Xere Hormosiel

Performance at Batch in Austin on March 10, 2024

Words

Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ, Hail, sun that shines!

Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ, Hail, twelve powers that surround it!

Hail, moon and all the stars! 

Hail, twelve rulers that appoint the hours of the night! 

Hail, twelve rulers that appoint the hours of the day!

Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ Hail, Hormosiel, the great ruler who gathers those of the heavens and those of the earth, 

he to whose voice leaders listen,

and they delight in it, 

now, I entreat you today, and I invoke you, Hormosiel, 

the one with a voice that is sweet, 

that is pleasant like Philemon, 

the one with a sweet voice, 

that you come to me today, 

me, NN, child of NN,

and you stand over this cup that is placed before me 

and you fill it for me with a voice which is sweet, 

which is pleasant, 

which goes up, 

which comes down, 

turning like a wheel, 

filled with all music, 

which is sweet, 

which flows like a wind, 

which is not hoarse, 

does not breathe with difficulty, 

does not spit, yea, yea,

for I adjure you by the right hand of the Father, 

I adjure you by the head of the Son, 

I adjure you by the purity of the Holy Spirit, 

that you leave behind you every place and you come to me, 

to this place in which I am, 

I, NN, child of NN, 

and you accomplish for me the desire of my heart, 

and the requests of my tongue, 

quickly, quickly, 

yea, for I adjure you by the right hand of the Son 

who rules the seven stars, 

while the twelve stars are the crown upon his head!

— 8th century Coptic spell. Translation by Korshi Dosoo, Edward O.D. Love & Markéta Preininger (chief editors). "KYP T329: Spell for good singing voice," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-329. Accessed on 01/03/2024