Subject: (urth) Chrasmological Writings - "Open Eyes"
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 11:02:49 -0600
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Andrew Bollen pondered the source of the following Chrasmological =
quotation:
"A simple way would be to admit that myth is neither irresponsible =
fantasy, nor the object of weighty psychology, or any such thing. It is =
wholly other, and requires to be looked at with open eyes."
Josh Geller first suggested:
"Could easily be 'Hamlet's Mill'."
And when speculation continued without considering his suggestion, Josh =
defiantly asserted:
"I really do think it is from 'Hamlet's Mill'. Anyone who enjoys Gene =
Wolfe's fiction owes it to themselves to read 'Hamlet's Mill'."
Well I still didn't take Josh's help for what it was worth, but while =
wandering along one of Wolfe's byways I happened to come across Georgio =
de Santillana (who co-authored 'Hamlet's Mill' with Herth von Dechend). =
"Well", thinks I, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
So I bought 'Hamlet's Mill", and thought, "Oh my, another very thick =
book to read". But I enjoyed every word and, sure enough....
****at the end of section one of the Epilogue, "The Lost Treasure", is =
the very quote.******
I must thank Josh because I probably wouldn't have elected to try this =
book without his recommendation. Aside from the beautiful merit of the =
book in its own right, I found rich veins of Wolfean source material.
For those who may not know, Shakespeare derived his Hamlet from the Dane =
Saxo Grammaticus' Latin work which included a story about the prince =
Amlethus. Santillana and Dechend argue that Amlethus is the Norse =
Amlohdi who owned "a fabled mill which in his own time ground out peace =
and plenty. Later, in decaying times, it ground out salt; and now =
finally, having landed at the bottom of the sea, it is grinding rock and =
sand, creating a vast whirlpool, the Maelstrom which is supposed to be =
the way to the land of the dead."
The "millstone" to which they refer is spinning heavens. The center of =
the Mill is the polar star.=20
Graves asserted that true poetry is mythological, that it conveys the =
hidden roots of all poetry and religion. Santillana and Dechend assert =
that true **mythology** is cosmological; that it conveys the story of =
the stars and the "great catastrophe" caused by the Precession of the =
Equinox (when the millstone became "unhinged"). This implicitly denies =
(actually they contemptuously deny it) Graves attempt to derive Greek =
mythology from ancient religio-political upheavals on the Peloponese.
From this one "great scientific marvel" of science -- the moving of the =
polar center and banishing of constellations "to the underworld", "to =
beneath the ocean", the writers have attempted to connect practically =
all the great myths: Prometheus, Vishnu, the Flood, Samson, Hercules, =
etc. etc.)
It would be impossible to describe here every insight into Wolfe's work =
that this book has provided me. However, note that as in Wolfe's Whorl, =
ancient man also saw himself in the middle of a spinning elongated =
whorl, and also that Horn build's a paper mill from which comes the =
"Book of Silk" through which, in a sense, the gods of the Heavens, =
especially Silk and the Outsider, were brought to the emmigrants.
Reading this work also begins to explain for me all the references to =
Hesphaestus, the Smith God.=20
And here is here is something for New Sun speculators attempting to nail =
down a relationship between Typhon and Severian:
"The story of the smith Kavag -- also written Kaweh, or Kawa -- is told =
by Firdausi in the book dealing with the 1000 years rule of Dahak, that =
fiendish tyrant out of whose shoulders grew two serpents that had to be =
fed with the brains of two young men every day. The predestined =
dragon-slayer and much expected savior, Faridun --- Avestan Thraethona =
-- .... had been saved from the snares of Dahak as a baby, and hidden =
away in the mountains."
On science fiction, Tolkien, and Wolfe's 'bleak" plots:
"Science fiction, when it is good, is a wholly valid attempt at =
restoring a mythical element, with its adventures and tragedies, it =
meditations on man's errors and man's fate. For true tragedy is an =
essential component or outcome of myth....Tokien's efforts at reviving =
the genre, whatever the talent employed, carry as much conviction as the =
traditional three-dollar bill."
So there ya go. Thanks again to Josh for identifying this quotation and =
putting me on to a really interesting book.=20
-- Crush
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Andrew Bollen pondered the source of =
the following=20
Chrasmological quotation:
"A simple way would be to admit that =
myth is=20
neither irresponsible fantasy, nor the object of weighty psychology, or =
any such=20
thing. It is wholly other, and requires to be looked at with open=20
eyes."
Josh Geller first =
suggested:
"Could easily be 'Hamlet's =
Mill'."
And when speculation continued without =
considering=20
his suggestion, Josh defiantly asserted:
"I really do think it is from 'Hamlet's Mill'. Anyone who enjoys =
Gene=20
Wolfe's fiction owes it to themselves to read 'Hamlet's =
Mill'."
Well I still didn't take Josh's help =
for what it=20
was worth, but while wandering along one of Wolfe's byways I =
happened to=20
come across Georgio de Santillana (who co-authored 'Hamlet's Mill' with =
Herth=20
von Dechend). "Well", thinks I, "who am I to blow against the=20
wind?"
So I bought 'Hamlet's Mill", and =
thought, "Oh my,=20
another very thick book to read". But I enjoyed every word and, sure=20
enough....
****at the end of section one of =
the Epilogue,=20
"The Lost Treasure", is the very quote.******
I must thank Josh because I probably =
wouldn't have=20
elected to try this book without his recommendation. Aside from the =
beautiful=20
merit of the book in its own right, I found rich veins of Wolfean =
source=20
material.
For those who may not know, Shakespeare =
derived his=20
Hamlet from the Dane Saxo Grammaticus' Latin work which included a story =
about=20
the prince Amlethus. Santillana and Dechend argue that =
Amlethus is the=20
Norse Amlohdi who owned "a fabled mill which in his own time =
ground=20
out peace and plenty. Later, in decaying times, it ground out salt; and =
now=20
finally, having landed at the bottom of the sea, it is grinding rock and =
sand,=20
creating a vast whirlpool, the Maelstrom which is supposed to be the way =
to the=20
land of the dead."
The "millstone" to which they refer=20
is spinning heavens. The center of the Mill is the polar=20
star.
Graves asserted that true poetry=20
is mythological, that it conveys the hidden roots of all poetry and =
religion. Santillana and Dechend assert that true **mythology** is =
cosmological;=20
that it conveys the story of the stars and the "great catastrophe" =
caused by the=20
Precession of the Equinox (when the millstone became "unhinged"). This=20
implicitly denies (actually they contemptuously deny it) Graves =
attempt to=20
derive Greek mythology from ancient religio-political upheavals on the=20
Peloponese.
From this one "great scientific marvel" =
of science=20
-- the moving of the polar center and banishing of constellations "to =
the=20
underworld", "to beneath the ocean", the writers have =
attempted to=20
connect practically all the great myths: Prometheus, Vishnu, the Flood, =
Samson,=20
Hercules, etc. etc.)
It would be impossible to describe here =
every=20
insight into Wolfe's work that this book has provided me. However, =
note that as in Wolfe's Whorl, ancient man =
also saw=20
himself in the middle of a spinning elongated whorl, and also =
that Horn=20
build's a paper mill from which comes the "Book of Silk" through which, =
in a=20
sense, the gods of the Heavens, especially Silk and the Outsider, =
were=20
brought to the emmigrants.
Reading this work also begins =
to explain for=20
me all the references to Hesphaestus, the Smith God.
And here is here is something for =
New Sun=20
speculators attempting to nail down a relationship between =
Typhon and=20
Severian:
"The story of the smith Kavag -- also =
written=20
Kaweh, or Kawa -- is told by Firdausi in the book dealing with the 1000 =
years=20
rule of Dahak, that fiendish tyrant out of whose shoulders grew two =
serpents=20
that had to be fed with the brains of two young men every day. The =
predestined=20
dragon-slayer and much expected savior, Faridun --- Avestan Thraethona =
-- ....=20
had been saved from the snares of Dahak as a baby, and hidden away in =
the=20
mountains."
On science fiction, =
Tolkien, and Wolfe's=20
'bleak" plots:
"Science fiction, when it is good, is a =
wholly=20
valid attempt at restoring a mythical element, with its adventures and=20
tragedies, it meditations on man's errors and man's fate. For true =
tragedy is an=20
essential component or outcome of myth....Tokien's efforts at reviving =
the=20
genre, whatever the talent employed, carry as much conviction as the =
traditional=20
three-dollar bill."
So there ya go. Thanks again to Josh =
for=20
identifying this quotation and putting me on to a really interesting =
book.=20
-- Crush
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