About the Hyperborean people, neither the Skythians nor any others of those living by them tell us anything, unless perhaps the Issedones. And I myself think even they say nothing. For if they spoke of them, then the Skythians would too, just as they speak about the one-eyed ones.
But Hesiod has spoken about Hyperboreans, and Homer also in the Progeny, if it was truly Homer who composed those verses.
And the Delians say much more about them. They say that offerings bound in straws of wheat are carried from the Hyperboreans and arrive in Skythia. And next from Skythia each neighboring people receives them in turn, carrying them towards the West as far as the Adriatic. And from there they’re sent to the south, and the Dodonians are the first Greeks to receive them. And from them they come down to the Melian gulf, and they’re ferried over to Euboia, and city after city sends them on up to Karystos. And from there they bypass Andros, for Karystians carry them to Tenos, and Tenians to Delos. In this way these offerings finally arrive in Delos, they say.
But the first Hyperboreans who were sent carrying the offerings were two maidens, whom the Delians call by the names of Hyperoche and Laodike. And with them for security they sent five Hyperborean men from among their townsmen, who are now called Perpherees, and they hold great honors in Delos.
But when those sent never returned back to the Hyperboreans, they considered it terrible if those they sent were to always be seized and not received back. So they carry the offerings wrapped in wheat straw to their borders, and impose on their neighbors urging to send the offering from their own to another nation. And they say that in this way the offerings that are sent out arrive in Delos.
And I myself know of something similar to these offerings. The Thrakian and Paionian women, when they sacrifice to Artemis the Queen, they do not carry the offerings without wheat straw.
And I know for a fact they [the Delians] do these things: they cut their hair for the maidens from the Hyperboreans who died in Delos, both the girls and the boys among the Delians. The girls before their wedding cut off a lock, and after winding it around a spindle, place it on the tomb. And this tomb is on the left-hand side of the entrance to the Artemision, at the foot of the olive tree. And likewise the Delian boys wind some of their hair around a green shoot and lay it on the tomb. The maidens indeed hold such honor among the inhabitants of Delos.
And these same people say that Arge and Opis, also maidens from the Hyperboreans, conveyed via the same peoples, arrived in Delos before Hyperoche and Laodike. These arrived bearing to Eileithyia the tribute for an easy birth that they had agreed to bring. And they say Arge and Opis arrived at the same time as the gods, and separate honors were given to them. For the women gathered and called their names in the hymn that Olen the man of Lykia composed for them.
And it was from them that the islanders and Ionians learned to sing the hymns to Opis and Arge, calling their names and gathering. And this Olen who came from Lykia composed other ancient hymns that are sung in Delos. And after thighbones are burned on the altar, the ashes are thrown onto the grave of Opis and Arges. And their grave is behind the Artemision, turning towards the east, right next to the banquet hall of the Keians.
And let that much said about the Hyperboreans suffice. For I do not tell the story of Abaris who is said to be a Hyperborean, who carried around the arrow over the whole world while not eating. And if there are such Hyperborean people, there are Hypernotians as well. And I laugh when I see the many circular worlds that have been drawn, and not one set forth sensibly: they draw Okeanos flowing around the world in circular fashion as if drawn by a compass, and Asia and Europe made equal.
Author: Herodotos
Title of Work: Histories
Location in Work: 4.32-36.1
Date of Work: c. 420 BCE
Original Language: Greek (Ionian)
Original Text:
Ὑπερβορέων δὲ πέρι ἀνθρώπων οὔτε τι Σκύθαι λέγουσι οὐδὲν οὔτε τινὲς ἄλλοι τῶν ταύτῃ οἰκημένων, εἰ μὴ ἄρα Ἰσσηδόνες. ὡς δὲ ἐγὼ δοκέω, οὐδ᾽ οὗτοι λέγουσι οὐδέν: ἔλεγον γὰρ ἂν καὶ Σκύθαι, ὡς περὶ τῶν μουνοφθάλμων λέγουσι.
ἀλλ᾽ Ἡσιόδῳ μὲν ἐστὶ περὶ Ὑπερβορέων εἰρημένα, ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ὁμήρῳ ἐν Ἐπιγόνοισι, εἰ δὴ τῷ ἐόντι γε Ὅμηρος ταῦτα τὰ ἔπεα ἐποίησε.
πολλῷ δέ τι πλεῖστα περὶ αὐτῶν Δήλιοι λέγουσι, φάμενοι ἱρὰ ἐνδεδεμένα ἐν καλάμῃ πυρῶν ἐξ Ὑπερβορέων φερόμενα ἀπικνέεσθαι ἐς Σκύθας, ἀπὸ δὲ Σκυθέων ἤδη δεκομένους αἰεὶ τοὺς πλησιοχώρους ἑκάστους κομίζειν αὐτὰ τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέρης ἑκαστάτω ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀδρίην, ἐνθεῦτεν δὲ πρὸς μεσαμβρίην προπεμπόμενα πρώτους Δωδωναίους Ἑλλήνων δέκεσθαι, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων καταβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὸν Μηλιέα κόλπον καὶ διαπορεύεσθαι ἐς Εὔβοιαν, πόλιν τε ἐς πόλιν πέμπειν μέχρι Καρύστου, τὸ δ᾽ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐκλιπεῖν Ἄνδρον: Καρυστίους γὰρ εἶναι τοὺς κομίζοντας ἐς Τῆνον, Τηνίους δὲ ἐς Δῆλον. ἀπικνέεσθαι μέν νυν οὕτω ταῦτα τὰ ἱρὰ λέγουσι ἐς Δῆλον.
πρῶτον δὲ τοὺς Ὑπερβορέους πέμψαι φερούσας τὰ ἱρὰ δὺο κόρας, τὰς ὀνομάζουσι Δήλιοι εἶναι Ὑπερόχην τε καὶ Λαοδίκην. ἅμα δὲ αὐτῇσι ἀσφαλείης εἵνεκεν πέμψαι τοὺς Ὑπερβορέους τῶν ἀστῶν ἄνδρας πέντε πομπούς, τούτους οἳ νῦν Περφερέες καλέονται τιμὰς μεγάλας ἐν Δήλῳ ἔχοντες.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῖσι Ὑπερβορέοισι τοὺς ἀποπεμφθέντας ὀπίσω οὐκ ἀπονοστέειν, δεινὰ ποιευμένους εἰ σφέας αἰεὶ καταλάμψεται ἀποστέλλοντας μὴ ἀποδέκεσθαι, οὕτω δὴ φέροντας ἐς τοὺς οὔρους τὰ ἱρὰ ἐνδεδεμένα ἐν πυρῶν καλάμῃ τοὺς πλησιοχώρους ἐπισκήπτειν κελεύοντας προπέμπειν σφέα ἀπὸ ἑωυτῶν ἐς ἄλλο ἔθνος. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω προπεμπόμενα ἀπικνέεσθαι λέγουσι ἐς Δῆλον.
οἶδα δὲ αὐτὸς τούτοισι τοῖσι ἱροῖσι τόδε ποιεύμενον προσφερές, τὰς Θρηικίας καὶ τὰς Παιονίδας γυναῖκας, ἐπεὰν θύωσι τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι τῇ βασιλείῃ, οὐκ ἄνευ πυρῶν καλάμης ἐχούσας τὰ ἱρά.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ταύτας οἶδα ποιεύσας: τῇσι δὲ παρθένοισι ταύτῃσι τῇσι ἐξ Ὑπερβορέων τελευτησάσῃσι ἐν Δήλῳ κείρονται καὶ αἱ κόραι καὶ οἱ παῖδες οἱ Δηλίων: αἱ μὲν πρὸ γάμου πλόκαμον ἀποταμνόμεναι καὶ περὶ ἄτρακτον εἱλίξασαι ἐπὶ τὸ σῆμα τιθεῖσι. τὸ δὲ σῆμα ἐστὶ ἔσω ἐς τὸ Ἀρτεμίσιον ἐσιόντι ἀριστερῆς χειρός, ἐπιπέφυκε δέ οἱ ἐλαίη. ὅσοι δὲ παῖδες τῶν Δηλίων, περὶ χλόην τινὰ εἱλίξαντες τῶν τριχῶν τιθεῖσι καὶ οὗτοι ἐπὶ τὸ σῆμα. αὗται μὲν δὴ ταύτην τιμὴν ἔχουσι πρὸς τῶν Δήλου οἰκητόρων.
φασὶ δὲ οἱ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι καὶ τὴν Ἄργην τε καὶ τὴν Ὦπιν ἐούσας παρθένους ἐξ Ὑπερβορέων κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς τούτους ἀνθρώπους πορευομένας ἀπικέσθαι ἐς Δῆλον ἔτι πρότερον Ὑπερόχης τε καὶ Λαοδίκης. ταύτας μέν νυν τῇ Εἰλειθυίῃ ἀποφερούσας ἀντὶ τοῦ ὠκυτόκου τὸν ἐτάξαντο φόρον ἀπικέσθαι, τὴν δὲ Ἄργην τε καὶ τὴν Ὦπιν ἅμα αὐτοῖσι θεοῖσι ἀπικέσθαι λέγουσι καὶ σφι τιμὰς ἄλλας δεδόσθαι πρὸς σφέων: καὶ γὰρ ἀγείρειν σφι τὰς γυναῖκας ἐπονομαζούσας τὰ οὐνόματα ἐν τῷ ὕμνῳ τόν σφι Ὠλὴν ἀνὴρ Λύκιος ἐποίησε.
παρὰ δὲ σφέων μαθόντας νησιώτας τε καὶ Ἴωνας ὑμνέειν Ὦπίν τε καὶ Ἄργην ὀνομάζοντάς τε καὶ ἀγείροντας.
οὗτος δὲ ὁ Ὠλὴν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς παλαιοὺς ὕμνους ἐποίησε ἐκ Λυκίης ἐλθὼν τοὺς ἀειδομένους ἐν Δήλῳ.
καὶ τῶν μηρίων καταγιζομένων ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ τὴν σποδὸν ταύτην ἐπὶ τὴν θήκην τῆς Ὤπιός τε καὶ Ἄργης ἀναισιμοῦσθαι ἐπιβαλλομένην. ἡ δὲ θήκη αὐτέων ἐστὶ ὄπισθε τοῦ Ἀρτεμισίου, πρὸς ἠῶ τετραμμένη, ἀγχοτάτω τοῦ Κηίων ἱστιητορίου.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν Ὑπερβορέων πέρι εἰρήσθω. τὸν γὰρ περὶ Ἀβάριος λόγον τοῦ λεγομένου εἶναι Ὑπερβορέου οὐ λέγω, ὡς τὸν ὀιστὸν περιέφερε κατὰ πᾶσαν γῆν οὐδὲν σιτεόμενος. εἰ δὲ εἰσὶ ὑπερβόρεοι τινὲς ἄνθρωποι, εἰσὶ καὶ ὑπερνότιοι ἄλλοι. γελῶ δὲ ὁρέων γῆς περιόδους γράψαντας πολλοὺς ἤδη καὶ οὐδένα νοονεχόντως ἐξηγησάμενον· οἳ Ὠκεανόν τε ῥέοντα γράφουσι πέριξ τὴν γῆν ἐοῦσαν κυκλοτερέα ὡς ἀπὸ τόρνου, καὶ τὴν Ἀσίην τῇ Εὐρώπῃ ποιεύντων ἴσην.
Reference Edition: Wilson, Herodoti Historiae
Source of Date of Work: Herodotos 9.73.3
Commentary:
Herodotos was referring in this text to Pontic Skythians, living in what is now southern Ukraine, who he apparently assumed were far enough north that they would know if Hyperboreans existed. In another text (to come in this collection) Herodotos described an apparent trade mission of Pontic Skythians traveling far to their northeast to an area where he believed the Issedones lived, which explains how Herodotos figured the Skythians would have heard of Hyperboreans from the Issedones if the latter knew them. But elsewhere in his book (to come in this collection), Herodotos claimed the Pontic Skythians knew the Arimasps.
Herodotos’ reference to Hesiod mentioning Hyperboreans might be to the Hesiodic Catalogue’s story on the Flight of the Harpies (F 150). Aside from Herodotos, there is no other evidence that the lost epic of Thebes known as the Progeny (Επίγονοι) mentioned Hyperboreans.
Herodotos tells the story of the Delians’ claim that they received offerings from Hyperborea in reverse chronological order. The story begins in primordial times when the pregnant goddess Leto and the goddess of birthing Eleithyia came to Delos where Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. According to the myth two Hyperborean maidens, Arge and Opis, came to assist the birth, which in this version story seems to be financial aid. Those maidens died in Delos, but sometime after the birth another two maidens, Hyperoche and Laodike, came to bring offerings to Artemis’ and Apollo's birthplace. They also died in Delos, and since that time the Hyperboreans had sent offerings but no more maidens. Two Bronze age tombs have been identified that were apparently believed by the Classical period to have been the tombs of the Hyperborean maidens (Picard and Replat, Topographie Délien).
The route allegedly taken by the Delian offerings is notable for making the Skythians (clearly meant to be Pontic Skythians) the closest people to the Hyperboreans. The lack of names of peoples or countries between the Skythians and the Adriatic probably reflected poor knowledge of that region’s topography, although Herodotos elsewhere in his book discussed the Getai to the immediate southwest of Pontic Skythia. The route gives prominence to Epeiros and Euboia, perhaps tracing a real trade route with the northern Adriatic, and does not reveal any influence of the Arimaspeia. By contrast, the later writer Pausanias (to come in this collection) told an alternate route for the Hyperborean offerings to Delos clearly influenced by the Arimaspeia. It’s unknown how the Delians organized their ruse of receiving offerings from Hyperborea, but it’s unlikely the offerings came from anywhere far.
Despite his reluctance to tell the story of Abaris, Herodotos provides some valuable information, especially so because his brief account is the oldest extant text to mention Abaris. Herodotos reveals that in the story he knew Abaris was a Hyperborean (whereas Lykourgos in the next century wrote that Abaris merely visited Hyperborea). Herodotos confirms that in the earliest stories of Abaris he carried the arrow (agreeing with Lykourgos) and did not fly on it, as Lykourgos’ contemporary Herakleides of Pontos wrote. And Herodotos confirms the age of the story that Abaris did not eat, otherwise known only much later from Iamblichos.
Hypernotian means ‘beyond the south wind,’ paralleling Hyperborean which means ‘beyond the north wind.’