bLOGOS/HA HA: Three Figures of TAR

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.

30 July 2020

Three Figures of TAR

FIAPCE cataLOGOS/HA HA (Victorian Artists Society) 1972

Sozan Genkyō (1799-1868) from Terebess :

Nanquan, Guizong, and Mayu were on their way to see

Master Nanyang.

Halfway there, Nanquan drew a circle on the ground and said,

“If you understand it, we’ll go.”
Guizong sat in the middle of the circle.
Mayu made a curtsy.
Nanquan said, “If this is so, we don’t need to go.”
Guizong said, “What makes you think so?”

Nanquan Puyuan (748-835)
Guizong Zhichang (9th c.)
Mayu Baoche (720?-?)
Nanyang Huizhong (675-775)