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ENDRE ÁDÁM HAMVAS 4. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the term ‘spiritual mystery’ is a controversial concept because on the basis of philological evidence, it is not easy to decide whether there was any such real historical phenomenon, or whether it is only a later, modern conceptual construction. This is why I prefer to use the term ‘spiritualization of cultic performance’, suggested by Kurt Rudolph." It is true that there are texts—for example the above-cited CH IV, CH I or Koré Kosmou—that possibly give evidence supporting this supposition. On the other hand, if we, drawing on the ideas of Burkert, accept the definition of mysteries as forms of initiation, it can be shown that if there was a Hermetic initiation—and I hope to have shown that there was—we can understand its essence from the Greek mysteries and early Christian cultic performances because of the structural and linguistic similarities delineated above. I think there really was a Hermetic initiation the aim of which was to transform the self of the initiate wholly by the appearance of the divine. This revelation offered a divine knowledge about the universe and humankind and as a consequence, this knowledge provided immortality. This conclusion may harmonize with theories of other scholars who accepted—with some reservations—that there were Hermetic communities with a kind of religious practice. There have been scholars who supposed that there could have been Hermetic circles or groups forming a special kind of religious phenomenon.* For example, G. van Moorsel formulated the supposition that these groups existed but had no dromena; their daily religious practices consisted of singing hymns and saying prayers.* K. W. Trôger had another interesting idea, as he also spoke about religious communities for which prayer, the singing of hymns, and the instruction of new members by the initiated were daily routine. Tréger speaks about esoteric Hermetic circles where a small group of people gathered to gain knowledge and where the members prayed and sang hymns. He also speaks about a kind of initiation where the advanced brethren instructed the newcomers. Our Hermetic texts have preserved some of these teachings, whereby we can cast a glance into the life, religious practices, and initiation methods of these communities." 38 Rudolph, Gnosis, 220. 3° One of the first examples is Reitzenstein’s above-mentioned Poimandres. See note above. 10 Moorsel, The Mysteries, 129. a Tréger, Mysterienglaube und Gnosis, 58: “Man wird sich die Hermetiker als Esoteriker vorzustellen haben, die in kleinen Kreisen zusammenkamen, um sich in die Gnosis einzuiiben und bei Gebet und Gesang miteinander Gemeinschaft zu halten. Dabei hielten vielleicht fortgeschrittene Brüder Vorträge und Fragestunden fiir die Neulinge und führten sie so in die religiösen Geheimnisse ein. Die hermetischen Traktate können auf diese Weise als ‘vervielfältigte’ Referate entstanden und für gemeinsame oder private Religionsübungen .d6 + Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassänyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 26 6 2020.06.15. 11:04:10
