The Eleusinian mysteries & rites. - The Masonic Trowel

THE RITUAL OF THE MYSTERIES 35
not be solved by the known laws were addressed
to the Eumolpides, whose decision was final.
The meaning of the name " Eumolpus " is "a
good singer," and great importance was attached
to the quality of the voice in the selection of the
hierophant, the chief officiant at the celebration
of the Mysteries and at the ceremony of initiation,
and who was selected from the family of the Eumol-
pides. It was essential that the formulae disclosed
to the initiates at Eleusis should be pronounced with
the proper intonation, for otherwise the words would
have no efficacy. Correct intonation was of far
greater importance than syllabic pronunciation.
An explanation of this is given by Maspero,
who says : " The human voice is pre-eminently
a magical instrument, without which none of the
highest operations of art can be successful : each
of its utterances is carried into the region of the
invisible and there releases forces of which the general
run of people have no idea, either as to their existence
or their manifold action. Without doubt, the real
value of an evocation lies in its text, or the sequence
of the words of which it is composed, and the tone
in which it is enunciated. In order to be efficacious,
the conjuration should be accompanied by chanting,
either an incantation or a song. In order to produce
the desired effect the sacramental melod}^ must be
chanted without the variation of a single modulation :
one false note, one mistake in the measure, the