An Original Hymn to Mnemosyne, Greek Goddess of Memory

[borealis]

An Original Hymn to Mnemosyne, Greek Goddess of Memory, Including a Prayer to Receive Memories of Past Lives

Oh beautiful and powerful and lonely Mnemosyne,
Now seldom hymned, largely forgotten,
But flowing in secret all throughout the mists of time,
Like the countless denizens of your realm,
As countless as the stars in the heavens.
Daughter of Gaia and Uranus,
Mother of nine daughters:
The muses who sing into the hearts of the inspired.
Mother of memories, namer of all things,
Giver of the gift of reason:
The foundation stone of civilization.
Guardian of all things known, and once known,
Keeper of the long forgotten and lost to time,
Of both joyous and sorrowful reminiscense.
Through your misty waters flow all thoughts and emotions,
All journeys and experiences and adventures,
All triumphs and all tragedies,
Which have ever passed through the hearts of gods or men.

I call upon you, Mnemosyne, that I may commune with you,
And that you might show me the way to your sacred well,
Where I may drink of the long lost joys and sorrows
Of my current and former lives, and thusly illuminate
The root of my being, and the path of service.

[WildWolf]

Interesting. Never heard of this deity before. Beautiful prayer.

[CCoburn]

Interesting. Never heard of this deity before. Beautiful prayer.

Me neither, but it does say "Now seldom hymned, largely forgotten", so I suppose we could be forgiven. After having said that though I'm now feeling that the name "Mnemosyne" does seem vaguely familiar.

[Vesperium]

Here is some more information related to Mnemosyne, the Greek Goddess of Memory:

- Jupiter at left in the form of a shepherd accompanied by Mnemosyne, set within an elaborate cartouche, from the 'Loves, Rages and Jealousies of Juno' MET DP812649

Also, the word mnemonic comes from the name of the Goddess, and it means - a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something, for example Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain for the colours of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).
"I had to invent a mnemonic, in other words a prompt, that I could use in chemistry exams"

The Goddess Mnemonya helped in creating the disk from Elis, Greece, related to the Nine Muses - - Nine muses and mnemosyne symbols disc from Elis Greece

Also, here is another picture of her:

[Vesperium]

MNEMOSYNE was the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance and the inventress of language and words.

As a Titan daughter of Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven), Mnemosyne was also a goddess of time. She represented the rote memorisation required to preserve the stories of history and the sagas of myth before the introduction of writing. In this role she was the mother of the Mousai (Muses) who were originally patron goddesses of poets of the oral tradition.

Finally Mnemosyne was a minor oracular goddess like her sister-Titanesses. She presided over the underground oracle of Trophonios (Trophonius) in Boiotia (Boeotia).

The Titanis (Titaness) Mnemosyne was sometimes named as one of three Elder Mousai (Muses), who preceded the nine daughters of Zeus as goddesses of music.

MNEMO′SYNE (Mnêmosunê), i. e. memory, a daughter of Uranus, and one of the Titanides, became by Zeus the mother of the Muses. (Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 429; Hes. Theog. 54, 915; Diod. v. 67; Orph. Hymn. 76; Cic. De Nat. Deor. iii. 21.) Pausanias (i. 2. § 4) mentions a statue of Mnemosyne at Athens; and near the oracle of Trophonius she had a sacred well and a throne. (Paus. ix. 39. § 4, &c.)

MNEME (Mnêmê), i. e. memory, was one of the three Muses that were in early times worshipped at Ascra in Boeotia. (Paus. ix. 29. § 2.) But there seems to have also been a tradition that Mneme was the mother of the Muses, for Ovid (Met. v. 268) calls them Mnemonides; unless this be only an abridged form for the daughters of Mnemosyne.

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

[Vesperium]

Greek names:
Μνημοσυνη

Μναμοσυνα

Μναμονα

Μνημη

Μναμα

Μνημω

Transliteration:
Mnêmosynê

Mnamosyne

Mnamona

Mnêmê

Mnama

Mnêmô

Latin Spelling:
Mnemosyne

Mnemosyne

Mneme

Mneme

Mneme

Mneme

Translation:
Memory

id.

id. (Doric-Aeolic sp.)

id.

(Doric sp.)

id.

[Vesperium]

MNEMOSYNE MOTHER OF THE MUSES:

Hesiod, Theogony 915 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :
"And again, he [Zeus, after lying with Demeter] loved Mnemosyne with the beautiful hair: and of her the nine gold-crowned Moisai (Muses) were born."

Hesiod, Theogony 53 ff :
"Them [the Mousai (Muses)] in Pieria did Mnemosyne, who reigns over the hills of Eleuther [in Pieria, near Mount Olympos], bear of union with the father, the son of Kronos (Cronus) [Zeus], a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow. For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals. And when a year was passed and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, she bare nine daughters, all of one mind, whose hearts are set upon song and their spirit free from care, a little way from the topmost peak of snowy Olympos (Olympus)."

Homeric Hymn 4 to Hermes 428 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th - 4th B.C.) :
"First among the gods he [Hermes, inventor of the lyre] honoured Mnemosyne, mother of the Mousai (Muses), in his song; for the son of Maia was of her following."

Pindar, Nemean Ode 7. 12 ff (trans. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) :
"If success crowns a man's venture, sweeter then than honey the them he pours into the Moisai's (Muses') stream. But lacking the songs to praise them, the mightiest feats of valour can but find a sorry grave a deep darkness. But for fine deeds a mirror to establish, one way alone we know if Mnamosyna's (Mnemosyne's, Memory's) shining diadem will grant recompense for their labours, in the glory of music on the tongues of men.".

Pindar, Isthmian Ode 6. 74 ff :
"The deep-bosomed daughters of golden-robed Mnamosyne (Mnemosyne, Memory)."

Pindar, Paean 6 (trans. Sandys) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) :
"Ye Moisai (Muses) know all things, ye have had this ordinance allotted to yourselves along with the cloud-wrapt Father [Zeus], and with Mnamosyna (Mnemosyne, Memory)."

Pindar, Paean 7 :
"But I pray to Mnamosyna (Mnemosyne, Memory), the fair-robed child of Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven), and to her daughters [the Mousai (Muses)], to grant me ready resource; for the minds of men are blind, whosoever, without the maids of Helikon (Helicon), seeketh the steep path of them that walked it by their wisdom."

Terpander, Fragment 4 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (Greek lyric C7th B.C.) :
"Let us pour libation to the Mousai (Muses), the daughters of Mnamas (Mnemosyne, Memory), and to the leader of the Mousai, Leto's son [Apollon]."

Alcman, Fragment 8 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (Greek lyric C7th B.C.) :
"Blessed Mosai (Muses), whom Mnamosyna (Mnemosyne, Memory) bore to Zeus having lain with him."

Bacchylides, Fragment 63 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) :
"Servant [bard] of the Pierians [Mousai] . . . (of) the mighty father's daughter [Mnemosyne]."

Greek Lyric V Anonymous Scholia, Fragment 917c (trans. Campbell) (Greek lyric B.C.) :
"Gentle-eyed mother Mousa (Muse) [Mnemosyne], keep company with the pure family of your children : we bring out a complex song, newly flowering with fresh-built skill."

Plato, Theaetetus 191c (trans. Fowler) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) :
"Mnemosyne (Memory), the mother of the Mousai (Muses)."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 13 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"[By] Mnemosyne [Zeus fathered] the Mousai (Muses), the eldest of whom was Kalliope (Calliope), followed by Kleio (Clio), Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsikhore (Terpsichore), Ourania (Urania), Thaleia (Thalia), and Polymnia."

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 9 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Zeus made love to Mnemosyne in Pieria and became father of the Mousai (Muses)."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"From Jove [Zeus] and Moneta [Mnemosyne] [were born] : Musae (MUses)."

Ovid, Metamorphoses 6. 114 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"As a shepherd [Zeus] snared Mnemosyne."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 31. 168 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :
"Mnemosyne in the old time before us; how he [Zeus] lay by her side for nine whole nights, with eyes ever wakeful, full of passion for many children in that unresting bridal. Another allvanquishing god, winged like Hypnos (Sleep), little Eros (Love), conquered Kronides (Cronides) with a tiny dart."

[Vesperium]

MNEMOSYNE GODDESS OF MEMORY & LANGUAGE:

Alcman, Fragment 133 (from Etymologicum Gudianum) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (Greek lyric C7th B.C.) :
"Mneme (Mnemosyne, Memory) : Alkman (Alcman), they say, calls her big-eyed, since we see the past by our thinking."

Plato, Critias (trans. Bury) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) :
"Hermokrates (Hermocrates) : You must go and attack the argument like a man. First invoke Apollon and the Mousai (Muses), and then let us hear you sound the praises and show forth the virtues of your ancient citizens.
Kritias (Critias) : Friend Hermokrates . . . But besides the gods and goddesses whom you have mentioned, I would specially invoke Mnemosyne (Memory); for all the important part of my discourse is dependent on her favour, and if I can recollect and recite enough of what was said by the priests and brought hither by Solon, I doubt not that I shall satisfy the requirements of this theatre."

Plato, Theaetetus 191c (trans. Fowler) :
"Sokrates (Socrates) : Can he [man] learn one thing after another? . . . Please assume, then, for the sake of argument, that there is in our souls a block of wax, in one case larger, in another smaller, in one case the wax is purer, in another more impure and harder, in some cases softer, and in some of proper quality . . . Let us, then, say that this is the gift of Mnemosyne (Memory), the mother of the Mousai (Muses), and that whenever we wish to remember anything we see or hear or think of in our own minds, we hold this wax under the perceptions and thoughts and imprint them upon it, just as we make impressions from seal rings; and whatever is imprinted we remember and know as long as its image lasts, but whatever is rubbed out or cannot be imprinted we forget and do not know."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 67. 3 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :
"Of the female Titanes (Titans) they say that Mnemosyne discovered the uses of the power of reason, and that she gave a designation to every object about us by means of the names which we use to express whatever we would and to hold conversation one with another; though there are those who attribute these discoveries to Hermes. And to this goddess is also attributed the power to call things to memory and to remembrance (mneme) which men possess, and it is this power which gave her the name she received."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 39. 3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"[Part of the rituals at the oracle of Trophonios (Trophonius) at Lebadeia in Boiotia (Boeotia) :] He [the supplicant] is taken by the priests, not at once to the oracle, but to fountains of water very near to each other. Here he must drink water called the water of Lethe (Forgetfulness), that he may forget all that he has been thinking of hitherto, and afterwards he drinks of another water, the water of Mnemosyne (Memory), which causes him to remember what he sees after his descent . . . After his ascent from [the oracle of] Trophonios the inquirer is again taken in hand by the priests, who set him upon a chair called the chair of Mnemosyne (Memory), which stands not far from the shrine, and they ask of him, when seated there, all he has seen or learned. After gaining this information they then entrust him to his relatives."

Orphic Hymn 77 to Mnemosyne (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"To Mnemosyne (Memory), Fumigation from Frankincense. The consort I invoke of Zeus divine; source of the holy, sweetly speaking Mousai nine; free from the oblivion of the fallen mind, by whom the soul with intellect is joined. Reason's increase and thought to thee belong, all-powerful, pleasant, vigilant, and strong. ‘Tis thine to waken from lethargic rest all thoughts deposited within the breast; and nought neglecting, vigorous to excite the mental eye from dark oblivion's night. Come, blessed power, thy mystics' memory wake to holy rites, and Lethe's (Forgetfulness) fetters break."

Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1. 14 (trans. Conybeare) (Greek biography C1st to C2nd A.D.) :
"When he [Apollonios of Tyana, pagan prophet C1st A.D.] reached the age of a hundred, he still surpassed Simonides in point of memory, and he used to chant a hymn addressed to Mnemosyne (Memory), in which it is said that everything is worn and withered away by time, whereas time itself never ages, but remains immortal because of memory."

[Vesperium]

CULT & CULT ART OF MNEMOSYNE:

I. ATHENS Chief City of Attica (Attika) (Southern Greece)
Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 2. 5 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Here [in the shrine of Dionysos at Athens] there are images of Athena Paionia, of Zeus, of Mnemosyne and of the Mousai (Muses), an Apollon."

II. TEGEA Town in Arcadia (Arkadia) (Southern Greece)
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 46. 3 :
"Represented on the altar [of Athena at Tegea, Arkadia] . . . are also images of the Mousai (Muses) and Mnemosyne."

III. HELICON (HELIKON) Mountain Sanctuary in Boeotia (Boiotia) (Central Greece)
Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 29. 1 :
"The first to sacrifice on Helikon (Helicon) to the Mousai (Muses) and to call the mountain sacred to the Mousai were, they say, Ephialtes and Otos (Otus), who also founded Askra . . . The sons of Aloeus held that the Mousai were three in number, and gave them the names Melete (Practice), Mneme (Memory), and Aoide (Aeode, Song). But they say that afterwards Pieros (Pierus), a Makedonian (Macedonian) . . . came to Thespiae [in Boiotia] and established nine Mousai, changing their names to the present ones . . . Mimnermos [epic poet C7th B.C.] . . . says in the preface that the elder Mousai (Muses) are the daughters of Ouranos (Uranus), and that there are other and younger Mousai, children of Zeus."

IV. LEBADEIA Town in Boeotia (Boiotia) (Central Greece)
Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 39. 3 :
"[Part of the rituals at the oracle of Trophonios (Trophonius) at Lebadeia, Boiotia (Boeotia):] He [the supplicant] is taken by the priests, not at once to the oracle, but to fountains of water very near to each other. Here he must drink water called the water of Lethe (Forgetfulness), that he may forget all that he has been thinking of hitherto, and afterwards he drinks of another water, the water of Mnemosyne (Memory), which causes him to remember what he sees after his descent . . . After his ascent from [the oracle of] Trophonios the inquirer is again taken in hand by the priests, who set him upon a chair called the chair of Mnemosyne (Memory), which stands not far from the shrine, and they ask of him, when seated there, all he has seen or learned. After gaining this information they then entrust him to his relatives. These lift him, paralysed with terror and unconscious both of himself and of his surroundings, and carry him to the building where he lodged before with Tykhe (Tyche, Fortune) and the Daimon Agathon (Good Spirit). Afterwards, however, he will recover all his faculties, and the power to laugh will return to him."

[Vesperium]

An Original Hymn to Mnemosyne, Greek Goddess of Memory, Including a Prayer to Receive Memories of Past Lives

Oh beautiful and powerful and lonely Mnemosyne,
Now seldom hymned, largely forgotten,
But flowing in secret all throughout the mists of time,
Like the countless denizens of your realm,
As countless as the stars in the heavens.
Daughter of Gaia and Uranus,
Mother of nine daughters:
The muses who sing into the hearts of the inspired.
Mother of memories, namer of all things,
Giver of the gift of reason:
The foundation stone of civilization.
Guardian of all things known, and once known,
Keeper of the long forgotten and lost to time,
Of both joyous and sorrowful reminiscense.
Through your misty waters flow all thoughts and emotions,
All journeys and experiences and adventures,
All triumphs and all tragedies,
Which have ever passed through the hearts of gods or men.

I call upon you, Mnemosyne, that I may commune with you,
And that you might show me the way to your sacred well,
Where I may drink of the long lost joys and sorrows
Of my current and former lives, and thusly illuminate
The root of my being, and the path of service.

Thank you for posting this

It is very profound

[borealis]

Thank you all. ^^ Not a ton is written about Mnemosyne compared to many other Gods and Goddesses, but there is evidence that she was considered a very important part of the pantheon. I wanted to capture in this hymn not just exaltation, but throughout it and especially at the beginning, an ambiance of sorrow in recognition and empathy for the tragic irony of Mnemosyne's position as the Goddess of Memory who almost no one remembers.

I was inspired to write it on the morning of the day when I planned to invoke her presence and converse with her and ask for help in recovering memories of past lives, to help me further understand my true nature and will. I did the ritual after midnight, near a large fountain, while burning nine candles to represent the nine muses, and drinking dark red wines to represent the obscured nature of what I sought.

There were no immediate results as such, but I feel I was able to visit her realm and communicate with her, and that she was moved by my hymn, so I consider it a success overall. I think that recovering such memories is something I will arrive at later in my development, though I also think I will commune with her again in the future, because she had a lovely presence, and the writing of the hymn made me feel connected to her; through it a sort of reverent love was formed.

[CCoburn]

Re : Memories of Past Lives and Deja Vu


I have lots of "memories" that have obscure placement in the physical environment I have been accustomed throughout my life, and some appear to have no placement at all, but I enjoy these types of vague memories because they invoke a unique and pleasing 'feeling', and often times I will purposely invoke these memories for that reason alone.

In my experience "feeling" has an extraordinary amount of 'depth' and deviation that aids in defining it, and this is why I eventually began referring it as an additional dimension of existence.

Altered states and various modes of consciousness are closely linked with this phenomenon of "feeling". It can be useful, although I would say indispensable for occult rituals although I don't partake in such things in a conventional sense any longer.

Some modes of consciousness will even expose you to other 'channels' of existence and tune you into and/or cause presence/manifestation of alien/other worldly entities which has potential to be unnerving, but not usually.

[Vesperium]

Thank you all. ^^ Not a ton is written about Mnemosyne compared to many other Gods and Goddesses, but there is evidence that she was considered a very important part of the pantheon. I wanted to capture in this hymn not just exaltation, but throughout it and especially at the beginning, an ambiance of sorrow in recognition and empathy for the tragic irony of Mnemosyne's position as the Goddess of Memory who almost no one remembers.

I was inspired to write it on the morning of the day when I planned to invoke her presence and converse with her and ask for help in recovering memories of past lives, to help me further understand my true nature and will. I did the ritual after midnight, near a large fountain, while burning nine candles to represent the nine muses, and drinking dark red wines to represent the obscured nature of what I sought.

There were no immediate results as such, but I feel I was able to visit her realm and communicate with her, and that she was moved by my hymn, so I consider it a success overall. I think that recovering such memories is something I will arrive at later in my development, though I also think I will commune with her again in the future, because she had a lovely presence, and the writing of the hymn made me feel connected to her; through it a sort of reverent love was formed.

.

Even though you weren't able to fully communicate with the Goddess, the fact that you were able to access her realm was still a form of communication, though more subtle than a direct appearance of the Goddess.

Nice choice of using dark wine for your ritual. It was very helpful indeed

[borealis]

Even though you weren't able to fully communicate with the Goddess, the fact that you were able to access her realm was still a form of communication, though more subtle than a direct appearance of the Goddess.

Nice choice of using dark wine for your ritual. It was very helpful indeed

To be clear, I was able to see some human form of hers and speak to her and hear her speak back to me, which was very nice. I do not usually have much trouble with this. But, when I drank from her well, it simply does not seem to have permeated me completely enough to return the memories to me that I was seeking. There are several root issues which I think I need to continue to work on.

1. Incomplete connection between my mind and my energy body; the connection is still maturing.
2. I only can send a small portion of my energy body to another place currently, and am continuing to practice this.
3. My astral perception is still somewhat lacking, though I have been told I have decently powerful affect.
4. For effects on this level, any amount of second-guessing will kill the result. There is a confidence issue.
5. I have only just begun my relationship with this goddess, so though she did attempt to give me what I sought, it did not reach completion.

I think that there may be slow effects over time, but I may also have to visit again a bit later, and should at the same time continue working with Mnemosyne to build a stronger connection.

[Vesperium]

Even though you weren't able to fully communicate with the Goddess, the fact that you were able to access her realm was still a form of communication, though more subtle than a direct appearance of the Goddess.

Nice choice of using dark wine for your ritual. It was very helpful indeed

To be clear, I was able to see some human form of hers and speak to her and hear her speak back to me, which was very nice. I do not usually have much trouble with this. But, when I drank from her well, it simply does not seem to have permeated me completely enough to return the memories to me that I was seeking. There are several root issues which I think I need to continue to work on.

1. Incomplete connection between my mind and my energy body; the connection is still maturing.
2. I only can send a small portion of my energy body to another place currently, and am continuing to practice this.
3. My astral perception is still somewhat lacking, though I have been told I have decently powerful affect.
4. For effects on this level, any amount of second-guessing will kill the result. There is a confidence issue.
5. I have only just begun my relationship with this goddess, so though she did attempt to give me what I sought, it did not reach completion.

I think that there may be slow effects over time, but I may also have to visit again a bit later, and should at the same time continue working with Mnemosyne to build a stronger connection.

It is a very good approach that you are practicing, about wanting to visit Her again. Keep up the good work

Also, thank you for explaining certain things! It was really helpful.

Related to Astral connections, I feel you will master it in the meantime but it sure requires a lot of work. I must say, you are very advanced at this point, of having your Astral body reach a certain place (on command).

Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear results from your further rituals