Below is the original Greek text of PGM V. 96-172, the Stele of Jeu the Hieroglyphist, drawn from the Greek Magical Papyri, a collection spanning the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, buried in the Egyptian desert and rediscovered in the 19th century.
The Bornless Ritual calls upon the Ἀκέφαλος (Akephalos), the Headless One, using voces magicae: barbarous words of power whose potency was believed to reside in their sound alone.
How to use: Hover or click any highlighted word to hear it spoken. Use ▶ to play an entire line. Tap the Language Breakdown button (top right) to learn about the ancient languages used.
The Opening
Σὲ καλῶ, τὸν Ἀκέφαλον, τὸν κτίσαντα γῆν καὶ οὐρανόν, τὸν κτίσαντα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, σὲ τὸν κτίσαντα φῶς καὶ σκότος. Σὺ εἶ Ὀσοροννωφρις, ὃν οὐδεὶς εἶδε πώποτε.
I call upon thee, the Headless One, who created earth and heaven, who created night and day, thee who created light and darkness. Thou art Osoronnophris, whom no one has ever seen.
seh kah-LOH, ton ah-KEH-fah-lon, ton KTEE-sahn-tah gayn keh oo-rah-NON, ton KTEE-sahn-tah NEEK-tah keh hay-MEH-rahn, seh ton KTEE-sahn-tah fohs keh SKOH-tos. see ay oh-soh-ron-NOH-frees, hon oo-DEES AY-deh POH-poh-teh.
Σὺ διέκρινας τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὸ ἄδικον. Σὺ ἐποίησας θῆλυ καὶ ἄρρεν. Σὺ ἔδειξας σπορὰν καὶ καρπούς. Σὺ ἐποίησας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀλληλοφιλεῖν καὶ ἀλληλομισεῖν.
Thou didst distinguish the just and the unjust. Thou didst make female and male. Thou didst reveal seed and fruits. Thou didst make men love one another and hate one another.
see dee-EH-kree-nahs toh DEE-keh-on keh toh AH-dee-kon. see eh-POY-ay-sahs THAY-lee keh AHR-ren. see EH-day-ksahs spoh-RAHN keh kar-POOS. see eh-POY-ay-sahs toos ahn-THROH-poos ahl-lay-loh-fee-LAYN keh ahl-lay-loh-mee-SAYN.
The Invocation of Moses
Ἐγώ εἰμι Μοϋσῆς ὁ προφήτης σου, ᾧ παρέδωκας τὰ μυστήριά σου τὰ συντελούμενα Ἰστραήλ. Σὺ ἔδειξας ὑγρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν καὶ πᾶσαν τροφήν.
I am Moses thy prophet, to whom thou didst commit thy mysteries, the celebrations of Israel. Thou didst reveal the moist and the dry and all nourishment.
eh-GOH ay-MEE moy-SAYS ho proh-FAY-tays soo, hoh pah-REH-doh-kahs tah mees-TAY-ree-ah soo tah seen-teh-LOO-meh-nah ees-trah-AYL. see EH-day-ksahs ee-GRON keh ksay-RON keh PAH-sahn troh-FAYN.
Ἐπάκουσόν μου!
Hearken to me!
eh-PAH-koo-son moo!
Ἐγώ εἰμι ἄγγελος τοῦ Φαπρω Ὀσοροννωφρις. Τοῦτό ἐστιν σοῦ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἀληθινὸν τὸ παραδιδόμενον τοῖς προφήταις Ἰστραήλ.
I am the messenger of Pharaoh Osoronnophris. This is thy true name, handed down to the prophets of Israel.
eh-GOH ay-MEE AHN-geh-los too fah-PROH oh-soh-ron-NOH-frees. TOO-toh EH-steen soo toh OH-noh-mah toh ah-lay-thee-NON toh pah-rah-dee-DOH-meh-non tees proh-FAY-tees ees-trah-AYL.
Ἐπάκουσόν μου·
Hearken to me:
eh-PAH-koo-son moo:
Εἰσάκουσόν μου καὶ ἀποστρεψον τὸ δαιμόνιον τοῦτο.
Hear me and turn away this daimon.
ay-SAH-koo-son moo keh ah-poh-STREH-pson toh day-MOH-nee-on TOO-toh.
The Headless Invocation
Ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, τὸν ἐν τῷ κενῷ πνεύματι δεινὸν καὶ ἀόρατον θεὸν·
I call upon thee, the terrible and invisible god dwelling in the empty wind:
eh-pee-kah-LOO-meh seh, ton en toh keh-NOH PNEV-mah-tee day-NON keh ah-OH-rah-ton theh-ON:
Ἅγιε Ἀκέφαλε! Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα ἀπὸ τοῦ συνέχοντος αὐτὸν δαίμονος·
Holy Headless One! Free the subject from the daimon that restrains him:
AH-ghee-eh ah-KEH-fah-leh! ah-PAHL-lah-kson ton DAY-nah ah-POH too see-NEH-khon-tos af-TON DAY-moh-nos:
Ἰσχυρὲ Ἀκέφαλε! Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα ἀπὸ τοῦ συνέχοντος αὐτὸν δαίμονος·
Mighty Headless One! Free the subject from the daimon that restrains him:
ees-khee-REH ah-KEH-fah-leh! ah-PAHL-lah-kson ton DAY-nah ah-POH too see-NEH-khon-tos af-TON DAY-moh-nos:
Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα·
Free the subject:
ah-PAHL-lah-kson ton DAY-nah:
Lord of the Gods
Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ κύριος τῶν θεῶν. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκουμένης. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὂν οἱ ἄνεμοι φοβοῦνται. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσας φωνῆς προστάγματι ἑαυτοῦ πάντα.
This is the lord of the gods. This is the lord of the inhabited world. This is he whom the winds fear. This is he who made all things by the command of his voice.
HOO-tos EH-steen ho KEE-ree-os tohn theh-OHN. HOO-tos EH-steen ho KEE-ree-os tays ee-koo-MEH-nays. HOO-tos EH-steen hon hoy AH-neh-moy foh-BOO-ntay. HOO-tos EH-steen ho poy-AY-sahs foh-NAYS proh-STAHG-mah-tee heh-af-TOO PAHN-tah.
Κύριε! Βασιλεῦ! Δυνάστα! Βοηθέ! Σῶσον ψυχὴν·
Lord! King! Master! Helper! Save the soul:
KEE-ree-eh! bah-see-LEV! dee-NAH-stah! boh-ay-THEH! SOH-son psee-KHAYN:
Ἠδη ἤδη, εὐάγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ·
Already, already, messenger of god:
AY-day AY-day, ev-AHN-geh-los too theh-OO:
The Self-Identification
Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Ἀκέφαλος Δαίμων, ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν ἔχων τὴν ὅρασιν, Ἰσχυρὸς, ὁ ἔχων τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἀθάνατον. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ Ἀλήθεια, ὁ μισῶν ἀδικήματα γίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἀστράπτων καὶ βροντῶν. Ἐγώ εἰμι οὗ ἐστιν ὁ ἱδρὼς ὄμβρος ἐπιπίπτων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἵνα ὀχεύῃ. Ἐγώ εἰμι οὗ τὸ στόμα καίεται δι' ὅλου. Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ γεννῶν καὶ ἀπογεννῶν. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ Χάρις τοῦ Αἰῶνος, ὄνομά μοι καρδία περιεζωσμένη ὄφιν.
I am the Headless Daimon with sight in my feet, the Mighty One who possesses the immortal fire. I am the Truth who hates that unjust deeds are done in the world. I am the one who makes lightning flash and thunder roll. I am the one whose sweat falls upon the earth as rain so that it may be inseminated. I am the one whose mouth burns completely. I am the one who begets and destroys. I am the Grace of the Aeon; my name is a heart encircled by a serpent.
eh-GOH ay-MEE ho ah-KEH-fah-los DAY-mohn, en tees poh-SEEN EH-khohn tayn HOH-rah-seen, ees-khee-ROS, ho EH-khohn toh peer toh ah-THAH-nah-ton. eh-GOH ay-MEE hay ah-LAY-thay-ah, ho mee-SOHN ah-dee-KAY-mah-tah GHEE-neh-sthay en toh KOS-moh. eh-GOH ay-MEE ho ah-STRAHP-tohn keh bron-TOHN. eh-GOH ay-MEE hoo EH-steen ho hee-DROHS OM-bros eh-pee-PEEP-tohn eh-PEE tayn gayn HEE-nah oh-KHEV-ay. eh-GOH ay-MEE hoo toh STOH-mah KYE-eh-tay dee HOH-loo. eh-GOH ay-MEE ho ghen-NOHN keh ah-poh-ghen-NOHN. eh-GOH ay-MEE hay KHAH-rees too eye-OH-nos, OH-noh-mah moy kar-DEE-ah peh-ree-eh-zoh-SMEH-nay OH-feen.
The Ritual Voices
Multi-voice performance with overlapping harmonics
Experience the ritual as a layered vocal performance. Three voices, the Narrator, the Shadow, and the Harmonic, speak in unison, overlap, and fade, creating an immersive soundscape that evokes the crowded ritual chambers of ancient Egypt.
How it works: Each section uses ElevenLabs v3 audio tags to orchestrate multiple voices into a single audio file. The waveforms visualise each voice layer in real-time, bleeding together when voices overlap.
The Opening
Building the Atmosphere — narrator speaks, shadow echoes 300ms behind
The First Vocal Key
The Harmonic Resonance — three voices strike simultaneously
The Barbarous Names
The Chaotic Overlap — three voices shout different names simultaneously
The Final Seal
The Fade Out — voices dissolve into silence one by one
The Ancient Resonance Script
Full phonetic reconstruction — every word is speakable
The complete ritual rendered in phonetic English, very close to how it would have sounded in ancient times. Every word and sentence is interactive: hover or click to hear it spoken. Use the ▶ button to play an entire line.
The Opening
Σὲ καλῶ, τὸν Ἀκέφαλον, τὸν κτίσαντα γῆν καὶ οὐρανόν, τὸν κτίσαντα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, σὲ τὸν κτίσαντα φῶς καὶ σκότος. Σὺ εἶ Ὀσοροννωφρις, ὃν οὐδεὶς εἶδε πώποτε.
I call upon thee, the Headless One, who created earth and heaven, who created night and day, thee who created light and darkness. Thou art Osoronnophris, whom no one has ever seen.
Seh kah-LOH, ton ah-KEH-fah-lon, ton ktee-SAN-tah geen keh oo-rah-NON, ton ktee-SAN-tah NEEK-tah keh hay-MEH-rahn, seh ton ktee-SAN-tah fohs keh SKOH-tos. Soo ay oh-soh-ron-NOH-frees, hon oo-DEES AY-deh POH-poh-teh.
Σὺ διέκρινας τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὸ ἄδικον. Σὺ ἐποίησας θῆλυ καὶ ἄρρεν. Σὺ ἔδειξας σπορὰν καὶ καρπούς. Σὺ ἐποίησας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀλληλοφιλεῖν καὶ ἀλληλομισεῖν.
Thou didst distinguish the just and the unjust. Thou didst make female and male. Thou didst reveal seed and fruits. Thou didst make men love one another and hate one another.
Soo dee-EH-kree-nahs toh DEE-keh-on keh toh AH-dee-kon. Soo eh-POY-ay-sahs THAY-loo keh AH-ren. Soo EH-dex-ahs spoh-RAHN keh kar-POOS. Soo eh-POY-ay-sahs toos an-THROH-poos ah-lay-loh-fee-LEN keh ah-lay-loh-mee-SEN.
The Invocation of Moses
Ἐγώ εἰμι Μοϋσῆς ὁ προφήτης σου, ᾧ παρέδωκας τὰ μυστήριά σου τὰ συντελούμενα Ἰστραήλ. Σὺ ἔδειξας ὑγρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν καὶ πᾶσαν τροφήν.
I am Moses thy prophet, to whom thou didst commit thy mysteries, the celebrations of Israel. Thou didst reveal the moist and the dry and all nourishment.
Eh-GOH AY-mee moh-oo-SAYS ho proh-FAY-tays soo, oh pah-REH-doh-kahs tah moos-TAY-ree-ah soo tah soon-teh-LOO-meh-nah ees-trah-AYL. Soo EH-dex-ahs hee-GRON keh xee-RON keh PAH-sahn troh-FAN.
Ἐπάκουσόν μου!
Hearken to me!
Eh-PAH-koo-son MOO!
Ἐγώ εἰμι ἄγγελος τοῦ Φαπρω Ὀσοροννωφρις. Τοῦτό ἐστιν σοῦ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἀληθινὸν τὸ παραδιδόμενον τοῖς προφήταις Ἰστραήλ.
I am the messenger of Pharaoh Osoronnophris. This is thy true name, handed down to the prophets of Israel.
Eh-GOH AY-mee AHN-geh-los too FAH-proh oh-soh-ron-NOH-frees. TOO-toh EH-steen soo toh OH-noh-mah toh ah-lay-thee-NON toh pah-rah-dee-DOH-meh-non toys proh-FAY-tays ees-trah-AYL.
Ἐπάκουσόν μου·
Hearken to me:
Eh-PAH-koo-son moo:
Εἰσάκουσόν μου καὶ ἀποστρεψον τὸ δαιμόνιον τοῦτο.
Hear me and turn away this daimon.
Ee-SAH-koo-son moo keh ah-poh-STREP-son toh deh-MOH-nee-on TOO-toh.
The Headless Invocation
Ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, τὸν ἐν τῷ κενῷ πνεύματι δεινὸν καὶ ἀόρατον θεὸν·
I call upon thee, the terrible and invisible god dwelling in the empty wind:
Eh-pee-kah-LOO-meh seh, ton en toh keh-NOH PNEV-mah-tee deh-NON keh ah-OH-rah-ton theh-ON:
Ἅγιε Ἀκέφαλε! Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα ἀπὸ τοῦ συνέχοντος αὐτὸν δαίμονος·
Holy Headless One! Free the subject from the daimon that restrains him:
HAH-ghee-eh ah-KEH-fah-leh! ah-PAL-lax-on ton DEH-nah ah-POH too see-NEH-khon-tos af-TON DEH-moh-nos:
Ἰσχυρὲ Ἀκέφαλε! Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα ἀπὸ τοῦ συνέχοντος αὐτὸν δαίμονος·
Mighty Headless One! Free the subject from the daimon that restrains him:
Ees-khee-REH ah-KEH-fah-leh! ah-PAL-lax-on ton DEH-nah ah-POH too see-NEH-khon-tos af-TON DEH-moh-nos:
Ἀπάλλαξον τὸν δεῖνα·
Free the subject:
ah-PAL-lax-on ton DEH-nah:
Lord of the Gods
Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ κύριος τῶν θεῶν. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκουμένης. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὂν οἱ ἄνεμοι φοβοῦνται. Οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσας φωνῆς προστάγματι ἑαυτοῦ πάντα.
This is the lord of the gods. This is the lord of the inhabited world. This is he whom the winds fear. This is he who made all things by the command of his voice.
HOO-tos EH-steen ho KEE-ree-os ton theh-ON. HOO-tos EH-steen ho KEE-ree-os tees ee-koo-MEH-nays. HOO-tos EH-steen hon hoy AH-neh-moy foh-BOON-teh. HOO-tos EH-steen ho poy-AY-sahs foh-NAYS pros-TAG-mah-tee heh-af-TOO PAN-tah.
Κύριε! Βασιλεῦ! Δυνάστα! Βοηθέ! Σῶσον ψυχὴν·
Lord! King! Master! Helper! Save the soul:
KEE-ree-eh! bah-see-LEV! dee-NAH-stah! boh-ay-THEH! SOH-son psoo-KHEN:
ΕΗδη εδη, εὐαγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ·
Already, already, messenger of god:
AY-day EH-day, ev-AHN-geh-los too theh-OO:
The Self-Identification
Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Ἀκέφαλος Δαίμων, ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν ἔχων τὴν ὅρασιν, Ἰσχυρὸς, ὁ ἔχων τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἀθάνατον. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ Ἀλήθεια, ὁ μισῶν ἀδικήματα γίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἀστράπτων καὶ βροντῶν. Ἐγώ εἰμι οὗ ἐστιν ὁ ἱδρὼς ὄμβρος ἐπιπίπτων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἵνα ὀχεύῃ. Ἐγώ εἰμι οὗ τὸ στόμα καίεται δι' ὅλου. Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ γεννῶν καὶ ἀπογεννῶν. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ Χάρις τοῦ Αἰῶνος, ὄνομά μοι καρδία περιεζωσμένη ὄφιν.
I am the Headless Daimon with sight in my feet, the Mighty One who possesses the immortal fire. I am the Truth who hates that unjust deeds are done in the world. I am the one who makes lightning flash and thunder roll. I am the one whose sweat falls upon the earth as rain so that it may be inseminated. I am the one whose mouth burns completely. I am the one who begets and destroys. I am the Grace of the Aeon; my name is a heart encircled by a serpent.
Eh-GOH AY-mee ho ah-KEH-fah-los DEH-mohn, en toys poh-SEEN EH-khohn tayn HOH-rah-seen, ees-khee-ROS, ho EH-khohn toh peer toh ah-THAH-nah-ton. Eh-GOH AY-mee hay ah-LAY-theh-ah, ho mee-SOHN ah-dee-KAY-mah-tah GHEE-neh-stheh en toh KOS-moh. Eh-GOH AY-mee ho ah-STRAP-tohn keh bron-TOHN. Eh-GOH AY-mee hoo EH-steen ho hee-DROS OM-bros eh-pee-PEE-pton eh-PEE tayn geen HEE-nah oh-KHEV-ay. Eh-GOH AY-mee hoo toh STOH-mah KAY-eh-teh dee OH-loo. Eh-GOH AY-mee ho gheh-NOHN keh ah-poh-gheh-NOHN. Eh-GOH AY-mee hay KHA-rees too eh-OH-nos, OH-noh-mah moy kar-DEE-ah peh-ree-eh-zos-MEH-nay OH-feen.