|
William Blake's Mythology
The prophetic books of the English poet and artist William Blake contain an invented mythology, in which Blake worked to encode his spiritual and political ideas into a prophecy for a new age. This desire to recreate the cosmos is the heart of his work and his psychology. His myths often described the struggle between enlightenment and free love on the one hand, and restrictive education and morals on the other. Sources Among Blake's inspirations were John Milton's ''Paradise Lost'' and ''Paradise Regained'', the visions of Emanuel Swedenborg and the near-cabalistic writings of Jakob Böhme. Blake also included his own interpretations of druidism and paganism. The Fall of Albion The longest elaboration of this private myth-cycle was also his longest poem, '' The Four Zoas: The Death and Judgment of Albion The Ancient Man'', written in the late 1790s but left in manuscript form at the time of his death. In this work, Blake traces the fall of Albion, who was "originally fourfold b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Blake's Prophetic Books
The prophetic books of the 18th-century English poet and artist William Blake are a series of lengthy, interrelated poetic works drawing upon Blake's own personal mythology. They have been described as forming "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". While Blake worked as a commercial illustrator, these books were ones that he produced, with his own engravings, as an extended and largely private project. Overview In these works, concluding with the epic ''Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion'', he elaborated a personal invented mythology (mythopoeia). The mythopoeia is largely Biblical in inspiration; apart from that, it has been extensively debated for both its political and religious content. While ''The French Revolution'' from 1791 is not illustrated and is usually excluded from the list of prophetic books, David V. Erdman contends that the separation of this work from the corpus removes a key to the symbolism used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerusalem The Emanation Of The Giant Albion
''Jerusalem'', subtitled ''The Emanation of the Giant Albion'' (1804–1820, with additions made even later), is the last, longest and greatest in scope of the prophetic books written and illustrated by the English poet, artist and engraver William Blake. Etched in handwriting, accompanied by small sketches, marginal figures and huge full-plate illustrations, it has been described as "visionary theatre". The poet himself believed it was his masterpiece and it has been said that "of all Blake's illuminated epics, this is by far the most public and accessible". Nonetheless, only six copies were printed in Blake's lifetime and the book, like all of Blake's prophetic works, was all but ignored by his contemporaries. The lyric to the famous hymn ''Jerusalem'' (text also by Blake, with music by Sir Hubert Parry) is not connected to this poem. It is in fact taken from the preface to another of Blake's "prophetic books", ''Milton''. Production technique The poem, which was produced be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rintrah
Rintrah is a character in William Blake's mythology, representing the just wrath of the prophet. Rintrah first appears in ''The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'': "Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in the burdened air" shows him personifying revolutionary wrath. He is later grouped together with other spirits of rebellion in ''The Vision of the Daughters of Albion''. Rintrah is the brother of Palamabron (pity), Bromion (scientific thought), and Theotormon (desire/jealousy), represented together as either the Sons of Los or of Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i .... References William Blake's mythology {{Poetry-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Los (Blake)
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Los is the fallen (earthly or human) form of Urthona, one of the four Zoas. He is referred to as the "eternal prophet" and creates the visionary city of Golgonooza. Los is regularly described as a smith, beating with his hammer on a forge, which is metaphorically connected to the beating of the human heart. The bellows of his forge are the human lungs. Los's emanation, Enitharmon, represents spiritual beauty and embodies pity, but at the same time creates the spatial aspect of the fallen world, weaving bodies for men and creating sexual strife through her insistence upon chastity. In the ''Book of Urizen'' (1794), Los and Enitharmon have a child, Orc, who is the embodiment of the spirit of revolution. The name ''Los'' is, by common critical acceptance, an anagram of '' Sol'', the Latin word for "sun". ''Los'' is also the plural form of ''El'', an ancient Hebrew deity. Such innovations are common in many of Blake's prophetic poems. B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enitharmon
Enitharmon is a major female character in William Blake's mythology, playing a main part in some of his prophetic books. She is, but not directly, an aspect of the male Urthona, one of the Four Zoas. She is in fact the Emanation of Los, also male. There is a complex verbal nexus attached. The Zoa Tharmas has emanation Enion, and Eni-tharm(as)-on is one derivation of her name. That should perhaps be read in the inverse direction though, as a construction of the Tharmas/Enion pair's names. Within Blake's myth, she represents female domination and sexual restraints that limit the artistic imagination. She, with Los, gives birth to various children, including Orc. Background It is possible that the character Enitharmon was based on Blake's wife, Catherine Blake. In a letter from Blake to his friend Thomas Butts, Jr. on 22 November 1802, he claimed that his place at Surrey had "Enitharmon's bower". S. Foster Damon explained the name Enitharmon as a derivation or an elision of (z)enit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vala (Blake)
Vala or VALA may refer to: Religion and mythology * Vala (Vedic), a demon or a stone cavern in the Hindu scriptures * Völva, also spelled Vala, a priestess in Norse mythology and Norse paganism Fiction * Vala (Middle-earth), an angelic being in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction * Vala Mal Doran, a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series ''Stargate SG-1'' * Vala (Blake), a character in the mythological writings of William Blake * ''Vala, or The Four Zoas'', a poem by Blake People * Vala (clan), a Rajput clan found in Gujarat in India Surname * Aleš Vála (born 1973), a Czech ice hockey player * Asad Vala (born 1987), a Papua New Guinean cricketer * Jessie Rose Vala (born 1977), an American artist * Jorge Vala (born 1984), a Portuguese academic * Katri Vala (1901–1944), a Finnish poet * Lobat Vala (born 1930), an Iranian poet and activist * Numonius Vala, a Roman family name, or any of the men of that name * Vajubhai Vala, an Indian politician Given name * V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ahania
Ahania is the Emanation, or female counterpart, of Urizen, Zoas of reason, in William Blake's mythology. She is the representation of pleasure and the desire for intelligence. Although Urizen casts her out as being the manifestation of sin, she is actually an essential component in Blake's system to achieving Divine Wisdom. She is a figure of the goddess of wisdom. It is through her that the sons and daughters of Urizen are born. In the original myth, her son Fuzon rebels against his father and is responsible for separating Urizen and Ahania. In his later version, Ahania is separated from Urizen after he believes that she is sinful. Character Ahania represents pleasure and is connected to the Zoas Urizen, who represents reason. They are divided because Urizen is unable to understand the necessity of pleasure for the mind. In Blake's early myth, Ahania and Urizen are united until their son Fuzon separates the two by cutting his father's loins apart. She is labeled as Sin by Urizen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enion
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Enion is an Emanation/mate of Tharmas, one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. She represents sexuality and sexual urges while Tharmas represents sensation. In her fallen aspect, she is a wailing woman that is filled with jealousy. After the Final Judgment, she is reunited with Tharmas and able to experience an idealised sexual union. Character Enion is an Emanation, a female essence that is part of one of the divine Four Zoas. She is connected to Tharmas, who is the western and water based Zoas. He is connected to the senses and to the body, and her aspect is sexual desire. It is possible that her name comes from letters used in Enitharmon's name, with Tharmas being the middle portion of the name and hers representing the rest. Tharmas represents a unity within the spirit, and, when Enion is separated from him, she becomes the image of the earth mother. Enion has the power to genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urthona
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Urthona is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. Specifically, he is the Zoa of inspiration and creativity, and he is a blacksmith god. His female counterpart is Enitharmon. Urthona usually appears in his "fallen" form, that of Los. Character Urthona (likely intended to imply "earth owner") is one of the Four Zoas and represents both the north and imagination within the individual. He is aligned with the Christian Trinity in the aspect of the Holy Ghost and is opposed to Urizen, the Zoa of reason. He is the last to be created, and his corresponding element is Earth. In his eternal form, he is portrayed as a blacksmith, working in his forge in Golgonooza. In terms of senses, he is represented by the ear, in terms of art he is represented by poetry, and in his fallen form, his profession is religion. He and Luvah are the guardians of the gates of heaven. Unlike the other Zoas, he d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orc (Blake)
Orc is a proper name for one of the characters in the complex mythology of William Blake. A fallen figure, Orc is the embodiment of rebellion, and stands opposed to Urizen, the embodiment of tradition. In Blake's illuminated book ''America a Prophecy'', Orc is described by his mythic opponent, "Albion's Angel" as the "Lover of Wild Rebellion, and transgressor of God's Law". He symbolizes the spirit of rebellion and freedom, which provoked the French Revolution. Background The name Orc is possibly an anagram of the word ''cor'' (heart), in that he was stated in Blake's myth to be born of Enitharmon's heart, or ''orca'' (whale) because he sometimes takes the form of a whale. Orcus is also the Latin word for Hell, and Orc is presented as a rebellious, Luciferian character. He was created to serve as Blake's analysis of the revolutions in the United States and France. Character In Blake's myth, Orc is seen as the first child of Los with Enitharmon and sometimes either replaced in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luvah
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Luvah is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents love, passion, and rebellious energy. His Emanation (female counterpart) is Vala; his fallen form is Orc. Throughout Blake's mythological system, he is opposed to Urizen, the representation of reason. He is also connected to Jesus, who takes upon his form as the being of love after Luvah falls and turns to a being of hate. Character Luvah represents a generative aspect that is connected to experience. In Blake's system, Luvah, the third Zoa, represents emotion as the Prince of Love, and his name may be connected to the word "lover". Love is the supreme emotion, and it is connected to all others, including hate. Luvah is connected to the heart. He is connected to Jesus, and the Incarnation is the result of Luvah transforming into hate; Jesus replaced Luvah's physical form after Luvah descended from his position. As such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Demiurge
In the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the demiurge () is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. The Gnostics adopted the term ''demiurge''. Although a fashioner, the demiurge is not necessarily the same as the Creator figure in the monotheistic sense, because the demiurge itself and the material from which the demiurge fashions the universe are both considered consequences of something else. Depending on the system, they may be considered either uncreated and eternal or the product of some other entity. The word ''demiurge'' is an English word derived from ''demiurgus'', a Latinised form of the Greek or . It was originally a common noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan", but gradually came to mean "producer", and eventually "creator". The philosophical usage and the proper noun derive from Plato's ''Timaeus'', written 360 BC, where the demiurge is presented as the crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
