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.


07 August 2020

to be calm


paint-writ ship
on a wordless see 
  
  Takarabune, Ike Taiga                       collection FIAPCE  
  

JAANUS : Paintings or prints of this boat usually include a special and auspicious poem which reads the same when read backwards from the end: 

nagakiyo no/ tou no nemuri no/ mina mezame/ naminori fune no/ oto no yokikana

長き夜の/ 遠の眠りの/ 皆目覚め/ 波乗り船の/ 音のよきかな 

'Awakening from a deep sleep after a long night, 
I seem to hear the sweet sound of a boat 
sailing through the waves.'

Wikipedia : A picture of the ship forms an essential part of traditional Japanese New Year celebrations. According to custom, placing a Takarabune woodblock print beneath a pillow on the night of 2 January may induce a lucky dream – a sign that the year to come will be fortunate. In the event of an unpleasant dream, the print may be disposed of by tossing it into a river.

The custom of putting a picture under the pillow started around the Muromachi period. It was initially popular among the nobility, and spread to commoners during the later Edo period. Street vendors sold cheap woodblock prints, intended for single use.

bLOGOS/HA HA : the LOGOS/HA HA image below is from a staffer's dream of the late 1980s.
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...
  
 LOGOS/HA HA