Poem or Prayer to Ceres (Greek: Demeter)

[SeasonsOfMeech]

I wanted to share an excerpt from an old newspaper I stumbled across. The Newspaper is called “The British Spy, or, Derby Post-man” from Sunday, 17 July 1729 on page 4 available from newspapers.com (with subscription, sorry)

I found this poem but I feel it could fit as a prayer to Ceres.

I will transcribe it as old english used a letter similar to the current lower case “f” for a lowercase “s” in the 18th century for anyone confused on the texts.

“O Ceres, yellow Goddess of our Corn,
Thy Porch our Wheaten Garlands shall adorn,
A Heart, I Vow; the Farmer then shall join
And cry aloud, O Bless the Corn and Wine;
Safe in our little Fortunes we retire,
No Want we fear nor Affluence Desire”

What do you think? Do you think its a prayer, poem, ritual, quote from another work?
I’m a researcher even in my leisure and am always learning, especially about history, mythology or ancestry so I spend some time looking over old newspapers for fun. The further back I go the more difficult it is to get a feel for the context it was meant in, but I will say this is one of the only excerpts I have personally found that referenced a goddess without it being clear that it was to do with some antiquities found, art, theatre, books or mythological stories. I added both a full page to show how it relates to the rest of the page and there is no more pages after that in case you are wondering that is the end of the newspaper.

The way I personally feel is that even in a heavily Christian time and place some slips of “superstition” or pagan values I think may have sprinkled in. We know this happens, but with more being digitized and seen by more eyes than before I wonder how many times this may have happened and people didn’t realize they still valued certain rituals or prayers at a sacred core level before Christianity started to block it from media.

This is extremely lighthearted and just for my own joy of History, Humans & Mythology and wanted to share for any one else who would feel chuffed seeing this from such an old time yet so much closer than the Ancient roots.

Source: “The British Spy, or, Derby Post-man” (17 July 1729, Sun - Page 4 -Derby, Derbyshire, England) newspapers.com ($)

[scott1]

Sounds like a good prayer to me.

[MeganB]

Ohh research is what I love to do!

I immediately went on a hunt to find the original source of this prayer – well, it reminds me more of the Orphic Hymns. However, this wouldn’t be an Orphic of Homeric Hymn because that’s Greek and not Roman. I mean, it’s very possible that the two were syncretized with their stories and mythology. Of course, we do know that Venus and Aphrodite are syncretized.

Anyway, I’m not a historian or a professional theologian but I did find a fairly old source that may have been a different translation from the original Latin. There are a few different translations around the internet but this is the one I’ve seen that’s the closest to what you shared.

This comes from a book titled Epistles, Odes…: Written on Several Subjects - Leonard Welsted

I believe it is originally from The Elegies of Tibullus. You can read the whole thing for free on Project Gutenberg (that link) but it is a different translation.

---

As for it being a prayer, a hymn, or poem? I don’t think we may ever know the true intention of the person who wrote it unless we can find the exact quotation. However, if you feel like it’s a prayer then use it as a prayer There’s definitely nothing wrong with that!

[BryWisteria]

@SeasonsOfMeech

any one else who would feel chuffed seeing this from such an old time yet so much closer than the Ancient roots.

I’m aways pleasantly surprised when I come across something (or at least something I consider to be) magickal or pagan somewhere in the “mundane”- it happens more than I’d think it would, and it only seems to be happening more and more often! Now I see tarot, herbal and moon magick books in every bookstore, and crystals and chakras seem to be everywhere I look

This was really neat to see this chant (or perhaps prayer, poem, hymn, etc.) appear in the common paper from the 1700’s. Really cool to see!

Thanks so much for sharing it, @SeasonsOfMeech!

[SeasonsOfMeech]

That totally seems similar and possibly both translated from the same thank you for sharing! I had searched the one I found and couldn’t find a direct quote of it so this is helpful!

[MeganB]

I’m happy to help! I hope you’re able to find what you need with the poem and book.