Derveni Papyrus

Fragments from a grave from the cemetary of Derveni, near Thessalonika, preserved in a papyrus scroll, dating from the end of the fourth century BC.

Column VI

...prayers and sacrifices assuage the souls, and the incantation of the Magoi is able to change (or keep away) the demons when they get in the way. Demons in the way are enemies to souls. This is why the Magoi perform sacrifice, just as if they were paying a penalty. And on the offerings they pour water and milk, from which they also make libations. And they sacrifice innumerable and many-knobbed cakes, because the souls too are innumerable. Initiates [of Orphism] make preliminary sacrifices to teh Eumenides in the same way as the Magoi do. For the Eumenides are souls. For these reasons anyone who is going to sacrifice to gods first... a kin of bird... and the ... and they are... and as many as (fem. pl.)...