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.
The header to this blog refers to an historian's "inner wound". 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.
Judeo-Christian mythoLOGOS/HA HA has many such breaches and wounds, each requiring identification, acceptance and application of the correct salve.
In the beginning was the Word... Historians are the trustee re-porters of the word.
Logos : the Speaking into Being of the World.
Nennius, lisps the Word : I have lispingly put together
LOGOS/HA HA
And the Word was made flesh : on the Cross, Christ the Logos is five times wounded : his hands, his feet and his side are pierced. The Five Wounds of Christ. In this depiction of the Crucifixion by Jean the Black, Jesus the Labelled - INRI - points to the wound in his side. As God is His Witness, so also two angels, mother Mary and 'brother' James.
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
A few pages forward in that volume (The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, before 1349, collection of The Met, New York), the illuminator depicts that side wound...
...aureola-like, mandorla-like (below), vulva-like too, surrounded by the Instruments of the Passion.
We are new to that wound image, so add it here to the heap as we recall also that the inside of the breach of this 1995 two panel broken-word LOGOS (below) is also painted red. From its first exhibition, the cover of the 1995 cataLOGOS/HA HA :
It is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW :
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
