· amfotera aleethee, kai ee keeneee too Aidoo to defteron ek too protoo poiei. | Hades, the Unseen, from the word for not seeing, Plato says in the Cratylus, or from the word for knowing, since the dead know everything and the Lord of the dead knows most; both are true, and the Helm of Darkness makes the second from the first. |
| 27 | Πλούτων, ὁ Πλούσιος, ὅτι πᾶς πλοῦτος ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς ἔρχεται· τὰ μέταλλα, οἱ λίθοι, τὸ σπέρμα ὃ ταφῆναι δεῖ ἵνα αὐξηθῇ, οἱ νεκροὶ οἳ τὴν γῆν ποιοῦσιν· οἱ Ἕλληνες σὲ τῷ εὐμενεῖ ὀνόματι ἐκάλουν τὸ φοβερὸν φεύγοντες, καὶ τὸ εὐμενὲς ἀληθέστερον ἦν. | Plooton, o Ploosios, oti pas plootos eepo tees gees erkhetai· ta metalla, oi lithoi, to sperma o tafeenai dei ina afxeethee, oi nekroi oi teen geen poioosin· oi Elleenes se to evmenei onomati ekaloon to foveron fevgontes, kai to evmenes aleethesteron een. | Pluton, the Wealthy, because all wealth comes from under the ground: the metals, the gems, the seed that must be buried to grow, the dead who make the soil; the Greeks called you by the kind name to avoid the fearful one, and the kind name was the truer. |
| 28 | Πολυδέγμων, ὁ Πολλοὺς δεχόμενος, ὁ οὐδένα ἀρνούμενος καὶ πάντας ἔχων· Κλύμενε, ὁ Ἔνδοξος· Εὐβουλεῦ, ὁ Εὔβουλος, ὁ τὴν Κόρην κόκκῳ πείσας· ὁ Βασιλεὺς κάτω πλείονας ὑπηκόους ἔχει ἢ πᾶς βασιλεὺς ἄνω, καὶ οὐδένα ἀπόλλυσι. | Poleedegmon, o Polloos dekhomenos, o oodena arnoomenos kai pantas ekhon· Kleemene, o Endoxos· Evvoolef, o Evvoolos, o teen Koreen kokko peisas· o Vasilevs kato pleionas eepeekooos ekhei ee pas vasilevs ano, kai oodena apolleesi. | Polydegmon, Receiver of Many, who refuse no one and hold everyone; Klymenos, the Renowned; Eubouleus, of Good Counsel, who won the Maiden with a seed; the King below has more subjects than any king above, and loses none. |
| 29 | Ὄσιρις ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ὁ Πρῶτος τῶν Δυτικῶν, ὁ πρῶτος μετὰ θάνατον ζήσας καὶ ὁ κριτὴς τῶν λοιπῶν· Γιάμα ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ, ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἀποθανὼν καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν πᾶσι τοῖς ἑπομένοις εὑρών, Βασιλεὺς τοῦ Νόμου· Νέργαλ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, ὁ πρὸς Ἐρεσκιγὰλ καταβὰς καὶ μείνας ὡς ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ ἄναξ. | Osiris en Aigeepto, o Protos ton Deetikon, o protos meta thanaton zeesas kai o kritees ton loipon· Giama en India, o protos anthropos o apothanon kai teen odon pasi tois epomenois evron, Vasilevs too Nomoo· Nergal en Vaveeloni, o pros Ereskigal katavas kai meinas os aneer aftees kai anax. | Osiris in Egypt, Foremost of the Westerners, the first to live after death and the judge of the rest; Yama in India, the first man who died and found the road for all who followed, King of the Law; Nergal in Babylon, who went down to Ereshkigal and stayed as her husband and her lord. |
| 30 | Δὶς Πατὴρ ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ὁ Πλούσιος Πατήρ, οὗ ὁ βωμὸς εἴκοσι πόδας ὑπὸ τὸ Ἄρειον Πεδίον ἔκειτο, ἅπαξ κατὰ ἑκατὸν ἔτη ἀποκαλυπτόμενος εἰς τοὺς Αἰωνίους Ἀγῶνας, καὶ πάλιν θαπτόμενος· Ὄρκος, ὁ Ὅρκος, ἡ ἀρχαιοτάτη μορφή σου ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ, ὁ τὸν ἐπίορκον κάτω κολάζων. | Dis Pateer en Romee, o Ploosios Pateer, oo o vomos eikosi podas eepo to Areion Pedion ekeito, apax kata ekaton etee apokaleeptomenos eis toos Aionioos Agonas, kai palin thaptomenos· Orkos, o Orkos, ee arkhaiotatee morfee soo en Italia, o ton epiorkon kato kolazon. | Dis Pater in Rome, the Rich Father, whose altar lay 20 feet under the Campus Martius, uncovered once a century for the Secular Games, and buried again; Orcus, the Oath, his oldest form in Italy, who punishes the oath-breaker below. |
| 31 | Ἄλλαξον τὸ ὄνομα κατὰ τὴν γλῶσσαν, καὶ ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν Κάτω τὴν βασιλείαν οὐκ ἀλλάσσει· Ἕλληνες, Αἰγύπτιοι, Ἰνδοί, Βαβυλώνιοι, Ῥωμαῖοι, Κελτοί, Σκανδιναυοί· εἷς Βασιλεύς, πολλὰ ὀνόματα, εἷς οἶκος· πᾶν ἔθνος σὲ ἔγνω ὅτι πᾶν ἔθνος ἀπέθανεν. | Allaxon to onoma kata teen glossan, kai o Vasilevs ton Kato teen vasileian ook allassei· Elleenes, Aigeeptioi, Indoi, Vaveelonioi, Romaioi, Keltoi, Skandinavoi· eis Vasilevs, polla onomata, eis oikos· pan ethnos se egno oti pan ethnos apethanen. | Change the name by the tongue, and the King Beneath doesn't change his kingdom; Greeks, Egyptians, Indians, Babylonians, Romans, Celts, Norse: 1 King, many names, 1 house; every nation knew you because every nation died. |
| 32 | Χθόνιε, τῆς γῆς, οὗ ὁ πλοῦτος ἡ γνῶσις ἡ μόνον κάτωθεν ἐρχομένη· ὁ καταβὰς καὶ ἀναβὰς οἶδεν ὃ οἱ ἄνω μείναντες οὐκ ἴσασιν· τὰ Μυστήρια ὁ πλοῦτός σου, Ἄναξ, καὶ δίδως αὐτὸν τοῖς πρὸς τὴν πύλην σου ζῶσιν ἐρχομένοις. | Khthonie, tees gees, oo o plootos ee gnosis ee monon katothen erkhomenee· o katavas kai anavas oiden o oi ano meinantes ook isasin· ta Meesteeria o plootos soo, Anax, kai didos afton tois pros teen peeleen soo zosin erkhomenois. | Chthonios, of the earth, whose wealth is the knowledge that comes only from below; the one who has gone down and come up knows what the ones who stayed up don't; the Mysteries are your wealth, Lord, and you give it to those who come to your gate alive. |
| 33 | Ὁ Ζευϊστὴς οὐ φοβεῖταί σε, Ἄναξ, ὅτι ὁ Ζευϊστὴς τὰ χρύσεα πέταλα ἀνέγνωκε· ὁ πρὸς σὲ ἐρχόμενος τὰ ὀρθὰ ῥήματα ἐν τῷ στόματι ἔχων ὡς ξένος δέχεται καὶ οὐχ ὡς δεσμώτης· καὶ τὰ ῥήματα ἐν τῷ Ναῷ διδάσκεται. | O Zevistees oo foveitai se, Anax, oti o Zevistees ta khreesea petala anegnoke· o pros se erkhomenos ta ortha reemata en to stomati ekhon os xenos dekhetai kai ookh os desmotees· kai ta reemata en to Nao didasketai. | The Zevist doesn't fear you, Lord, because the Zevist has read the gold leaves; the one who comes to you with the right words in his mouth is received as a guest and not as a prisoner; and the words are taught in the Temple. |
| 34 | Τέσσαρες χῶροι κάτω, οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐδίδαξαν· τὸ Ἠλύσιον τοῖς μακαρίοις, ὁ Ἀσφόδελος τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἅιδου τοῖς κοινοῖς νεκροῖς, ὁ Τάρταρος τοῖς ἀνιάτοις· ὁ Ἄναξ πάντας τοὺς τέσσαρας φυλάσσει, καὶ ὁ κλῆρος ἑκάστης ψυχῆς τὸ σύνολον τοῦ βίου αὐτῆς, ζυγοστατηθέν. | Tessares khoroi kato, oi Elleenes edidaxan· to Eeleesion tois makariois, o Asfodelos tois pollois, o oikos too Aidoo tois koinois nekrois, o Tartaros tois aniatois· o Anax pantas toos tessaras feelassei, kai o kleeros ekastees pseekhees to seenolon too vioo aftees, zeegostateethen. | 4 domains below, the Greeks taught: Elysium for the blessed, the Asphodel for the many, the house of Hades for the ordinary dead, Tartarus for the unredeemable; the Lord keeps all 4, and the lot of each soul is the sum of its life, weighed. |
| 35 | Εὐλόγει τοὺς Ζευϊστὰς τῷ πλούτῳ τῶν βαθέων· τῷ πλούτῳ τῆς γῆς, τῆς ψυχῆς, τῆς γνώσεως τῆς μόνον κάτωθεν ἐρχομένης· οὕτως ἡ τελετὴ τοῦ Ναοῦ σὲ αἰτεῖ, καὶ οὕτως ὁ ψαλμὸς σὲ αἰτεῖ ἐν τῇ νυκτί σου· ὁ τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν Κάτω χρυσὸν αἰτῶν χρυσὸν λαμβάνει· ὁ γνῶσιν αἰτῶν σὲ λαμβάνει. | Evlogei toos Zevistas to plooto ton vatheon· to plooto tees gees, tees pseekhees, tees gnoseos tees monon katothen erkhomenees· ootos ee teletee too Naoo se aitei, kai ootos o psalmos se aitei en tee neekti soo· o ton Vasilea ton Kato khreeson aiton khreeson lamvanei· o gnosin aiton se lamvanei. | Bless the Zevists with the wealth of the depths: the wealth of earth, of soul, of the knowledge that comes only from below; so the Temple's Ritual asks you, and so the Psalm asks you on your night; the one who asks the King Beneath for gold gets gold; the one who asks for knowledge gets you. |
| 36 | Χαῖρε, Πλούτων, Βασιλεῦ τῶν Κάτω, ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ μέλανος μαρμάρου, σὺν τῇ κυνέῃ παρὰ σοί· ἄφελε αὐτὴν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, καὶ ἰδέτωσαν οἱ Ζευϊσταὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πάντα ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν ἔχοντος· πρόσωπον Βασιλέως ἐστί, καὶ οὐκ ὠμόν. | Khaire, Plooton, Vasilef ton Kato, epi too thronoo too melanos marmaroo, seen tee keeneee para soi· afele afteen tee neekti taftee, kai idetosan oi Zevistai to prosopon too panta eepo toos podas afton ekhontos· prosopon Vasileos esti, kai ook omon. | Hail, Pluton, King Beneath, on the throne of black marble, with the Helm beside you; take it off tonight, and let the Zevists see the face of the one who owns everything beneath their feet; it is the face of a King, and it isn't cruel. |
IV · The Open Gate · Ἡ Πύλη ἡ Ἀνοικτή (Pluton)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Ὀδυσσεὺς τὸν βόθρον ὤρυξε πυγούσιον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παρὰ τὸν Ὠκεανόν, καὶ ἔχεε τὸ μελίκρητον, τὸν οἶνον, τὸ ὕδωρ, τὰ ἄλφιτα, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐξ Ἐρέβους ἀνῆλθον, νύμφαι καὶ νέοι καὶ γέροντες καὶ κόραι καὶ πολεμισταὶ σὺν τοῖς τραύμασιν αὐτῶν, καὶ τῷ ξίφει αὐτοὺς ἀπεῖργεν ἕως ὃν ἤθελεν ἐλάλησε. | Odeessevs ton vothron oreexe peegoosion entha kai entha para ton Okeanon, kai ekhee to melikreeton, ton oinon, to eedor, ta alfita, kai oi nekroi ex Erevoos aneelthon, neemfai kai neoi kai gerontes kai korai kai polemistai seen tois travmasin afton, kai to xifei aftoos apeirgen eos on eethelen elaleese. | Odysseus dug the pit a cubit each way at the edge of Ocean, and poured the milk and honey, the wine, the water, the barley, and the dead came up out of Erebus, brides and young men and old men and girls and warriors with their wounds, and he held them off with the sword until the one he wanted had spoken. |
| 38 | Ἡ πρώτη τελετὴ τῆς ἀνοικτῆς πύλης ἐν Ὁμήρῳ, καὶ αἱ Νεκρομαντικαὶ Τελεταὶ τοῦ Ναοῦ τὸ σχῆμα αὐτῆς φυλάσσουσι· ἡ προσφορά, ἡ κλῆσις, ἡ ἄπειρξις, ἡ ὁμιλία μετὰ τοῦ ζητουμένου, ἡ ἀποπομπή· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς τὴν πύλην ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν κατὰ τὸ βιβλίον ἀνοίγει, καὶ κατὰ τὸ βιβλίον κλείει. | Ee protee teletee tees anoiktees peelees en Omeero, kai ai Nekromantikai Teletai too Naoo to skheema aftees feelassoosi· ee prosfora, ee kleesis, ee apeirxis, ee omilia meta too zeetoomenoo, ee apopompee· o Zevistees teen peeleen en to Samkhain kata to vivlion anoigei, kai kata to vivlion kleiei. | The first rite of the open gate is in Homer, and the Temple's Necromantic Rites keep its shape: the offering, the calling, the holding off, the speaking with the one who is wanted, the sending back; the Zevist opens the gate on Samhain by the book, and closes it by the book. |
| 39 | Θὲς τὸν τόπον τοῦ προγόνου ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, σὺν τῇ τροφῇ ἣν ἐφίλει καὶ τῷ ποτηρίῳ ἐξ οὗ ἔπινεν· ὀνόμασον αὐτὸν φωνῇ, καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν πατέρα τοῦ πατρός, ὅσον τὰ ὀνόματα ἐξικνεῖται· οἱ νεκροὶ ζῶσιν ὅσον ὀνομάζονται, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ὀνομάζονται. | Thes ton topon too progonoo epi tees trapezees tee neekti taftee, seen tee trofee een efilei kai to poteerio ex oo epinen· onomason afton fonee, kai ton patera aftoo, kai ton patera too patros, oson ta onomata exikneitai· oi nekroi zosin oson onomazontai, kai tee neekti taftee onomazontai. | Set the ancestor's place at the table tonight, with the food he liked and the cup he drank from; name him aloud, and his father, and his father's father, as far back as the names go; the dead live as long as they are named, and tonight they are named. |
| 40 | Τὰ Γενέσια τῶν Ἀθηνῶν τοὺς νεκροὺς ἑκάστου οἴκου προσφοραῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ τάφου ἐτίμα· οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ Παρεντάλια ἐν Φεβρουαρίῳ καὶ τὰ Λεμούρια ἐν Μαΐῳ ἦγον, κυάμους ὑπὲρ τὸν ὦμον ῥίπτοντες· πᾶν ἔθνος τὴν νύκτα αὐτοῦ τοῖς νεκροῖς εἶχε, καὶ οἱ Κελτοὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας τοῦ σκοτεινοῦ ἡμίσεος ἔθηκαν. | Ta Genesia ton Atheenon toos nekroos ekastoo oikoo prosforais epi too tafoo etima· oi Romaioi ta Parentalia en Fevrooario kai ta Lemooria en Maio eegon, keeamoos eeper ton omon riptontes· pan ethnos teen neekta aftoo tois nekrois eikhe, kai oi Keltoi teen eafton epi tees theeras too skoteinoo eemiseos etheekan. | The Genesia of Athens honoured the dead of each house with offerings at the tomb; the Romans kept the Parentalia in February and the Lemuria in May, with beans thrown over the shoulder; every people had its night for the dead, and the Celts put theirs at the door of the dark half. |
| 41 | Τὸ σιωπηλὸν δεῖπνον· τὸ δεῖπνον ἐν σιγῇ ἐσθιόμενον σὺν τῇ κενῇ ἕδρᾳ, ἵνα ὁ ξένος λαλήσῃ· τὸ μῆλον ἐγκαρσίως τμηθὲν τὸν ἀστέρα τῶν πέντε ἀκτίνων δείκνυσι, τὸ ἴδιον σημεῖον τῆς Βασιλίσσης, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θυρίδος λείπεται· ἡ ἑστία σκεπάζεται καὶ οὐ σβέννυται, ὅτι τις ἐκ τοῦ ψύχους εἰσελθεῖν δύναται. | To siopeelon deipnon· to deipnon en sigee esthiomenon seen tee kenee edra, ina o xenos laleesee· to meelon enkarsios tmeethen ton astera ton pente aktinon deikneesi, to idion seemeion tees Vasilissees, kai epi tees theeridos leipetai· ee estia skepazetai kai oo svenneetai, oti tis ek too pseekhoos eiselthein deenatai. | The dumb supper: the meal eaten in silence with the empty chair, so that the guest may speak; the apple cut across shows the star of 5 points, the Queen's own sign, and is left on the sill; the hearth is banked and not put out, because someone may come in from the cold. |
| 42 | Οὐ πᾶς νεκρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος· ὁ ἀνήσυχος, ὁ ἐχθρός, ὁ ἄνευ τῶν ῥημάτων ταφείς· Ὀδυσσεὺς αὐτοὺς τῷ ξίφει ἀπεῖργε, καὶ ὁ Ζευϊστὴς τῇ τελετῇ ἀπείργει· ἡ πύλη τοῖς ξένοις ἀνοίγεται, καὶ ὁ Ἄναξ τοὺς λοιποὺς ὄπισθεν αὐτῆς φυλάσσει. | Oo pas nekros efprosdektos· o aneeseekhos, o ekhthros, o anef ton reematon tafeis· Odeessevs aftoos to xifei apeirge, kai o Zevistees tee teletee apeirgei· ee peelee tois xenois anoigetai, kai o Anax toos loipoos opisthen aftees feelassei. | Not every dead one is welcome: the restless, the hostile, the one who wasn't buried with the words; Odysseus held them off with the sword, and the Zevist holds them off with the Rite; the gate is opened for the guests, and the Lord keeps the rest behind it. |
| 43 | Ἑκάτη ἐπὶ τῶν τριόδων ἵσταται σὺν ταῖς δᾳσὶ καὶ τοῖς κυσὶν αὐτῆς, καὶ τὰ Δεῖπνα αὐτῇ ἐν τῇ σκοτομήνῃ ἐλείπετο· αὐτὴ ἡ φύλαξ τῆς πύλης ἔξωθεν, ὡς ὁ Ἄναξ ἔσωθεν· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς ὁ τὴν πύλην ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν ἀνοίγων αὐτὴν πρῶτον ἀσπάζεται. | Ekatee epi ton triodon istatai seen tais dasi kai tois keesin aftees, kai ta Deipna aftee en tee skotomeenee eleipeto· aftee ee feelax tees peelees exothen, os o Anax esothen· o Zevistees o teen peeleen en to Samkhain anoigon afteen proton aspazetai. | Hekate stands at the crossroads with her torches and her dogs, and the Deipna were left for her at the dark of the moon; she is the warden of the gate from the outside, as the Lord is from the inside; the Zevist who opens the gate on Samhain greets her first. |
| 44 | Ἑρμῆς Χθόνιος τὰς ψυχὰς τῇ ῥάβδῳ κάτω ἄγει, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τῇ αὐτῇ ὁδῷ ἄνω ἄγει· ὁ Ψυχοπομπὸς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐδοῦ, καὶ ὁ οὐδὸς ὅπου ὁ Ζευϊστὴς ἵσταται· Ἑρμῆς καὶ Ἄνουβις εἷς θεὸς τοῖς Ἕλλησι τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἦσαν, καὶ ὁ ψαλμὸς μέλλει λέγειν διὰ τί. | Ermees Khthonios tas pseekhas tee ravdo kato agei, kai tee neekti taftee tee aftee odo ano agei· o Pseekhopompos o theos too oodoo, kai o oodos opoo o Zevistees istatai· Ermees kai Anoovis eis theos tois Elleesi tees Aigeeptoo eesan, kai o psalmos mellei legein dia ti. | Hermes Chthonios leads the souls down with his staff, and leads them up tonight by the same road; the Guide of Souls is the God of the threshold, and the threshold is where the Zevist stands; Hermes and Anubis were 1 God to the Greeks of Egypt, and the Psalm is about to say why. |
| 45 | Ἐρώτα τοὺς νεκροὺς ὃ οἱ νεκροὶ ἴσασιν· οὐ τὸν κλῆρον, οὐ τὰ βουλεύματα τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ἀλλὰ ὃ ἀποθανόντες ἔμαθον· ἡ ἀπόκρισις ἔρχεται ὡς αἴσθησις, ὡς ῥῆμα ἐν τῷ ἡμιύπνῳ, ὡς ὄνειρος πρὸ τῆς ἠοῦς· γράψον αὐτήν, καὶ μὴ ἀντίλεγε αὐτῇ ἕως πρωΐ. | Erota toos nekroos o oi nekroi isasin· oo ton kleeron, oo ta voolevmata too ekhthroo, alla o apothanontes emathon· ee apokrisis erkhetai os aistheesis, os reema en to eemieepno, os oneiros pro tees eeoos· grapson afteen, kai mee antilege aftee eos proi. | Ask the dead what the dead know: not the lottery, not the enemy's plans, but the thing they learned by dying; the answer comes as a feeling, a word in the half-sleep, a dream before dawn; write it down, and don't argue with it until morning. |
| 46 | Ὁ θάνατος πύλη καὶ οὐ τέλος· ὁ Ναὸς αὐτὸ ἐπὶ πάσης σελίδος λέγει, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ δείκνυσι· οἱ νεκροὶ οἱ πρὸς τὴν τράπεζαν ἐλθόντες διὰ τῆς πύλης ἦλθον, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἐπανελεύσονται, καὶ πάλιν ἥξουσι τῷ ἐπιόντι ἔτει· ὁ μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν φαγὼν οὐ φοβεῖται αὐτοῖς συνελθεῖν. | O thanatos peelee kai oo telos· o Naos afto epi pasees selidos legei, kai tee neekti taftee deikneesi· oi nekroi oi pros teen trapezan elthontes dia tees peelees eelthon, kai di' aftees epanelefsontai, kai palin eexoosi to epionti etei· o meta ton nekron fagon oo foveitai aftois seenelthein. | Death is a gate and not an end: the Temple says it on every page, and tonight it demonstrates it; the dead who come to the table came through the gate, and will go back through it, and will come again next year; the one who has eaten with the dead doesn't fear to join them. |
| 47 | Τῇ ἕῳ ἡ πύλη κλείεται, σὺν τοῖς ῥήμασι, καὶ οἱ ξένοι πρὸς τὴν θύραν προπέμπονται· ὃ εἰσῆλθεν ἐξέρχεται, καὶ ὁ οἶκος σαροῦται, καὶ τὸ μῆλον εἰς τὸ ῥέον ὕδωρ ῥίπτεται· ὁ Ἄναξ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀναλαμβάνει, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖται διὰ τὸ δάνειον. | Tee eo ee peelee kleietai, seen tois reemasi, kai oi xenoi pros teen theeran propempontai· o eiseelthen exerkhetai, kai o oikos sarootai, kai to meelon eis to reon eedor riptetai· o Anax ta eaftoo analamvanei, kai efkharisteitai dia to daneion. | At dawn the gate is closed, with the words, and the guests are seen to the door; what came in goes out, and the house is swept, and the apple is thrown into the running water; the Lord takes back his own, and thanks are given for the loan. |
| 48 | Χαῖρε, Πλούτων τῆς ἀνοικτῆς πύλης, ὁ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἡμῖν μίαν νύκτα δανείσας· ἡ Βασίλισσα αὐτὴν ἤνοιξεν, ὁ Ἄναξ αὐτὴν ἐφύλαξε, καὶ νῦν ὁ Ἀνοιγεὺς τῶν Ὁδῶν τὸ ὕστατον τρίτον λαμβάνει· Ἄνουβι, θὼς τοῦ ὄρους, ὁ ψαλμὸς πρὸς Αἴγυπτον στρέφεται, ὅπου οἱ νεκροὶ ἄριστα ἐφιλοῦντο. | Khaire, Plooton tees anoiktees peelees, o toos nekroos eemin mian neekta daneisas· ee Vasilissa afteen eenoixen, o Anax afteen efeelaxe, kai neen o Anoigevs ton Odon to eestaton triton lamvanei· Anoovi, thos too oroos, o psalmos pros Aigeepton strefetai, opoo oi nekroi arista efiloonto. | Hail, Pluton of the open gate, who lent us the dead for a night; the Queen opened it, the Lord kept it, and now the Opener of the Ways takes the last third; Anubis, jackal of the mountain, the Psalm turns to Egypt, where the dead were best loved. |
V · Anubis, Opener of the Ways · Ὁ Ἄνουβις (Anubis)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Κλῦθι, Ἄνουβι, Ἰνποῦ, θωοκέφαλε, ὁ Ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὄρους αὐτοῦ, Ἄναξ τῆς Ἱερᾶς Γῆς, ὁ Πρῶτος τῆς Θείας Σκηνῆς, Ἀνοιγεῦ τῶν Ὁδῶν· ἡ νὺξ τῶν νεκρῶν σή, ὅτι σὺ πρῶτος νεκροῦ σώματος ἐπεμελήθης καὶ ζῆν ἐποίησας. | Kleethi, Anoovi, Inpoo, thookefale, o Epi too Oroos aftoo, Anax tees Ieras Gees, o Protos tees Theias Skeenees, Anoigef ton Odon· ee neex ton nekron see, oti see protos nekroo somatos epemeleethees kai zeen epoieesas. | Hear, Anubis, Inpu, jackal-headed, He Who Is Upon His Mountain, Lord of the Sacred Land, Foremost of the Divine Booth, Opener of the Ways; the night of the dead is yours, because you were the first to care for a dead body and make it live. |
| 50 | Σὴθ τὸν Ὄσιριν εὗρε καὶ ἀπέκτεινε καὶ εἰς τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα μέρη ἔτεμε, καὶ Ἶσις ἐζήτησε καὶ εὗρεν αὐτά, καὶ σύ, Ἄνουβι, τὸ σῶμα ἐνείλησας, καὶ ἔδησας, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐλάλησας, καὶ ὅλον ἦν· τὸ πρῶτον τεταριχευμένον σῶμα ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἐποιήθη, καὶ πᾶς ταριχευτὴς ἔκτοτε τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐφόρει. | Seeth ton Osirin evre kai apekteine kai eis tessareskaideka meree eteme, kai Isis ezeeteese kai evren afta, kai see, Anoovi, to soma eneileesas, kai edeesas, kai ep' afto elaleesas, kai olon een· to proton tetarikhevmenon soma eepo theoo epoieethee, kai pas tarikheftees ektote to prosopon soo eforei. | Set found Osiris and killed him and cut him in 14 pieces, and Isis searched and found them, and you, Anubis, wrapped the body, and bound it, and spoke over it, and it was whole; the first mummy was made by a God, and every embalmer since wore your face. |
| 51 | Θώς, ὅτι ὁ θὼς τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ἐρήμου ἐβάδιζεν ὅπου οἱ τάφοι ἦσαν, καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγίνωσκε, καὶ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὸν σαρκοφάγον φύλακα ἐποίησαν, ὅπερ ὅλη ἡ σοφία αὐτῶν· ὃ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀπειλεῖ εἰς τὸ φυλάσσον αὐτοὺς στρέφεται, καὶ ἡ στροφὴ τὸ ὄνομά σου. | Thos, oti o thos to akron tees ereemoo evadizen opoo oi tafoi eesan, kai toos nekroos eginoske, kai oi Aigeeptioi ton sarkofagon feelaka epoieesan, oper olee ee sofia afton· o toos nekroos apeilei eis to feelasson aftoos strefetai, kai ee strofee to onoma soo. | Jackal, because the jackal walked the edge of the desert where the tombs were, and knew the dead, and the Egyptians made the scavenger the guardian, which is the whole of their wisdom; what threatens the dead is turned into what keeps them, and the turning is your name. |
| 52 | Οὐεπουαουέτ, ὁ Ἀνοιγεὺς τῶν Ὁδῶν, πρὸ τῆς βάριδος τοῦ Ὀσίριδος ἐν Ἀβύδῳ ἐπορεύετο, καὶ Ἰχερνοφρὲτ ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνὴρ τὴν Μεγάλην Πομπὴν ἦγε καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς λίμνης ἀπεκρούσατο, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς στήλης αὐτοῦ ἔγραψε, καὶ ἔγραψε καί· τὰς κρυπτὰς τελετὰς οὐκ ἔγραψα. | Ooepooaooet, o Anoigevs ton Odon, pro tees varidos too Osiridos en Aveedo eporeveto, kai Ikhernofret o too vasileos aneer teen Megaleen Pompeen eege kai toos ekhthroos too theoo epi tees limnees apekroosato, kai epi tees steelees aftoo egrapse, kai egrapse kai· tas kreeptas teletas ook egrapsa. | Wepwawet, Opener of the Ways, went before the barque of Osiris at Abydos, and Ikhernofret the king's man led the Great Procession and beat back the enemies of the God on the lake, and wrote it on his stone, and wrote also: the secret rites I didn't write. |
| 53 | Ἐν τῷ μηνὶ Χοιάκ, ὅς ἐστι Νοέμβριος, οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὸν Ὄσιριν ἐκ γῆς καὶ σίτου ἐν τύπῳ ἐποίουν, καὶ ἐπότιζον, καὶ ἐβλάστανεν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, καὶ τῇ ὑστάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τὸν στῦλον Δζὲδ ἀνίστασαν· ὁ νεκρὸς θεὸς χλωρὸς ἐν τῷ σκότει ηὔξετο, καὶ ἡ Δένδερα τὴν ὅλην τελετὴν ἐπὶ τῆς στέγης αὐτῆς ἔγλυψεν. | En to meeni Khoiak, os esti Noemvrios, oi Aigeeptioi ton Osirin ek gees kai sitoo en teepo epoioon, kai epotizon, kai evlastanen en to tafo, kai tee eestatee eemera ton steelon Dzed anistasan· o nekros theos khloros en to skotei eefxeto, kai ee Dendera teen oleen teleteen epi tees stegees aftees egleepsen. | In the month of Khoiak, which is November, the Egyptians made the Osiris of earth and grain in a mould, and watered it, and it sprouted in the tomb, and on the last day they raised the Djed pillar; the dead God grew green in the dark, and Dendera carved the whole rite on its roof. |
| 54 | Ἡ ἑορτὴ Οὐὰγ τῶν νεκρῶν ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνὶ τοῦ ἔτους ἔπιπτε, καὶ οἱ οἶκοι εἰς τοὺς τάφους σὺν ἄρτῳ καὶ ζύθῳ ἤρχοντο· οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν τρισχίλια ἔτη ἔτρεφον καὶ τὸν κατάλογον ἐπὶ τοῦ τοίχου ἔγραψαν· ὁ Ναὸς τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτοῦ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τρέφει, καὶ ὁ κατάλογος ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης. | Ee eortee Ooag ton nekron en to proto meeni too etoos epipte, kai oi oikoi eis toos tafoos seen arto kai zeetho eerkhonto· oi Aigeeptioi toos nekroos afton triskhilia etee etrefon kai ton katalogon epi too toikhoo egrapsan· o Naos toos nekroos aftoo tee neekti taftee trefei, kai o katalogos epi tees trapezees. | The Wag festival of the dead fell in the first month of the year, and the families went to the tombs with bread and beer; the Egyptians fed their dead for 3,000 years and wrote the menu on the wall; the Temple feeds its dead tonight, and the menu is on the table. |
| 55 | Οἱ Ἕλληνες τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὸν Ἑρμῆν ἐν σοὶ εἶδον καὶ Ἑρμάνουβιν σὲ ἐκάλεσαν, Ψυχοπομπὸν σὺν τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ θωός· Ἀπουλήιος σὲ ἐν τῇ πομπῇ τῆς Ἴσιδος εἶδε, προσωπεῖον ἔχοντα, σὺν τῷ κηρυκείῳ καὶ τῷ φοίνικι· ὁ Ὁδηγὸς ὁ αὐτὸς Ὁδηγὸς ἐν πάσῃ πύλῃ, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας. | Oi Elleenes tees Aigeeptoo ton Ermeen en soi eidon kai Ermanoovin se ekalesan, Pseekhopompon seen tee kefalee too thoos· Apooleeios se en tee pompee tees Isidos eide, prosopeion ekhonta, seen to keereekeio kai to foiniki· o Odeegos o aftos Odeegos en pasee peelee, kai tee neekti taftee epi tees eemeteras. | The Greeks of Egypt saw Hermes in you and called you Hermanubis, Guide of Souls with the jackal's head; Apuleius saw you in the procession of Isis, masked, with the caduceus and the palm; the Guide is the same Guide at every gate, and tonight he is at ours. |
| 56 | Ἔθηκάν σε ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν πνευμάτων ὡς κόμητα σὺν κεφαλῇ λέοντος, καὶ Ἴπος σε ἐκάλεσαν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὄνομά σου σὺν Ἑλληνικῇ καταλήξει, καὶ τὰ παλαιότερα χειρόγραφα τὸν θῶά σοι διδόασιν· τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῆς ταυτότητός σου κηρύσσομεν· σὺ εἶ Ἄνουβις, καὶ ἡ σκιὰ ἀπὸ σοῦ πίπτει. | Etheekan se en tee vivlo ton pnevmaton os komeeta seen kefalee leontos, kai Ipos se ekalesan, kai to onoma to onoma soo seen Elleenikee kataleexei, kai ta palaiotera kheirografa ton thoa soi didoasin· teen aleetheian tees taftoteetos soo keereessomen· see ei Anoovis, kai ee skia apo soo piptei. | They put you in the book of spirits as a count with the head of a lion, and called you Ipos, and the name is your name with a Greek ending, and the older manuscripts give you the jackal; we declare the truth of your identity: you are Anubis, and the shadow falls from you. |
| 57 | Κάτοχε τοῦ Μυστηρίου τῆς Μεγάλης Κλειδός, ὁ τὰς πύλας τοῦ Δουὰτ τῷ τὰ ὀρθὰ ῥήματα ἔχοντι ἀνοίγων, καὶ τῷ ἄνευ αὐτῶν κλείων· ἡ κλεὶς ἐν τῷ Ναῷ διδάσκεται, καὶ οὐ τυποῦται. | Katokhe too Meesteerioo tees Megalees Kleidos, o tas peelas too Dooat to ta ortha reemata ekhonti anoigon, kai to anef afton kleion· ee kleis en to Nao didasketai, kai oo teepootai. | Holder of the Mystery of the Great Key, who open the gates of the Duat for the one with the right words, and close them on the one without; the key is taught in the Temple, and it isn't printed. |
| 58 | Φύλαξ τοῦ νεκροῦ σώματος, διδάσκεις ὅτι τὸ σῶμα οὐ σκύβαλον ὅταν ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτὸ λίπῃ· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτοῦ σὺν τοῖς ῥήμασι καὶ τῇ ἐπιμελείᾳ θάπτει, ὡς ἡ Αἴγυπτος ἔθαπτε, καὶ ἡ τελετὴ τοῦ Ναοῦ τῆς ταφῆς ἡ τελετή σου, ὑπὸ Ἑλληνικὸν ὄνομα. | Feelax too nekroo somatos, didaskeis oti to soma oo skeevalon otan ee pseekhee afto lipee· o Zevistees toos nekroos aftoo seen tois reemasi kai tee epimeleia thaptei, os ee Aigeeptos ethapte, kai ee teletee too Naoo tees tafees ee teletee soo, eepo Elleenikon onoma. | Guardian of the dead body, you teach that the body isn't rubbish when the soul has left it; the Zevist buries his dead with the words and the care, as Egypt did, and the Temple's funeral rite is your rite, under a Greek name. |
| 59 | Προστάτα τῶν ἀπελθόντων, ὁ ὑπὲρ τὸ ὅριον τοῦ θανάτου ὁρῶν ὅπου οἱ πρότεροι βίοι καὶ αἱ μέλλουσαι μοῖραι ὁραταί· ὃ οἱ νεκροὶ ἔμαθον, σὺ φυλάσσεις, καὶ δίδως αὐτὸ τοῖς ζῶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ αἰτοῦσιν· ὁ θὼς ἐν τῷ σκότει ὁρᾷ, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν δανείζει. | Prostata ton apelthonton, o eeper to orion too thanatoo oron opoo oi proteroi vioi kai ai melloosai moirai oratai· o oi nekroi emathon, see feelasseis, kai didos afto tois zosi tois en tee neekti taftee aitoosin· o thos en to skotei ora, kai teen opsin daneizei. | Patron of the departed, who see across the boundary of death where past lives and future destinies are visible; what the dead learned, you keep, and you give it to the living who ask on this night; the jackal sees in the dark, and lends the sight. |
| 60 | Χαῖρε, Ἄνουβι, θὼς τοῦ ὄρους, ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς τῶν νεκρῶν· ἡ Βασίλισσα τὴν πύλην ἤνοιξεν, ὁ Ἄναξ αὐτὴν ἐφύλαξε, σὺ δι' αὐτῆς ἄγεις· εἴκοσι τέσσαρες στροφαὶ σαί, καὶ αἱ ὕσταται δώδεκα ἡ ζυγοστασία. | Khaire, Anoovi, thos too oroos, en tee tritee ora tees neektos ton nekron· ee Vasilissa teen peeleen eenoixen, o Anax afteen efeelaxe, see di' aftees ageis· eikosi tessares strofai sai, kai ai eestatai dodeka ee zeegostasia. | Hail, Anubis, jackal of the mountain, in the third hour of the night of the dead; the Queen opened the gate, the Lord kept it, you lead through it; 24 passages are yours, and the last 12 are the weighing. |
VI · The Weighing of the Heart · Ἡ Ζυγοστασία τῆς Καρδίας (Anubis)
| № | Ancient Greek | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Ἐν τῇ Αὐλῇ τῶν Δύο Ἀληθειῶν ἡ καρδία ἐπὶ τὸν ζυγὸν τίθεται, καὶ τὸ πτερὸν τῆς Μάατ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν πλάστιγγα, καὶ σύ, Ἄνουβι, τὸν ζυγὸν ἑδράζεις, καὶ Θὼθ τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα γράφει, καὶ ἡ Καταβρόχθουσα περιμένει· ἡ ὅλη θρησκεία τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν μιᾷ εἰκόνι, καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν σή. | En tee Avlee ton Deeo Aleetheion ee kardia epi ton zeegon tithetai, kai to pteron tees Maat epi teen eteran plastinga, kai see, Anoovi, ton zeegon edrazeis, kai Thoth to apotelesma grafei, kai ee Katavrokhthoosa perimenei· ee olee threeskeia tees Aigeeptoo en mia eikoni, kai ee eikon see. | In the Hall of the 2 Truths the heart is set on the scale, and the feather of Ma'at on the other pan, and you, Anubis, steady the balance, and Thoth writes the result, and the Devourer waits; the whole of Egyptian religion is in 1 picture, and the picture is yours. |
| 62 | Οὐκ ἠδίκησα· οὐκ ἔκλεψα· οὐκ ἀπέκτεινα· οὐκ ἐψευσάμην· οὐδένα κλαίειν ἐποίησα· δύο καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἀρνήσεις πρὸ δύο καὶ τεσσαράκοντα κριτῶν, ἡ Ἀρνητικὴ Ὁμολογία τῆς Βίβλου τῶν Νεκρῶν· ὁ Ζευϊστὴς αὐτὰς ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν ἀναγιγνώσκει καὶ ἑκάστην πρὸς τὸ ἔτος δοκιμάζει. | Ook eedikeesa· ook eklepsa· ook apekteina· ook epsefsameen· oodena klaiein epoieesa· deeo kai tessarakonta arneeseis pro deeo kai tessarakonta kriton, ee Arneetikee Omologia tees Vivloo ton Nekron· o Zevistees aftas en to Samkhain anagignoskei kai ekasteen pros to etos dokimazei. | I have not done wrong; I have not stolen; I have not killed; I have not lied; I have not made anyone weep: 42 denials before 42 judges, the Negative Confession of the Book of the Dead; the Zevist reads them on Samhain and tests each one against the year. |
| 63 | Τὸ Σάμχαϊν ἡ ζυγοστασία τοῦ ἔτους τῆς ζωῆς, ὡς τὸ Λάμμας ἡ ζυγοστασία τοῦ ἡμίσεος ἔτους τοῦ ἔργου· τὸ ἔτος τὸ ἐν τῷ Βελτάνε ἀνοιχθὲν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ κλείεται, καὶ ἡ καρδία ἐπὶ τὴν πλάστιγγα τίθεται· κουφοτέρα τοῦ πτεροῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔτος δεδικαίωται· βαρυτέρα, καὶ ὁ Ζευϊστὴς οἶδε τί ἐπισκευάσαι. | To Samkhain ee zeegostasia too etoos tees zoees, os to Lammas ee zeegostasia too eemiseos etoos too ergoo· to etos to en to Veltane anoikhthen tee neekti taftee kleietai, kai ee kardia epi teen plastinga tithetai· koofotera too pteroo, kai to etos dedikaiotai· vareetera, kai o Zevistees oide ti episkevasai. | Samhain is the weighing of the year of life, as Lammas was the weighing of the half-year of work: the year that opened at Beltane closes tonight, and the heart is set on the pan; lighter than the feather, and the year is justified; heavier, and the Zevist knows what to mend. |
| 64 | Ἡ Μάατ τὸ πτερὸν ὅτι ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐδὲν ζυγοῖ καὶ πάντα πρὸς αὐτὴν ζυγοστατεῖται· ἡ καρδία ἡ ψεῦδος μὴ φέρουσα κούφη ὡς τὸ πτερόν, καὶ διέρχεται· οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν ἀκριβῆ εἰκόνα εὗρον, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτὴν ἐν τετρακισχιλίοις ἔτεσιν ἐβελτίωσεν. | Ee Maat to pteron oti ee aleetheia ooden zeegoi kai panta pros afteen zeegostateitai· ee kardia ee psevdos mee feroosa koofee os to pteron, kai dierkhetai· oi Aigeeptioi teen akrivee eikona evron, kai oodeis afteen en tetrakiskhiliois etesin eveltiosen. | Ma'at is the feather because truth weighs nothing and everything is weighed against it; the heart that carries no lie is as light as the feather, and passes; the Egyptians found the exact image, and no one has improved it in 4,000 years. |
| 65 | Ὁ Σκορπίος τὸ ζῴδιον τῆς νυκτός· τὸ στερεὸν ὕδωρ, τὸ ζῴδιον τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι κεκρυμμένου, οὗ ἡ ἑτέρα εἰκὼν ὁ ἀετός, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου ἀνιστάμενον· αἱ Ἑορταὶ τῶν Μυστηρίων ἐν τοῖς τέσσαρσι στερεοῖς ζῳδίοις ἵστανται, καὶ αὕτη ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἡ ὑστάτη. | O Skorpios to zodion tees neektos· to stereon eedor, to zodion too thanatoo kai too en to eedati kekreemmenoo, oo ee etera eikon o aetos, to ek too kentroo anistamenon· ai Eortai ton Meesteerion en tois tessarsi stereois zodiois istantai, kai aftee ee too eedatos, kai ee eestatee. | The Scorpion is the sign of the night: the fixed water, the sign of death and of what is hidden in the water, whose other image is the eagle, the thing that rises out of the sting; the Mystery Holidays stand at the 4 fixed signs, and this is the water one, and the last. |
| 66 | Ἡ Ἑορτὴ τοῦ Πυρὸς τὸ πῦρ ἀνῆψε, τὸ Βελτάνε ὕψωσε, τὸ Λάμμας ἄρτον ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐποίησε, τὸ Σάμχαϊν διὰ τὸν χειμῶνα σκεπάζει· τὰ τέσσαρα πυρὰ τοῦ ἔτους ἓν πῦρ, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ σκεπάζεται καὶ οὐ σβέννυται· κοιμᾶται ὑπὸ τὴν τέφραν ἕως τῶν τροπῶν, ὡς τὸ σπέρμα κοιμᾶται ὑπὸ τὸν ἀγρόν. | Ee Eortee too Peeros to peer aneepse, to Veltane eepsose, to Lammas arton ex aftoo epoieese, to Samkhain dia ton kheimona skepazei· ta tessara peera too etoos en peer, kai tee neekti taftee skepazetai kai oo svenneetai· koimatai eepo teen tefran eos ton tropon, os to sperma koimatai eepo ton agron. | Imbolc kindled the fire, Beltane raised it, Lammas made bread of it, Samhain banks it for the winter; the 4 fires of the year are 1 fire, and tonight it is covered and not put out; it sleeps under the ash until the solstice, as the seed sleeps under the field. |
| 67 | Οἱ Κελτοὶ πᾶν πῦρ ἐν Ἰβερνίᾳ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ἔσβεσαν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς Τλάχτγα πάλιν ἀνῆψαν, τοῦ λόφου τῶν Δρυϊδῶν, ὅπου τὸ πῦρ τοῦ Σάμχαϊν διὰ τὴν ὅλην νῆσον ἀνήπτετο· τὸ ἔτος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν τῷ σκότει τελευτᾷ καὶ ἐκ μιᾶς φλογὸς ἄρχεται, ὡς τὸ ἔτος τοῦ φωτὸς ἐν τῇ Ἑορτῇ τοῦ Πυρός. | Oi Keltoi pan peer en Ivernia en tee neekti taftee esvesan kai ek too peeros tees Tlakhtga palin aneepsan, too lofoo ton Dreeidon, opoo to peer too Samkhain dia teen oleen neeson aneepteto· to etos tees zoees en to skotei telefta kai ek mias flogos arkhetai, os to etos too fotos en tee Eortee too Peeros. | The Celts put out every fire in Ireland on this night and relit them from the fire of Tlachtga, the hill of the druids, where the Samhain fire was kindled for the whole island; the year of life ends in the dark and begins from 1 flame, as the year of light does at Imbolc. |
| 68 | Ζυγοστάτει τὴν καρδίαν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ, Ζευϊστά, πρὶν ὁ θὼς αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ σοῦ ζυγοστατήσῃ· ὃ ἔπραξας, ὃ οὐκ ἔπραξας, τίνα ἔθρεψας, τίνα κλαίειν ἐποίησας· ὁ ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῷ Σάμχαϊν ζυγοστατῶν κούφως ἐν τῇ Αὐλῇ ζυγοστατεῖται. | Zeegostatei teen kardian tee neekti taftee, Zevista, prin o thos afteen eeper soo zeegostateesee· o epraxas, o ook epraxas, tina ethrepsas, tina klaiein epoieesas· o eafton en to Samkhain zeegostaton koofos en tee Avlee zeegostateitai. | Weigh the heart tonight, Zevist, before the jackal weighs it for you: what you did, what you didn't, whom you fed, whom you made weep; the one who weighs himself on Samhain is weighed lightly in the Hall. |
| 69 | Εἶτα ἔνδυσαι τὸ προσωπεῖον καὶ ἔξελθε· ἡ ζυγοστασία πεποίηται, καὶ ἡ νὺξ καὶ τοῖς ζῶσιν· οἱ παῖδες ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας, τὰ μῆλα, τὰ κάρυα, τὸ γεγλυμμένον φῶς, οἱ λόγοι τῶν προγόνων· οἱ θεοὶ ἐκφορὰν οὐ θέλουσιν· ἑορτὴν θέλουσι σὺν τοῖς νεκροῖς κεκλημένοις. | Eita endeesai to prosopeion kai exelthe· ee zeegostasia pepoieetai, kai ee neex kai tois zosin· oi paides epi tees theeras, ta meela, ta kareea, to gegleemmenon fos, oi logoi ton progonon· oi theoi ekforan oo theloosin· eorteen theloosi seen tois nekrois kekleemenois. | Then put the mask on and go out: the weighing is done, and the night is for the living too; the children at the door, the apples, the nuts, the carved light, the stories of the ancestors; the Gods don't want a funeral; they want a feast with the dead invited. |
| 70 | Δέξασθε τὰ ἑβδομήκοντα δύο, Περσεφόνη, Πλούτων, Ἄνουβι, εἴκοσι τέσσαρα ἑκάστῳ, ὡς αἱ ὧραι ἡμέρας· ὁ τροχὸς δι' ὅλων τῶν ὀκτὼ ἑορτῶν ἐστράφη, καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ἡ ὑστάτη ἀκτὶς ὑπὸ γῆν ἔρχεται· ὁ κύκλος ἐνθάδε κλείεται καὶ ἐν ταῖς τροπαῖς ἀνοίγεται, καὶ ὁ Ναὸς ἀμφότερα τὰ ἄκρα ἔχει. | Dexasthe ta evdomeekonta deeo, Persefonee, Plooton, Anoovi, eikosi tessara ekasto, os ai orai eemeras· o trokhos di' olon ton okto eorton estrafee, kai tee neekti taftee ee eestatee aktis eepo geen erkhetai· o keeklos enthade kleietai kai en tais tropais anoigetai, kai o Naos amfotera ta akra ekhei. | Receive the 72, Persephone, Pluton, Anubis, 24 to each, as the hours of a day; the wheel has turned through all 8 feasts, and tonight the last spoke goes under; the circle closes here and opens at the solstice, and the Temple holds both ends. |
| 71 | Εὐλογημένα τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν, Περσεφόνη, Κόρη, Ἐρεσκιγάλ, Λίβερα· Πλούτων, Ἅιδη, Ἀϊδωνεῦ, Ὄσιρι, Γιάμα, Νέργαλ, Δὶς Πάτερ· Ἄνουβι, Ἰνποῦ, Οὐεπουαουέτ, Ἑρμάνουβι· εὐλογημένα τὸ παραπέτασμα, τὸ προσωπεῖον, ἡ ἀνοικτὴ πύλη, ἡ κενὴ ἕδρα, τὸ μῆλον, τὸ πτερόν, ὁ ζυγός· εὐλογημένον τὸ Σάμχαϊν, καὶ εὐλογημένοι οἱ μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν φαγόντες καὶ οὐδὲν φοβηθέντες. | Evlogeemena ta onomata eemon, Persefonee, Koree, Ereskigal, Livera· Plooton, Aidee, Aidonef, Osiri, Giama, Nergal, Dis Pater· Anoovi, Inpoo, Ooepooaooet, Ermanoovi· evlogeemena to parapetasma, to prosopeion, ee anoiktee peelee, ee kenee edra, to meelon, to pteron, o zeegos· evlogeemenon to Samkhain, kai evlogeemenoi oi meta ton nekron fagontes kai ooden foveethentes. | Blessed are your names, Persephone, Kore, Ereshkigal, Libera; Pluton, Hades, Aidoneus, Osiris, Yama, Nergal, Dis Pater; Anubis, Inpu, Wepwawet, Hermanubis; blessed the veil, the mask, the open gate, the empty chair, the apple, the feather, the scale; blessed Samhain, and blessed those who ate with the dead and feared nothing. |
| 72 | ΖΕΥΣ ΑΕΝΑΟΣ, Πάτερ, οὗ ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοὺς νεκροὺς φυλάσσει καὶ οὗ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἡ Βασίλισσα αὐτῶν· ἡ πύλη καὶ σή, ὅτι ὁ ὅλος οἶκος σός, ἄνω καὶ κάτω· σὸς ὁ Σκορπίος, σὸν τὸ σκεπασθὲν πῦρ, σὴ ἡ καρδία ἐπὶ τοῦ ζυγοῦ καὶ τὸ πτερὸν παρ' αὐτήν. ΙΑΩ. | Zevs Aenaos, Pater, oo o adelfos toos nekroos feelassei kai oo ee theegateer ee Vasilissa afton· ee peelee kai see, oti o olos oikos sos, ano kai kato· sos o Skorpios, son to skepasthen peer, see ee kardia epi too zeegoo kai to pteron par' afteen. Iao. | ZEUS EVERFLOWING, Father, whose brother keeps the dead and whose daughter is their Queen; the gate is yours too, because the whole house is yours, above and below; yours the Scorpion, yours the banked fire, yours the heart on the scale and the feather beside it. IAO. |
Sources and Echoes
The passages below quote or echo the ancient text named. A quotation is marked by its source; everything else in the Psalm is the Temple's own composition.
| Passage | Source |
|---|---|
| I.2 | Sanas Cormaic s.v. Samain; the Coligny calendar, month SAMON (Duval and Pinault, RIG III, 1986); Tochmarc Emire; Serglige Con Culainn (the Samhain assembly at Tara). |
| I.3 to I.4 | The Thesmophoria, 11 to 13 Pyanepsion: Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae; scholion to Lucian, Dialogi meretricii 2.1 (the piglets in the megara, the Kathodos, the Nesteia, the Kalligeneia); Herodotus 2.171; Parke, Festivals 82 to 88; Burkert, Greek Religion 242 to 246. |
| I.5 | The Ereshkigal / Persephone / Libera Power Ritual of the Temple (Queen of Two Worlds; the 7 gates; the throne of Irkalla). |
| I.6 | The Thurii gold leaves, OF 488 to 490 Bernabé (χαῖρε χαῖρε χαῖρε δεξιὰν ὁδοιπόρει). |
| I.8 | Cath Maige Tuired 84 (the Dagda and the Morrígan at the river Unius at Samhain). |
| I.9 to I.10, II.7 | The Temple's Samhain page (Zeus isn't a Halloween monster; costumes yes, mockery of the Gods no). |
| II.2 | The Chytroi of the Anthesteria: Aristophanes, Frogs 218 and scholia; Photius s.v. μιαρὰ ἡμέρα and θύραζε Κᾶρες; Burkert, Homo Necans 226 to 230; the Irish table for the dead: Danaher, The Year in Ireland (1972) 200 to 227. |
| II.4 | The Anubis mask of Harageh (Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim, inv. 1585), c. 600 BC; the Dendera reliefs of masked priests; Apuleius, Metamorphoses 11.11. |
| II.5 | The mask of Dionysos on the pillar: the Lenaia vases (Frickenhaus, Lenäenvasen, 1912); Orphic Hymn 47 (Perikionios); Aristotle, Poetics 1449a (the origin of tragedy). |
| II.9 to II.10 | All Saints on 1 November: Gregory IV and Louis the Pious, 835 (Ado of Vienne, Martyrology); All Souls: Odilo of Cluny, 998; the non-existence of a God Samhain: the Temple's Samhain page; R. Hutton, The Stations of the Sun (1996) 360 to 370. |
| III.1 | Homer, Iliad 15.187 to 193 (the 3 lots of the sons of Kronos). |
| III.2 | Plato, Cratylus 403a to 404b (Hades from ἀειδής or from εἰδέναι); Homer, Iliad 5.845 (the Helm of Hades). |
| III.3 to III.4 | Plato, Cratylus 403a (Plouton from πλοῦτος); Hesiod, Theogony 767 to 774; Orphic Hymn 18 to Plouton; Homeric Hymn 2.9, 17, 31 (Polydegmon); Pausanias 2.35.9 (Klymenos); the Hades Power Ritual of the Temple. |
| III.5 to III.6 | The Hades Power Ritual of the Temple (Osiris Khenty-Imentiu, Yama Dharmaraja, Nergal Meslamtaea, Dis Pater, Orcus); Rig Veda 10.14; the Nergal and Ereshkigal myth (Foster, Before the Muses, 506 to 524); Zosimus 2.1 to 7 and Valerius Maximus 2.4.5 (the altar of Dis Pater at the Tarentum). |
| III.10 | The Temple's pages on the Afterlife: the Four Domains (Elysium, Asphodel, Hades, Tartarus); Homer, Odyssey 4.561 to 569, 11.539, 11.573; Hesiod, Theogony 720 to 819; Plato, Phaedo 113d to 114c. |
| III.11 to III.12 | The ending and the Final Step of the Hades Power Ritual of the Temple (the wealth of the depths; the throne of black marble; the Helm removed). |
| IV.1, IV.6 | Homer, Odyssey 11.23 to 50 (the pit, the libations, the dead coming up, the sword). |
| IV.2 | The Temple's Necromantic Rites: the Rite of the Open Gate, the Rite of Honouring the Ancestors, the Rite of the Restless Dead, the Ritual Frame. |
| IV.4 | The Genesia: Herodotus 4.26; Philochorus FGrH 328 F 168; the Parentalia and Lemuria: Ovid, Fasti 2.533 to 616, 5.419 to 492. |
| IV.5 | The dumb supper and the apple: Danaher (1972) 200 to 227; Hutton (1996) 379 to 385. |
| IV.7 | Hekate's Deipna: Aristophanes, Plutus 594 to 597 and scholia; Orphic Hymn 1; Theocritus, Idyll 2.12 to 16. |
| IV.8 | Homer, Odyssey 24.1 to 14 (Hermes leading the souls); Plutarch, De Iside 61 (Hermanubis). |
| V.1 | The epithets of Anubis: the Pyramid Texts, utterances 213 to 222 (tpy-dw.f, He Who Is Upon His Mountain; nb t3-dsr, Lord of the Sacred Land; hnty sh-ntr, Foremost of the Divine Booth); the Anubis Power Ritual of the Temple. |
| V.2 | Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride 12 to 19 (Set, the 14 pieces, the search of Isis, the embalming); the Book of the Dead, spell 151. |
| V.4 | The stela of Ikhernofret (Berlin 1204), lines 17 to 23 (the Great Procession of Wepwawet, the repulse of the enemies on the lake, the secret rites); Schäfer, Die Mysterien des Osiris in Abydos (1904). |
| V.5 | The Khoiak festival: the Dendera Osiris chapels (Chassinat, Le mystère d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak, 1966 to 1968); the corn-mummies; the raising of the Djed on 30 Khoiak (the Medinet Habu calendar). |
| V.6 | The Wag festival (18 Thoth): the Medinet Habu calendar; the offering lists of the tombs; Assmann, Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt (2005) 329 to 368. |
| V.7 | Apuleius, Metamorphoses 11.11; Plutarch, De Iside 61; the Hermanubis statues of Alexandria (Vatican, Museo Gregoriano Egizio). |
| V.8 | The Ars Goetia, spirit 22 (Ipos), and the Anubis Power Ritual of the Temple, “On Ipos.” |
| V.9 | The Anubis Power Ritual of the Temple (Holder of the Mystery of the Great Key); the Book of the Dead, spells 144 to 147 (the gates of the Duat and their passwords). |
| V.10 | The Temple's page on the Zevistic Funeral. |
| VI.1 to VI.2, VI.4 | The Book of the Dead, spell 125 (the Hall of the 2 Truths, the weighing, the 42 judges and the Negative Confession); the Papyrus of Ani, plate 3; the Papyrus of Hunefer. |
| VI.3 | The Temple's Lammas page (the weighing of the half-year) and Beltane page (the year of life from Beltane to Samhain). |
| VI.5 | Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos 1.11 (the fixed signs); the eagle as the second image of Scorpio: Firmicus Maternus, Mathesis 8.11 (the Aquila paranatellon); the Temple's Beltane page (the 4 fixed signs and the 4 Mystery Holidays). |
| VI.7 | The fire of Tlachtga: Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (Dinneen, vol. 2, 246 to 249); the Dindsenchas of Tlachtga. |
Composed in the worship of Persephone and Pluton and Anubis,
in service of Ma'at, Satya, and the Sovereignty of Zeus,
for the restoration of the festivals of mankind.
Author: High Priest Zevios Metathronos
Issued for the Temple of Zeus Foundation.
Issued for Samhain of the 31st of October, for every year.