FOR PART ONE, ITS TIES TO ORPHISM AND ITS DIFFERENCES TO THE MAINSTREAM MYTH OF THE ARGONAUTS CLICK HERE. FOR PART TWO CLICK HERE.
With the Titaness Rhea placated by the funerary rites, libations and games that the Argonauts dedicated to her slain son Kyzikos, our heroes resumed their Quest for the Golden Fleece.
Reaching the Rhyndacus River in what is now southwest Turkey Jason, Orpheus and the other Argonauts paused to gather fresh water and hunt to replenish their food supplies. Herakles went hunting with his male lover Hylas and the pair got separated.
Hylas, while trying to find Herakles, encountered the Rhyndacides, nymph daughters of the river god Rhyndacus and the mountain goddess Didymos. The Rhyndacides were so awestruck by Hylas’ physical perfection that they detained him indefinitely. Continue reading
### After the Argonauts had feasted, they proceeded to the Argo and tried pulling it to the sea for launching. It was snagged on dry seaweed and refused to go further, so the Argonauts began losing their resolve. Remember, this is an Orpheus-centric version of the Quest for the Golden Fleece, so this wimpy loss of resolve was just an excuse for another Orphic lesson. 
It’s been years since I’ve written about the Orphic variations of mainstream Greco-Roman mythology. For anyone who is not familiar with the Orphic Hymns, Zagreus, etc. these fascinating offshoots of the myths we all grew up with feature a variety of differences.This version of the tale of Jason and the Argonauts won’t always match the more popular rendition. 
THE ORPHIC ARGONAUTICA – To avoid being too boring I will omit all the arguments about the exact time period in which this variation on the epic was first written. At any rate, as the “Orphic” part of these writings would indicate, this look at the Quest for the Golden Fleece is told from the point of view of Orpheus the musician, poet and keeper of the Mysteries. 
Our famous lyre-player Orpheus is approached in his cave at Thrace by the hero Jason. The hero tells Orpheus how he has gathered a crew that will take to sea in the Argo, the first vessel built specifically for ocean voyages. NOTE: Yes, the Orphic Argonautica depicts the Argo as the first ship ever built for a long-range journey. Various allegorical meanings are read into this, but I’ll spare you the details. 
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