Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Greek Mythology Of or ascribed to Orpheus.
- adjective Of, relating to, or characteristic of the dogmas, mysteries, and philosophical principles set forth in the poems ascribed to Orpheus.
- adjective Capable of casting a charm or spell; entrancing.
- adjective Mystic or occult.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining or relating to Orpheus, a legendary poet and musician of ancient Greece, who had the power of charming all animate and inanimate objects with his sweet lyre, descended living into Hades to bring back to life his wife Eurydice, and perished, torn to pieces by infuriated Thracian mænads; Orphean: as, the Orphic poems.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Pertaining to Orpheus; Orphean.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Of or pertaining to
Orphism . - adjective Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding
- adjective ascribed to Orpheus or characteristic of ideas in works ascribed to Orpheus
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Both trained as chefs in Paris but now specialise in what they call Orphic Feasts - wildly absurdist performances which vary from creating edible pasta paintings to dining underwater.
Reading Aloud 2: Character voices maryrobinette 2006
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Consider also that in Greek Orphic tradition, the bird of creation Nyx literally "Night" is imagined as a great bird with black wings.
More about egg symbols in Etruria and the rest of the classical world 2009
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So-called Orphic writings were widespread, and they told a tale of the death and resurrection of Dionysus, a symbol of hope for the afterlife.
The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009
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So-called Orphic writings were widespread, and they told a tale of the death and resurrection of Dionysus, a symbol of hope for the afterlife.
The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009
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So-called Orphic writings were widespread, and they told a tale of the death and resurrection of Dionysus, a symbol of hope for the afterlife.
The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009
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So-called Orphic writings were widespread, and they told a tale of the death and resurrection of Dionysus, a symbol of hope for the afterlife.
The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009
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In these points they are in agreement with the observances called Orphic and
The History of Herodotus Herodotus 2003
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One of the keys to Renaissance mythologies is the so-called Orphic theology, which Plato, according to
Dictionary of the History of Ideas JEAN SEZNEC 1968
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In these points they are in agreement with the observances called Orphic and Bacchic (which are really Egyptian), and also with those of the Pythagoreans, for one who takes part in these mysteries is also forbidden by religious rule to be buried in woolen garments; and about this there is a sacred story told.
An Account of Egypt: Being the Second Book of His Histories Called Euterpe. Paras. 20-39 Herodotus 1909
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In these points they are in agreement with the observances called Orphic and Bacchic (which are really Egyptian), and also with those of the Pythagoreans, for one who takes part in these mysteries is also forbidden by religious rule to be buried in woolen garments; and about this there is a sacred story told.
An Account of Egypt 480? BC-420? BC Herodotus 1883
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