Glories: Poems and Prayers for the Theoi

By Mari

A book of devotional poetry and poetic prayers to the gods of Ancient Greece, the Theoi. From the perspective of a Hellenic polytheist, one who worships the Theoi.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312617124

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Glories: Poems and Prayers for the Theoi

Glories

Poems and Prayers

for the Theoi

by Mari

Copyright

Distributing this book without permission or payment is theft. Do not steal this book. Do not steal poems out of this book. Do not be an asshole, please.

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Bamburg

Contact the author at [e-mail]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

First Printing, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1-312-61712-4

Cover designed by Jared Phillips. Photograph taken in the garden of the Bishop’s Castle in Albi, France.

Table of Contents

Preface

I. The Major Olympians

Hestia

Honored First and Last

Hearth Goddess

Domestic

center of the home

Prayer for Domestic Peace

Zeus

To Zeus, King of Olympos

To Zeus, God of Storms

To the Thunderer

Semele's Transfiguration

To Zeus the Mighty

Summer Storms

Prayer for Zeus' Blessing

Hera

To Hera, Queen of Heaven

Peacock

Hera's Glory

To Hera, Goddess of Marriage

To Hera, Splendid and Beautiful

Poseidon

To Poseidon, Patron of New Orleans

Flower of the Seas

Dawn on the Causeway

praise in the aftermath

Lake Ponchartrain

God of the Waves

charmed

Prayer to Poseidon for His Protection

Hymn to Poseidon

Demeter

To Demeter, Fertile Queen

To Demeter Polyphorbos

Benediction

To Demeter, For My Students

Annual Resurrection

Hephaistos

To Hephaistos, Olympian Smith

Urban Planning

A Better-Suited Match

Bridge-Builder

Mechanic

Ares

The Glorious

To Ares the Passionate

Graphic

Civic

To Ares, Fierce Protector

Hymn to Ares Enyalios

Aphrodite

Enraptured

white rose of the rose-white water

love the way you lie

Ardor

To Aphrodite, For My Lover

Paean to the Cyprian Goddess

Artemis

To Artemis

Artemis Parthenia

Far-Shooter

Wanderer

Sworn to Artemis: Iphigenia's Vassalage

Refuge of Young Girls

Apollon

To Apollon

Kindle

I Don't Know How to Love You

conflagration

A Poet's Prayer

Prayer for Healing

Hermes

To Hermes Quick-witted

Hermes of Many Gifts

To the God of Mischief

Prayer to Hermes for Cleverness

talaria

Perceptions

Athena

Owl-Eyed

Prayer to Athena, Daughter of Zeus

Athena Tritogeneia

Dedication

Justification

Prayer for Scholastic Victory

Arachne

Athena the Enabler

Dionysos

bonfire night

Praise for Dionysos

lovely, dark and deep

Glimpses

From New Orleans, With Love

II. Other Olympians

Pegasus

Fledgling Foal

the poet's mount

the blushful Hippocrene

Iris

Witness

Messenger

Rainbow

Kastor and Polydeukes, the Dioskouroi

The Twins

Saviors from Storms

Praise to the Dioskouroi

To Eris

To Nike

Prayer for Healing

Middle of the Night

so caught up, so mastered

III. the Mousai

Melete

it was at that age...Poetry arrived in search of me

rondelet for Melete

contemplation

Kalliope

Polymnia

Ourania

Euterpe

Kleio

Terpsikhore

Melpomene

Thaleia

Erato

IV. Rustic Deities and Daimones

Whither wander you?

Hymn to Priapos

To the Nymphai

Hymn to the Potamoi

aubade

Lullaby

V. Chthonic Deities and Daimones

Haides

Prayer to Haides

Polyxenos

Praise to Eubuleus

After the End

Coda

Persephone

Prayer to the Queen of the Underworld

Vernal Equinox

Making Your Escape

beseech

Persephone Despoina

Ambition

Hekate

Torch-Bearer

Prayer to Hekate

Hymn to Nyx

empyrean

For there is no god found stronger than death; and death is a sleep.

Prayer for Rest

Welcoming Hypnos

Hymn to Morpheus

VI. Titans

Hymn to Rhea

Selene and Endymion

Preface

This is a book of poetry. It is also a religious work. Some of these poems are prayers; some are hymns; some are simply (if such a thing is possible) poems. Many of the prayers are fairly short poems that follow the basic Hellenic prayer formula. Given that this is a book of prayers, you should feel absolutely free to modify these for your own use.

The basic Hellenic prayer formula is this:

Hail/greeting – for example, Hail, Greetings, O _____, Sing, o muse, of ____, etc.

The god's name and epithets – be specific to what aspect of the god you need or are addressing.

Justification – mention what you have