Charles Moyer wrote:
>>
[In Pound . . . ] there is a
recognition mostly through reading Western literature that there is a very
large and ancient pantheon of gods and goddesses in addition to Yaweh and
Christ systems by the way not monotheistic but henotheistic. "The gods have
never left us" he wrote though he was very aware of the history and would
have known in an instant what Pope Gregory"the great" 601 A.D. meant when he
instructed "If these temples are well built, it is requisite that they be
converted from the worship of devils to the service of the true God,..."This
is the proselytizing Which goes on ti this day. The results sometimes are
not pretty as in China when one convert dreams that he goes to heaven and
sits by the throne of the Almighty, is told that he is the brother of Christ
etc. etc. >>
Let's examine this statement very carefully. When you say,
<<His, however, is a
recognition mostly through reading Western literature that there is a very
large and ancient pantheon of gods and goddesses in addition to Yaweh and
Christ systems by the way not monotheistic but henotheistic. >>
what do you mean? Pound may very well be a henotheist. In fact, I believe
he is. But I am not aware that Greek mythology (at least as expressed in
Hesiod and Homer) is henotheistic. Which brings me to this question, if
Pound is a henotheist, where did he get such an approach? Of course there
must be something in Greco-Roman pagan traditons which support henotheism.
Perhaps some of the neo-Platonists were henotheists; but I would think they
look at the gods in a somewhat symbolic fashion. I tend to think of
henotheism in an anthropological sense.
Maybe when you use the word henotheism you mean it to believe "belief in the
existence of one god without denying the existence of others." In India
there is another kind of Henotheism: the worship of one member of a pantheon
as if he were identical with the SUPREME GOD of creation. An Indian will
often worship Shiva on one occasion as the LORD SUPREME, and worship Devi on
another occasion as an omnipotent, omnisicient Creatrix. In the Indian mind
these Gods are often BOTH supreme, both omnipotent, both causeless and prior
to all things. They are only worshipped one at a time. (In the mind of the
Hindu theologian these beings are manifestations of ONE SUPREME ABOSOLUTE,
but the more traditional philosophy attributes to them reality and
independence, and the ordinary worshipper conceives them this way as well).
I think Pound was possibly a henotheist in both the sense you mean, and in
the sense I describe here. Thus when he prays to Helios, he is praying to a
FATHER - like God, who can bring him light.
"Out of dark, thou,
Father Helios, leadest,/
but the mind as Ixion, unstill, ever turning" (790/113).
When he prays to Zeus in the Cantos, he seems to be praying an absolute
God, (Father of all). What is your take on this.
Note the final lines in greek, Canto 71 are from the
Hymn of Cleanthes, part of Adam's paideuma: Glorious
deathless of many names, Zeus, aye ruling all things,
founder of the inborn qualities of nature, by laws
piloting all things
(52/256).
Also: Canto 100.
Chaire ! O Dione ! Chaire ! [Hail ! Dione !
pure Light, we beseech thee Hail!]
Crystal, we beseech thee
Clarity, we beseech thee
(100/799).
Is this henotheism (in your sense , or mine, or both) or is it plain old
paganism, or neo-platonic symbolism?
Regards,
Wei
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
|
