Grecka bogini księżyca w świetle orfickiego Hymnu do Selene

Abstrakt

Hymn to Selene is one of 87 so-called Orphic hymns. Its addressee is goddess of the Moon, who is defined in the hymn both by the name Selene and Mene. Conducting the literary analysis of the above-mentioned hymn, we can notice that it consists of the invocation addressed to the goddess, many epithets revealing the greatness of the divinity and the prayer ending which in its contents resembles the invocation. It is worth mentioning that the basic part of the hymn includes some kind of litany catalogue of epithets by means of which the Hymn’s Author defines and describes the goddess Selene.

The literary analysis of the respective epithets which are present in the Hymn to Selene, allows to state that the picture of the goddess of the Moon included in it possesses very classic, known to us from mythology, features and also clearly seen orphic features. Undoubtedly, dual sexuality that the goddess Selene was attributed with in verse 4 is such a feature. The phrase ϑῆλυς τε καὶ ἄρσην is to be found in this verse. In this context we have the direct reference to the primeval orphic godhead, Fanes, who was a two-gender god. Thus, Selene is perceived as one of hypostasis of one and the only one divine creature which can be defined as “One”.

Basing on the results of the literary analysis, we can notice that the goddess Selene, who was not particularly popular with the ancient Greeks, was somehow re-discovered by Orphics, who saw her beauty through the person of the Hymn’s Author. Due to the fact that Selene was the goddess of the Moon by the light of which the orphic usually practiced their own rituals, certainly occupied much space in the orphic cult.