David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :
'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)
(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.
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bL spent a week at Varanasi in 1998. Arrived after dark, found a room not far from the Ganges. Next morning first thing took a ride in a low row boat. Solicited to do so, placed a lighted candle on that holy water and watched it drift in the great river spirit of India as pink dolphins gently rose and rolled, in and out and all around. Did not sight these beings again but have never forgotten that welcome.
After last night's dream of watching and wondering from a low grassy bank as a .../dolphin/porpose/shark/whale/... its dorsal fin cutting the air as it circled so near in the crystal clear water... this poster from
Spike Press.
