OJSH Home

2022 - Volume 5 - Number 2

The Life of Orpheus – Contributions to European Culture

Asen Bondzhev * asen.bondzhev@gmail.com
New Bulgarian University, Department of History, Sofia, BULGARIA

Open Journal for Studies in History, 2022, 5(2), 41-50 * https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojsh.0502.03041b
Received: 21 March 2022 ▪ Revised: 17 June 2022 ▪ Accepted: 24 December 2022

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)

ABSTRACT:
Orpheus is one of the greatest historical contributions of the Thracians in European culture. He is much more than a talented poet and singer. He is a religious reformer, a priest and a Teacher, who transmits valuable knowledge to humanity. This study presents his life and influence on philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato, the development of this influence during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and analyzes some Orphic tablets of eschatological nature. The roots of Orphic teachings are so deep, that some missionaries of the new Christian faith had to use the image of Orpheus in their desire to baptize pagans. Orpheus comes to walk the most difficult path – spreading the doctrine of salvation of the human soul, which remains one of the highest achievements of European culture and a hope for its humane future.

KEY WORDS: Orpheus, Thracian Orphism, Orphic literature and eschatology, Orphic tablets.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Asen Bondzhev, New Bulgarian University, Department of History, Sofia, BULGARIA. E-mail: asen.bondzhev@gmail.com.

REFERENCES:

Bernabé, A. (2009). Orpheus and Eleusus. In Thracia XVIII. In Memory of Alexander Fol. Sofia: Professor Alexander Fol Institute of Thracology, 89-98.

Bogdanov, B. (1991). Orpheus and the ancient mythology on the Balkans. [Богданов, Б. Орфей и древната митология на Балканите. С.] Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Burkert, W. (2004). Babylon, Memphis, Persepolis: Eastern contexts of Greek Culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Creuzer, G. F. (1810). Symbolik und Mythologie der alten Völker, besonders der Griechen: in Vorträgen und Entwürfen, I-IV. Leipzig, Darmstadt, 1810-1812.

Euser, M. (2010). Proclus’ commentary on the Timaeus of Plato. Translated by Thomas Taylor, edited by Martin Euser.

Fol, A. (1986). The Thracian Orphism. [Фол, А. Тракийският орфизъм. С.] Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Fol, A. (1991). The Thracian Dionysos. Book One: Zagreus. [Фол, А. Тракийският Дионис. Книга първа: Загрей. С.] Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Fol, A. (1993). Orpheus. [Фол, А. Орфей] In: A brief encyclopedia. Thracian antiquity. Sofia: Agres.

Fol, A. (1994). The Thracian Dionysos. Book Two: Sabazios. [Фол, А. Тракийският Дионис. Книга втора: Сабазий. С.] Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Fol, A. (1995). The hymns of Orpheus. [Фол, А. Химните на Орфей. С.] Sofia: Borina.

Fol, A. (2002). The Thracian Dionysos. Book Three: Zagreus. [Фол, А. Тракийският Дионис. Книга трета: Naming and Faith. С.] Sofia: New Bulgarian University.

Fol, A. (2004). Orphica Magica I. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Fol, A. (2006). Thracian Orphism. A Brief Overview. In Problems and studies of Thracian culture I. [Фол, А. Тракийският орфизъм. Кратък обзор. – В: Проблеми и изследвания на тракийската култура. T. I. Казанлък] Kazanlak: Irida, 5-22.

Fol, A., & Fol, V. (2008). The Thracians. [= Фол, А., В. Фол. Траките] Sofia: Tangra TanNakRa.

Fol, V. (2008). Orpheus the Thracian. [= Фол, В. Орфей тракиецът. С.] Sofia: Tangra TanNakRa.

Fol, V. (2020). Thracian secret societies. [= Фол, В. Тайни общества на траките. С.] Sofia: Tangra TanNakRa.

Graf, F., & Johnston, S. (2007). Ritual texts of the afterlife – Orpheus and the Bacchic Gold Tablets. New York: Routledge.

Guthrie, W. (1935). Orpheus and Greek religion: A study of the Orphic movement. London: Methuen & Co.

Hanegraaff, W. E. (2012). Esotericism and the academy: Rejected knowledge in Western culture. NY: Cambridge University press.

Hütwohl, D. (2016). Plato’s Orpheus: The philosophical appropriation of Orphic formulae. University of New Mexico.

Iliev, Y. (2014). Sources from antiquity about the prophetic abilities of Orpheus. [Илиев, Й. Антични извори за пророческите способности на Орфей. – В: Докторантски и постдокторантски четения на Софийски университет 2012] PhD-student and PhD readings of Sofia Universiry, 2014, 7-22.

Ignatov, S. (2021). Afterlife beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. [Игнатов, С. Вярванията за отвъдното на древните египтяни. Знаците, ВТК] The Signs, Military TV Channel - cutt.ly/BPOO3FE.

Inwood, B. (2001). The poem of Empedocles: A text and translation with an introduction. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Jourdan, F. (2014). The Orphic singer in Clement of Alexandria and in the Roman catacombs: Comparison between the literary and the iconographic early Christian representation of Orpheus. In: Studia Patristica LXXIII, Leuven – Paris – Walpole: Peeters Publishers, 113-128.

Linforth, I. (1941). The arts of Orpheus. NY: Arno Press.

Lozanova, V. (2019) Neo-Orphism (in the Italian Renaissance). [Лозанова, В. Неоорфизъм (в Италианския Ренесанс)] – Electronic encyclopedia “Ancient Thrace and the Thracians“ (www.seeu-heritage.net). Center of Thracology at Institute for Balkan Studies and Center of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Lozanova, V. (2020). The Orphism of Cocteau: Orphée, 1950. [Лозанова, В. „Орфизмът“ на Кокто: „Орфей“ (Orphée), 1950.] In Problems of the art, 2, 3-10.

Merkelbach, R. (1999). Die goldenen Totenpässe: Ägyptisch, orphisch, bakchisch. Aus: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 128, Bonn, 1–13.

Miles, G. (1999). Classical mythology in English literature: A critical anthology. Routledge.

Neykova, R. (2003). Thracian Orphism and Shamanhood – Two mutually exclusive ideas. In Thracia XV. In Honorem Annorum LXX Alexandri Fol. Sofia: Institute of Thracology – Tangra TanNarkRa Publishing House, 355-370.

Popov, D. (1989). Zalmoxis. Religion and society of the Thracians. [Д. Попов. Залмоксис. Религия и общество на траките. С.] Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House.

Popov, D. (2012). Wonderful ancient Thrace. [Попов, Д. Приказна Древна Тракия. С.] Sofia. Iztok-zapad.

Popov, D. (2014). The Thracian religion. [Попов, Д. Тракийската религия. С.] Sofia: Iztok-Zapad.

Reden, S. von, & Best, J. (1981). Auf der Spur der ersten Griechen. Woher kamen die Mykener? Neue archäologische Erkenntnisse über die Herkunft der Griechen. Köln: Dumont.

Ross, D. (1952). The works of Aristotle. Т. XII – Fragments. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Russell, B. (1947). History of Western philosophy. George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

Schuré, E. (1922). The great initiates. Philadelphia: David M’Kay Co.

Yordanova-Alexieva, M. (2004). Hellenic Orphic testimonies. [Йорданова-Алексиева, М. Елински орфически свидетелства. С.] Sofia: Lik.