A Gnostic Hymn

I want to highlight a fragment that is in the Bruce Codex. To me, the Bruce Codex features some of the best Gnostic material available but it seemingly gets over looked by most people. With this post, I want to highlight the segment titled “Fragment of a Gnostic Hymn”. This is fragmented but still, as it is, it’s quite the interesting hymn. I have also linked to a youtube video that does a reading as well as the vowel chant. Yes, this hymn features vowel chanting, which is a trait among some Gnostic texts.

From Gnosis.org:

Hear me as I sing praises to thee, O Mystery who existed before every incomprehensible one and every endless one. Hear me as I sing praise to thee, O Mystery, who hast shone in thy mystery, so that the mystery which exists from the beginning should be completed. And when thou didst shine, thou didst become water of the ocean whose imperishable name is this :

[AHZA]

Hear me as I sing praises to thee, O Mystery who existest before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, who hast shone in thy mystery. The earth in the middle of the ocean was purified, of which the incomprehensible name is this:

[AHZAE]

Hear me as I sing praises to thee, O Mystery who existest before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, who hast shone in thy mystery. All the powerful matter of the ocean which is the sea, with every kind within it, was purified, of which the incomprehensible name is this:

[AHZAHE]

Hear me as I sing praises to thee, O Mystery who existest before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, who hast shone in thy mystery. And as thou didst shine, thou didst seal the sea and all things in it, because of the power within them rebelled, of which the incomprehensible name is this:

[.......]

Hear me as I sing praises to thee, O Mystery who existest before every incomprehensible one . . .

Here is the youtube video link. If you enjoy that audio clip, I recommend checking out the entire video as the author of that clip did other Gnostic vowel chanting from various texts.