PGM V.24–30 — vowel pronunciation and IAŌ
How a 4th-century magical papyrus indicated pronouncing certain vowels (manner, not frequency).
Identification
- Corpus
- Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM) V
- Manuscript
- Papiro mágico de Londres
- Shelfmark
- London, British Library, Papyrus 46 (P. Lond. 46)
- Date
- 4th c. CE
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Passage
- PGM V.24–30
What the source prescribes
A: there is an instruction about the MANNER of pronouncing the vowels; the seven vowels and the IAŌ sequence are attested ritual material. B: their Koine phonetic realization with iotacism (2nd–4th c.). C: duration, intensity, timbre and presentation. NOT DOCUMENTED: any frequency, note or melody.
Listen
↓ Download reconstruction · MP3 · 61 KB
Grimorium reconstruction (deterministic synthesis + Kokoro voice over the Koine reconstruction). Educational/research use with attribution.
The rite in context
A divination oracle: Sarapis (Zeus-Helios-Mithras-Sarapis) is invoked to appear and answer questions through a boy-medium, using a lamp, a bowl and a stand. The vowel instructions (V.24–30) are the technique of the invocation.
Reading of the whole rite (modern reconstruction, not a transcription)
A prose reading of the rite, reconstructed from the surviving lines (not a transcription of the papyrus). The procedure is an oracle: its aim is to make a god appear and be consulted. According to the opening lines (V.1–5) it is done with a boy acting as medium, before a lit lamp, a bowl and a base or pedestal. The operator invokes the god —named at once as Zeus, Helios, Mithras and Sarapis— so that he manifests and answers the questions through the boy, who «speaks truth». Within that invocation a sacred name made only of vowels is uttered, a nine-letter name, and lines V.24–30 give the manner of pronouncing each vowel as it is called: the alpha with the mouth open and wavelike; the omicron in a contraction of the lips, like a breathed threat; the iota-alpha-omega group sent to earth, air and sky; the epsilon in the manner of the baboon; the eta aspirating with pleasure; the ypsilon in the manner of the shepherd, drawn out. The source describes gestures, orientations and modes of emission: never a note, a scale or a frequency. Anything beyond that —the koine phonetic value of the vowels, and the durations, intensities and timbres of the audio— is reconstruction and modern decision, not data from the text.
- 1DocumentedV.1–3
Heading and set-up: "Oracle of Sarapis, with a boy, using a lamp, a bowl and a stand". The mechanics of the rite are documented.
Μαντεῖον Σαραπιακόν, [ἐπὶ] παιδός, ἐπὶ λύχνου καὶ φιάλης [κ]αὶ βάθρου
"Oracle of Sarapis with a boy, using lamp and bowl and stand."
Preisendanz p.180 — Μαντεῖον Σαραπιακόν (boy, lamp, bowl, stand)
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg · Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Bd. I (Teubner 1928), p.180 · DOI · View original facsimile at Heidelberg ↗Stated: The source names the rite (oracle of Sarapis) and its instruments: boy-medium, lamp, bowl, stand. - 2DocumentedV.4–16
Invocation of the god: "I invoke you, Zeus-Helios-Mithras, Sarapis, invincible…", with magical words.
ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, Ζεῦ, Ἥλιε, Μίθρα, Σάραπι, ἀνίκητε, Μελιοῦχε …
"I invoke you, Zeus, Helios, Mithras, Sarapis, invincible, Meliouchos…"
Preisendanz p.180 — invocation of Sarapis (lines 4 ff.)
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg · Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Bd. I (Teubner 1928), p.180 · DOI · View original facsimile at Heidelberg ↗Stated: The invocation calls the god to appear and answer. - 3DocumentedV.24–30
How to pronounce the nine-letter vowel-name: the α with open mouth, undulating; the ο in contraction (compressed lips), as a breathed threat; the ιαω to earth, air and heaven; the ε "baboon-fashion"; the η aspirating with enjoyment; the upsilon (υ) "shepherd-fashion", drawn out.
τὸ α ἀνεῳγμένῳ τῷ στόματι κυματούμενον, τὸ ο ἐν συστροφῇ … τὸ ιαω γῇ, ἀέρι, οὐρανῷ … τὸ υ ποιμενικῶς, μακράν
"The a with open mouth, undulating; the o in contraction, as a breathed threat; the iaō to earth, air, heaven; … the upsilon shepherd-fashion, drawn out."
Preisendanz p.182 — vowel instructions / IAŌ (lines 24–30)
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg · Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Bd. I (Teubner 1928), p.182 · DOI · View original facsimile at Heidelberg ↗Stated: They are the vocal technique of the invocation: they instruct HOW to utter the vowel-name (ἐννεαγράμματον) to call the god; "iaō to earth, air, heaven" is a documented orientation. NOT a detached marginal gloss.Modern reading: The exact Koine phonetic value (iotacism) and any pitch are modern reconstruction/decision (B/C); the orientation is not turned into a note. - 4DocumentedV.30–41
When the god (in the boy) says "I prophesy", you invoke the throne; if it is carried by four men, you ask how they are crowned: if the boy answers rightly (olive + censer), he speaks truly.
ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὅτι 'χρηματίζω', λέγε· … ἀληθεύει ὁ παῖς
"If he says 'I prophesy', say: …; … the boy speaks truly."
Preisendanz p.182 — the boy answers the oracle (lines 30 ff.)
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg · Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Bd. I (Teubner 1928), p.182 · DOI · View original facsimile at Heidelberg ↗Stated: The boy-medium is the one who utters the oracular answer; the text gives the truth-test. - 5DocumentedV.42–52
Dismissal of the god and timing: do it when the moon is in a fitting sign with benefic stars and is NOT full (so the divination comes out orderly).
ἀπόλυσις· χώρει, κύριε, εἰς τὸν ἴδιον κόσμον … ποίει σελήνης οὔσης … μὴ πληθούσης
"Dismissal: depart, Lord, to your own world… do it when the moon… is not full."
Preisendanz p.182 — dismissal and timing (lines 42 ff.)
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg · Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Bd. I (Teubner 1928), p.182 · DOI · View original facsimile at Heidelberg ↗Stated: The text prescribes the god's dismissal and the lunar conditions of the rite.
Facsimiles fetched live from Heidelberg University Library IIIF and served through an edge proxy (Cloudflare); no local copy is stored. Rights remain Heidelberg's (In Copyright).
Modern reception
No documented modern practice performing this operation acoustically has been incorporated. Reception of PGM V is mostly academic (editions and studies).
Based on the instructions preserved in the source. It is not an ancient recording nor an “authentic” performance; the sound arrangement does not literally reproduce every repetition of the papyrus. No ritual effect is claimed.
The audios reconstruct the documented manners of vowel emission; the exact Koine phonology is reconstruction (B) and any pitch/tempo a decision (C).
What to do: Heading and set-up: "Oracle of Sarapis, with a boy, using a lamp, a bowl and a stand". The mechanics of the rite are documented.
Μαντεῖον Σαραπιακόν, [ἐπὶ] παιδός, ἐπὶ λύχνου καὶ φιάλης [κ]αὶ βάθρου
"Oracle of Sarapis with a boy, using lamp and bowl and stand."
What to do: Invocation of the god: "I invoke you, Zeus-Helios-Mithras, Sarapis, invincible…", with magical words.
ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, Ζεῦ, Ἥλιε, Μίθρα, Σάραπι, ἀνίκητε, Μελιοῦχε …
"I invoke you, Zeus, Helios, Mithras, Sarapis, invincible, Meliouchos…"
What to do: How to pronounce the nine-letter vowel-name: the α with open mouth, undulating; the ο in contraction (compressed lips), as a breathed threat; the ιαω to earth, air and heaven; the ε "baboon-fashion"; the η aspirating with enjoyment; the upsilon (υ) "shepherd-fashion", drawn out.
τὸ α ἀνεῳγμένῳ τῷ στόματι κυματούμενον, τὸ ο ἐν συστροφῇ … τὸ ιαω γῇ, ἀέρι, οὐρανῷ … τὸ υ ποιμενικῶς, μακράν
"The a with open mouth, undulating; the o in contraction, as a breathed threat; the iaō to earth, air, heaven; … the upsilon shepherd-fashion, drawn out."
What to do: When the god (in the boy) says "I prophesy", you invoke the throne; if it is carried by four men, you ask how they are crowned: if the boy answers rightly (olive + censer), he speaks truly.
ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὅτι 'χρηματίζω', λέγε· … ἀληθεύει ὁ παῖς
"If he says 'I prophesy', say: …; … the boy speaks truly."
What to do: Dismissal of the god and timing: do it when the moon is in a fitting sign with benefic stars and is NOT full (so the divination comes out orderly).
ἀπόλυσις· χώρει, κύριε, εἰς τὸν ἴδιον κόσμον … ποίει σελήνης οὔσης … μὴ πληθούσης
"Dismissal: depart, Lord, to your own world… do it when the moon… is not full."
Uncertainties
- PGM V.24–30 gives an instruction of MANNER, not of pitch/Hz.
- The phonetic realization assumes Koine with iotacism: level B.
- Concrete duration/intensity = C.
Methodology
Each reconstruction distinguishes what the source documents (A), the philological reconstruction (B) and our production decisions (C). A human take improves naturalness; it does not turn B/C into A-level evidence.
Sources
- Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae I
- Betz, The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation (GMPT)
- British Library, Papyrus 46
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