ORGIES OR ECSTASY?
the mysteries of orpheus J. van Rijckenborgh During last summer, performances were given of Christoph Willibald von Gluck’s opera ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ on various stages in Europe, the United States and Canada. In 1776, the composer delved deeply into the mythology for this opera and he produced, with beautiful melodies, a version of the classical myth about Orpheus, the singer who was able to move even the stones with his charming voice and his string music. In this issue, the depth and background of this spiritual drama from pre-Greek antiquity is contemplated.
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hen we reflect on Orpheus, we should first of all liberate ourselves from everything that we may have possibly learned about him in our youth, not so much because it is not true, but because we have linked everything that we learned at home with wholly wrong conclusions. As a result of these conclusions, we had little respect for the Orphic and Dionysian miracles, which we would like to mention in the same breath. The idea of ‘orgies’ is linked with these miracles and for us, orgies have a bad reputation. Indeed, in later centuries, in particular during the very decadent Roman Empire, these orgies – originally the celebration of the rites in the mysteries – were turned into occasions for alcoholic excess accompanied by the vilest, public sensuality, under the guise of the Orphic and Dionysian mysteries. It was said that with Dionysus and Orpheus, the wine barrel was in the highest esteem. It was also said that these two mystery figures caused hysteria, particularly in women. The influence of Dionysus was like an atmos2 pentagram 1/2012
pheric vibration. Once this vibration touched a country, the women who were susceptible to it, left their homes, their husbands and their children to unite in certain places where they surrendered with their god to all kinds of orgies, replete with wine and hysteria. The legends relate: ‘While they are engaged in domestic tasks, the vines suddenly meander around the loom; milk and honey drip from the roof. They grasp one of their children, tear it to pieces, and walk off into the mountains, where they, together with the Maenads, surrender to the divine intoxication. The epidemic hysteria overtakes people and drags even the most unwilling ones along. It breaks all ties and leads people to the life of the unrestrained nature.’
Dionysus, the deity who inspired Orpheus, with kantharos (drinking cup) and in the background one of his nymphs or maenads. Fresco, from Herculaneum, first century AD. Naples, National Museum. Photo © Luciano Pedicini
