A book on the religious, mystic origins and substance of philosophy. This is a critical survey of ancient and modern sources and of scholarly works dealing with

“[A] startlingly original history that traces the obscure origins and tangled relationships of the Orpheus myth from ancient times through today” (Library J

In a paradigm shift, this book redefines Orphism as a polemical label for extra-ordinary religion, good or bad.

This book clearly establishes that traditional myth is the symbolic expression of metaphysics, as metaphysics is the exegesis of myth; and that Greek philosophy

Examines new methodologies used in the study of these tablets. Includes an updated edition and translation of the tablet texts.