Back to Home Page or
Contents Page or Ancient
beliefs or Index
Orphism
Orphism
is the teachings of an ancient Greek philosophical cult which exerted great
influence on Greek culture, and later on Western mysticism
and occultism. It began in the sixth century BC, and is attributed
to the mythical Orpheus.
The chief teachings are of reincarnation,
a Greek version of Karma, a history of the
universe which was formed by Cronus
who formed an egg and created the first king of the gods -- whom Zeus supplanted and fathered
Dionysus --
the divine child. Other teachings are that the body is the prison of the
soul, animals were not to be killed or eaten, the good were to be rewarded
while the evil were to be punished in Nether World, and teachings of self-denial
and seriousness in religious matters. Apollo
was the kindered god who demanded purification and righteousness. Orphism
had a great impact on alchemy. A.G.H.
Source:
Riland, George, The New Steinerbooks Dictionary of Paranormal,
New York, Warner Books, Inc., 1980, p. 212