Rabelais
-
This being one of the more intelligent forums devoted to the study of Thelema and Magick, I am surprised that there has been no serious discussion of this erudite and truly epic author. Well, let the dialogue begin!
In my attempt to understand fully the many nods and references in Crowley's works, particularly the Book of the Law, I of course stumbled upon the highly original works of Rabelais, in the pages of which it is fairly safe to assume Crowley came across the concept of "Thelema" for the first time.
For those of you who haven't delved into this incredibly talented author's work, I advise you to read the tale of Gargantua, which is a bawdy satire in epic form which recounts the deeds of a giant named, oddly enough, Gargantua. The prose is lighthearted but solid, and the work is a prime example of esoteric learning mixed in with entertaining (and often downright smutty) material. I am currently halfway through the fourth of Rabelais' books on Gargantua and his son, Pantagruel, and I notice that the works progress in esoteric content as the tale winds on. The last and fifth book recounts Pantagruel's quest for the Oracle of the Bottle, and ends in an allegorical sequence in which the protagonist is given the oracle "TRINC," which word I recognize from Crowley's works.
It should be obvious to anyone who reads these books for a few minutes how much of their content and flavor has seeped into Crowley's own highly original works. For those who haven't read them, I can assure you that they are rewarding as both easy reading and serious study (I like to combine both). For those who have read these books I invite you to share your thoughts and particularly to share how Crowley incorporated these works into his own writings.
I raise my glass to all true Pantagruelists!
-
Truly to weird to not mention....
In my book handling this week, I came across a copy of this author....it was written in French though. I really didn't catch the significance of the author or title. I dont read French. I put it into a box of titles I needed to search for prices on. I will dig it out tomorrow and check it out thoroughly. I like to try to read books in foreign languages, mostly been reading German because it is so vastly different the any of the Latin derived languages.
I do like bawdy and smutty!
Are you reading a specific translation? I have been told that with some works some translations just suck, while others are true to the original. This seems Espicially true when the works are in verse, like the Bhagavad vita.
I wish I could contribute more to the conversation, but alas I haven't read it yet. -
@Angel of Death said
"Are you reading a specific translation? I have been told that with some works some translations just suck, while others are true to the original."
I am reading the Burton Raffel translation which also has an informative introduction, believe it or not. As a student of French literature I can say that Mr. Raffel has done an excellent job translating this notoriously difficult author. It is quite true to form and cuts no corners where "dirty words" are concerned (I really hate when translators do that.)
On the bawdy and smutty note, I like how Rabelais, also like Crowley, explores the full spectrum of the human experience. For instance Rabelais includes a satirical list of books that Gargantua reads when he is a child, and the list is almost entirely in Latin (with included translations)--and the whole thing is a hilarious, crude, and at the same time erudite satire on the whole of learning at the time. My favorite title is "How Virgins Shit." Epic. I wish somebody read this to me when I was a child.
Needless to say I am brushing up on my Latin.
-
It is worth considering some of Rabelias' inspiration via the Benedictine Abbey of Maillezais, beautiful, and full of incredible, and symbolic stone carvings and statues ( the giant is amazing). Behind the building is the legend of the Melusine, whose magick erected the Abbey for Guy de Lusignan (mentioned above by another poster)--and also serves as informative commentary on themes including love, as a love story is the background. She is a water-sprite, and assimilated with figures such as "Lady of the Lake", and her role in Avalon. So, an "esoteric Rabelianism" has in its character not just a Medieval nature--but something also distinctly of the Northern and Celtic tradition. Josephine Peladan elaborates on the "corporate", thus guild (and therefore operative grade system) symbolism in Rabelais, and of course interprets matters esoterically. And, although I lack the resource at the moment, I've heard it that Rabelias contains a type of cypher and gematria of its own (or some unique) internal correspondences (perhaps even Liber Al's prophecy concerns this). Now, not to say these are all and the only esoteric interpretations of Rabelais--but to indicate just how much is wrapped up in his "system" itself--Thelema then ends up absorbing something of Rabelaism--profound as it is in itself--while including and being much more.
-
@Mercvrivs said
"It is worth considering some of Rabelias' inspiration via the Benedictine Abbey of Maillezais, beautiful, and full of incredible, and symbolic stone carvings and statues ( the giant is amazing). Behind the building is the legend of the Melusine, whose magick erected the Abbey for Guy de Lusignan (mentioned above by another poster)--and also serves as informative commentary on themes including love, as a love story is the background. She is a water-sprite, and assimilated with figures such as "Lady of the Lake", and her role in Avalon. So, an "esoteric Rabelianism" has in its character not just a Medieval nature--but something also distinctly of the Northern and Celtic tradition. Josephine Peladan elaborates on the "corporate", thus guild (and therefore operative grade system) symbolism in Rabelais, and of course interprets matters esoterically. And, although I lack the resource at the moment, I've heard it that Rabelias contains a type of cypher and gematria of its own (or some unique) internal correspondences (perhaps even Liber Al's prophecy concerns this). Now, not to say these are all and the only esoteric interpretations of Rabelais--but to indicate just how much is wrapped up in his "system" itself--Thelema then ends up absorbing something of Rabelaism--profound as it is in itself--while including and being much more."
Indeed, indeed! Like Crowley, Rabelais had a way of disguising esoteric truths behind seemingly meaningless or obscene material. For instance Panurge would list a description of the various types of balls (testicles) that would go on for a number of pages. While funny in and of itself, it became obvious to me that there was something going on under the surface. I realized after contemplation that the adjectives used to describe the balls were in fact a system, each subsequent adjective representing the exact opposite of the adjective before. Thus Rabelais was using the technique of the union of opposites that Crowley was always harping about (no thing is true without containing its opposite, etc.)
The Abbey of Thelema described by Rabelais is much like the cryptic description of the Palace in Liber AL. What is interesting is that when I first started studying Thelema, and before I knew of Rabelais, I had a dream in which I saw the exact Abbey as described by Rabelais.
I just finished all five books on a road trip to Alaska. At the end of the last book they enter the Temple of Bacchus, and there is a lengthy esoteric description of the Temple itself which contains all manner of Qabalistic hints and information. When Panurge receives the Oracle of the Holy Bottle ("TRINC"), the Priestess also gives a Qabalistic interpretation of the Oracle. There's a great deal of occult ("hidden") material in the books, and also I might mention that the title page for the books states Rabelais as the "Extractor of the Fifth, or Celestial Essence." So it's obvious that somebody was reading their Agrippa.
)