Thracology Page by Sonya Ilieva

THRACIAN ORPHISUM

According to the Thracian orphism primary there exists the Great Goddess – Mother. She is the Universe: she self conceived and bore to her first –born son, who is the sun during the day and fire during the night, (personified as Zagreus or Sabazius).[1] Thracian orphism is connected directly with Pythagor. He did not like the order of the cosmos personified with the anthropomorphistic deities of Olympus. Pythagor marked the elements of Orphic Cosmos with numbers, and later his system was connected with the tones. The air is ‘re’, the Earth – ‘mi’, the water – ‘fa’, the fire – ‘sol’. The air wraps the Earth, as it is in the Hesiod’s Theogony,[2] but the fertilizing power in the orphism is the water, which is also purifying. Then the Energy which is Fire, Sun and Son of the Great Goddess – Mother was born. Therefore to the first four tones a fifth must be added – ‘la’, which is its sound.

The cosmos seems to be complete, but it is not yet, because the verbal orphism also settles the Earth order. The first –born Son will couple with the Great Goddess – Mother in orphic incest. This indecent act will be made at sunrise or at sunset, when the sunrays penetrate the Earth. Their merger will sound in the tone ‘si’ followed by ‘do’. The foetus’ grown is coming, sounding in the tone ‘ la’. The Son of the Son is born, his PAIS (child and servant), the doctrinal king – priest, the keeper of the society, who is Sun – circle. This mental circle is constantly outlined by the motion of the king through his domains – sanctuaries. He accomplishes the ritual of death and rebirth and makes sacrifice of a horse.

The first four tones include the whole cosmos order: 4 includes 1, 2 and 3, and 4+3+2+1=10. The ‘ten’ is composed from three phases 4+3+3. The triad is claimed as a typical for the Indo – European structure.

In the Thracian society the connection between the two worlds is realized by the king – priest. The orphic 4+3+3 phase rhythm is thought of in numbers and tones and it could be heard and seen by the mystic enlightened only. Another doctrinal polysemy was probably introduced into it – that is the Pythagoras addition and interpretation. Therein one (monad) is the absolute entity – it is the male origin. The two (dyad) – it is the female origin. The three is monad and dyad and also symbol of the first surface. The four (tetrad) is 2+2, raised to the second power nature i.e. the absolute equation. The five (pentad) 2+3 – sensuality, the six (hexed) – maturity. The seven (heptad) 4+3, raised to the second power nature and symmetry and also the incest between the Great Goddess – Mother and her Son. The eight (octad) – the balance, the nine (ennead) – two male origins and 3 multiplied by 3. The ten, (decade), brings the doctrinal cycle to the end with the triumph of the Son of the Great Goddess – Mother’s Son, who is the total of the male and female cosmos origins being both their entity and mind. The creation of the world is completed. The king – priest was born, who is the only mediator between the two worlds. One inscription known from the Rogozen Treasure is undisputable confirmation of Alexander Fol’s thesis, proved to be absolutely perfect by him.[3]

[1] Fol, А., Тhe Thracian orphism, Sofia 1986
[2] Hesiod, Works and Days
[3] Fol, А., Тhe Thracian orphism, Sofia 1986 Fol, А., Одриски и трибалски царе от Рогозенските надписи, Векове, 1986, book 3-4, Fol, А., Тhe Thracian Dionysus, Book I: Zagraus, Вook II: Sabazius Fol, A., The Rogozen Treasure, Sofia 1988