chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ...
chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ... chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ...
84 CHAPTER 10 and purpose (end) to the product. In Apion’s Orphic doctrines iligx’ (oIÏÈÁÍ) raison d’ être is the necessity of the second stage in the triadic law of proceeding from Indeterminacy (\AappleÂÈÚ›·) to a stable result: we saw that the first order is periodic motion the archetype of which is rotation, ones coming-back to oneself. 13. Between Indeterminacy (\AappleÂÈÚ›·) and Being there must be Limit as the intrinsic self-regulation of Indeterminacy (the opposite of the Neoplatonic Triadology where the Limit stands on the top of the hierarchy, has its empowerment as Indeterminacy in the second place, and finally produces the synthesis of being). Between Night and Egg (World, Eros) early Orphism needed a focusing of mobility, a confluence and a flowing-back. With primordial Chaos being conceived of as Abyss of Water, such a function is taken by the Ocean. In this way, the emphatic position of aquatic nature at the beginning of coming-into-being according to the Orphic systems of the Hellanicus and Hieronymus type as described by Athenagoras (OF 57-8) and Apion (OF 55-6) is accounted for. Moreover, the divine and cosmic genealogies presupposed by Homer are in this perspective better explained. Plato (Cratylus, 402b) relates the continual alteration of the World, the Heraclitean flux of natural being as becoming to the names of streams that the divine progenitors Cronos (=Time) and Rhea bear, to the Homeric belief that Ocean and Tethys are the parents of the gods (with which he makes Hesiod agree) 42 , and last but not least to Orpheus as the poet of two verses that support the same claim, namely that the origin of gods is to be found in stream-like principles (OF 15): \øηÓe˜ appleÚáÙÔ˜ ηϛÚÚÔÔ˜ qÚÍ Á¿ÌÔÈÔ, ¬˜ ®· ηÛÈÁÓ‹ÙËÓ ïÌÔÌ‹ÙÔÚ· ÙËıfÓ ùapple˘ÈÂÓ. Here too, all subsequent gods (or at least the common main branches of succession) must derive from the couple that was the first to be married. Hence the interpretation according to which the Ocean was the first only among his brothers or only within a limited section of gods however large, to get married, is inadequate. The first marriage
MONISM OF DARKNESS - DUALISM OF LIMIT AND INDETERMINACY 85 and sexual intercourse of male and female with a view to giving birth to legitimate offspring is the one meant in this context (appleÚáÙÔ˜... qÚÍÂ Á¿ÌÔÈÔ). With this view a later, post-classical Orphic view, attested by Proclus who draws on the so-called Rhapsodic Cosmogony (on the Sacred Doctrines in 24 Rhapsodies), is contrasted according to which the first marriage consists in the union of Earth with Sky, in which case the very first bride is the Earth (OF 112). This mythological version found also a ritual and cultic foundation in the religious observances of Athens where weddings were consecrated to, and initiated in the name of, the first married couple, that of Earth and the Sky (ibid.). No doubt this tallied with the prevailing religious feeling about intercourse. But early Orphism moved by bold logicomythical conceptions concerning the cosmogonic priority of the aquatic element was grounded in a deep experience that combined liquidity with coming-into-being (conception and birth), found parallels in similar cosmological views that were widespread in the Middle East, and set the Ocean at the beginning of the World- Arrangement, just as the first philosophical articulation of the Monism of Darkness with Thales acknowledged Water as the sole principle and basis of things. The first distinct partition of existence into male and female happens naturally when the masculine limiting confluence assumes form in the womb of feminine Indeterminacy. Conjugal union of the two poles first arises with the product (the third stage of the Triadology that postulates Indeterminacy (\AappleÂÈÚ›·) as first principle), hence the first Marriage literally takes place only after the basic separation of Sky (Male) from Earth (Female). The relation of Indeterminacy to Limit is the relation of Mother to Son according to the Monism of Darkness; the Mother-Son archetype (the New God as the Son of his Mother) gains its potency here. These logicomythical conceptions must have been expressed in purely mythical terms as absense of marriage for the Ocean as co-flowing and second principle. The second (male) principle is determined by his son-mother relationship to the first principle (female) and by his father-son relation to the third principle (where one also finds his incestuous relation to the first for the production of the third). The first marriage conjugation is to be found in the first dismemberment of the third principle, in the cutting asunder of the previously inseparable coition
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MONISM OF DARKNESS - DUALISM OF LIMIT AND INDETERMINACY 85<br />
<strong>and</strong> sexual intercourse <strong>of</strong> male <strong>and</strong> female with a view to giving birth<br />
to legitimate <strong>of</strong>fspring is <strong>the</strong> one meant in this context (appleÚáÙÔ˜...<br />
qÚÍÂ Á¿ÌÔÈÔ). With this view a later, post-classical Orphic view,<br />
attested by Proclus who draws on <strong>the</strong> so-called Rhapsodic Cosmogony<br />
(on <strong>the</strong> Sacred Doctrines in 24 Rhapsodies), is contrasted according to<br />
which <strong>the</strong> first marriage consists in <strong>the</strong> union <strong>of</strong> Earth with Sky, in<br />
which case <strong>the</strong> very first bride is <strong>the</strong> Earth (OF 112). This<br />
mythological version found also a ritual <strong>and</strong> cultic foundation in <strong>the</strong><br />
religious observances <strong>of</strong> A<strong>the</strong>ns where weddings were consecrated to,<br />
<strong>and</strong> initiated in <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong>, <strong>the</strong> first married couple, that <strong>of</strong> Earth<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sky (ibid.). No doubt this tallied with <strong>the</strong> prevailing religious<br />
feeling about intercourse. But early Orphism moved by bold<br />
logicomythical conceptions concerning <strong>the</strong> cosmogonic priority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
aquatic element was grounded in a deep experience that combined<br />
liquidity with coming-into-being (conception <strong>and</strong> birth), found<br />
parallels in similar cosmological views that were widespread in <strong>the</strong><br />
Middle East, <strong>and</strong> set <strong>the</strong> Ocean at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> World-<br />
Arrangement, just as <strong>the</strong> first philosophical articulation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Monism <strong>of</strong> Darkness with Thales acknowledged Water as <strong>the</strong> sole<br />
principle <strong>and</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> things. The first distinct partition <strong>of</strong> existence<br />
into male <strong>and</strong> female happens naturally when <strong>the</strong> masculine <strong>limit</strong>ing<br />
confluence assumes form in <strong>the</strong> womb <strong>of</strong> feminine Indeterminacy.<br />
Conjugal union <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two poles first arises with <strong>the</strong> product (<strong>the</strong> third<br />
stage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Triadology that postulates Indeterminacy (\AappleÂÈÚ›·) as<br />
first principle), hence <strong>the</strong> first Marriage literally takes place only after<br />
<strong>the</strong> basic separation <strong>of</strong> Sky (Male) from Earth (Female). The relation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indeterminacy to Limit is <strong>the</strong> relation <strong>of</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r to Son according<br />
to <strong>the</strong> Monism <strong>of</strong> Darkness; <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r-Son archetype (<strong>the</strong> New God<br />
as <strong>the</strong> Son <strong>of</strong> his Mo<strong>the</strong>r) gains its potency here. These logicomythical<br />
conceptions must have been expressed in purely mythical terms as<br />
absense <strong>of</strong> marriage for <strong>the</strong> Ocean as co-flowing <strong>and</strong> second principle.<br />
The second (male) principle is determined by his son-mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />
relationship to <strong>the</strong> first principle (female) <strong>and</strong> by his fa<strong>the</strong>r-son<br />
relation to <strong>the</strong> third principle (where one also finds his incestuous<br />
relation to <strong>the</strong> first for <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> third). The first marriage<br />
conjugation is to be found in <strong>the</strong> first dismemberment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> third<br />
principle, in <strong>the</strong> cutting asunder <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> previously inseparable coition