The Orphic Hymns are a collection of eightyseven hymns to the Gods which have been used in the mystical rituals of Ællînismόs (Hellênismos, Ἑλληνισμός), the ancient Greek religion. The poems are attributed to Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς), the great Thæólogos (Θεόλογὁς), but the actual authorship is unclear. The date of composition of the hymns is also a matter of dispute. There are some in the Orphic tradition who believe they are approximately 10,000 years old, based on certain clues found in the text itself, but this date has been convincingly challenged. Scholars, on the other hand, claim a time period ranging anywhere from the sixth century BCE to the fourth century CE, most believing they were composed in the more recent period, but it is curious, and has been noted, that there is no evidence of any Christian influence in the poems, leaving one to suspect a more ancient date of creation.
Art available at EarthenOpus.com