What are the “Barbarous Names?”
The “Barbarous Names” are mixed-up forms of the names of various deities, holy phrases, palindromes, and extended sequences of vowels, which were composed or divined in antiquity as sacred sounds of ecstatic union. These inexplicable tones can create music by combining these sounds in the style of droning, chanting, or singing.
Iamblichus speaks to the power of the “Barbarous Names” in Book VII of On the Mysteries but says that to retain their full potency, they “must not be changed.” I have constructed songs that feature the “Barbarous Names” by referring to an old collection of Greco-Egyptian magic, called the Greek Magical Papyri, that feature them among their spells. I search for the names of deities in these texts and use them precisely as they are written as lyrics. Suppose the deity I want to honor is not directly mentioned. In that case, I use the interpretatio graeca, or the Greek translations of gods across different cultures, to match the deity with its counterpart that is present in the text. Amun corresponds to Zeus, Horus to Apollo, Thoth to Hermes, and so on.
Another aspect of the “Barbarous Names” is the use of vowels interspersed between the sacred names and phrases of the names of the gods. These vowels are generally attested to as A, long E, short E, I, long O, short O, and U. When arranging your music, you can use these vowels to complete musical sections which may not otherwise perfectly accommodate the varying lengths of the sacred names and phrases.
Chanting or other religious music styles are equally appropriate if you forego the “Barbarous Names” altogether. Take a simple melody, adapt a historical prayer or hymn, or create your own lyrics. It is also appropriate to take prayers you already use and adjust them to be musical. If you play an instrument or have other musical talents, use these to enrich your worship.
Once you have created the music you want, you can use it in the rite. In my case, I have made three songs in the style of “Barbarous Names,” one for each of my three “elevating triad” deities. Each piece is about two minutes long, and before getting them professionally produced, I used to sing them myself. I hired a professional singer, instrumentalist, and audio technician to give each song a high quality sound.
