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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Theatre of the Actors of Regard
presents
The Bishop and the GrailOpening act :
I, a bishop, do behold this Grail
Closing act :
I, a bishop, do destroy this Grail
(exeunt)
To read THE AGE review of this recent Ballarat performance
"Departing bishop takes hammer to bitter chalice"click here In the review, the bishop is quoted as using various metaphors. We would add to the heap, again, this favorite 1585 image by
Tomasso Laureti Siciliano :
The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism
Go (dis)figure!
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
