* I have been given a small lesson on the magnitude of this insane project I started. It took me a week to comprehend this page.
Well, I have read this page a couple time. It is dense.
Ok, here we go.
Haines, had just, I would call it, confronted Stephen and asked about whether he believed in a "personal god". I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I'm not sure I understand what he means by that.
Google time. By the way, maybe I should let it go, but I just want to make said here and now. This is not school paper, I'm not interested in citing source and all that. Obviously, the things I say here are coming with my own flavor and viewpoints. So, you know, if it bothers you and you still feel compelled for some insane reason to follow along, I invite you, to go behind me and cite and quote everything you feel I have gotten wrong and, I guess, make your own blog. Either way I wish you the best.
Google time! A Personal God, this is interesting and never though about this being an aspect of it. Ok, let's split the whole entire world up in to two teams. Team Theism and Team Atheism, of course there's there's some grey area, and some dude, screaming about agnostic blah blah. You guys just jump in on Team Theism,
Now, Team Atheism, go over their, and argue about something. I'll hang out with you guys later.
Team Theism, Let's rap. All of us have an idea of what God is. Some of us look at our dripping wet universe ball, and say, "Ok, If were dead set on having a God, well here it is. Everything I can and can not possibly comprehend. I call it God. Problem solved, let's get some food."
But, heck, it ain't that easy, especially for folks like me that have been growing up in the Christian game, we have given God a body and a face. They say God, created everybody in his image, just look at Jesus, he was/is literally god/god's son/god in three parts/ etc.
Well, that's what a personal god is. Not like a Booket personal pan, that you don't have to share, But a big beard, big hands type of God person.
I've been tossing Christians around, but actually most religions view their deity as a personal god. In the Koran, he speaks in first person. Hindus have an ultimate nature of god. They have a thing thing called a Vishnu Sahasranama, that says a person of "Vishnu" is both the supreme soul and the supreme god. there is also a thing called a Rudram that says the same thing about Shiva.
Now, Jews have a whole different bag of beans, they don't look at their god as a personal god, but their bible mentions things like the "Hand of God". Jewish folk just call these figures of speech and God is just making his, I dunno, "Everythingness" or "ĉieco" something dumber for humans to understand.
Stephen and Haines continue to walk
Haines gives Stephen a cigarette
Time is spent talking about lighting a cigarette
Haines does not believe in a personal god.
Haines: "You don't stand for that, I suppose?"
Stephen comes back "you behold in me, with a grim displeasure, a horrible example of free though.
You behold in me a horrible example of free though, that is tripping me up.
"You behold in me"
You see inside of me.
"A horrible example", Horrible, to me, can mean two things.
an extremely inadequate example,
or
a terrible and disgusting example
"of free thought"
of free though.
1. Stephen says "you see inside of me an extremely inadequate example of free thought
or
2. Stephen says "You see inside of me a terrible and example of free thought
or
3. Stephen says, "You look at me and come to think that I have insufficent means of coming up with my own personal thoughts and ideas."
or
4. Stephen Says, "You look at me and come to think that my own personal thoughts and ideas, are terrible and disgusting"
I'm going with option 3
"He walked on, waiting to be spoken to, trailing his ashplant by his side, Its ferrule followed lightly on the path, squealing at his heels. My Familiar, after me, calling me, Steeeeeeeeeeeeephen! A wavering line along the path. They will walk on it tonight, coming here in the dark, he wants that key, It is mine. I paid the rent. Now I eat his saltbread. Give him the key too. All. He will ask for it. That was in his eyes.
As they keep walking, Stephen drags his walking stick, switches to first person, and imagines it as a pet or a "familiar" that speaks to him, Maybe Stephens flirting with a little blashamey himself, Now he is the pagan witch?
The stick is making is dragging a line in the sand as they walk. Later on that night they are going to follow that line back to their tower where Stephen anticipates that Haines will try to take key from him.
"Now I eat his salt bread". In short, He means that he is forced to eat food that he's not accustomed to. This appears to be a reference to Dante's Divine Comedy. In particular the part of it when he goes to heaven. You see, at some point in time, Dante, finds himself in heaven, and he runs in to his grandfather from several past generations named Cacciaguida degli Elisei, who fortells his future. dude says, In rhyming Italian-
"Tu lascerai ogne cosa diletta
più caramente; e questo è quello strale
che l'arco de lo essilio pria saetta
Tu proveras sì come sa di sale
lo pane altrui, e come è duro calle
lo scendere e'l salir per l' altrui scale"
This translates into nonrhyming English,-
"Thou shalt leave each thing beloved most dearly; this is the frist shaft shot from the bow of exile. Thou shalt prove how salt the savour is of other's bread; how hard the passage , to descend and climb by other's stairs."
So, it seems to me, Stephen thinks that Haines has taken some type of control and now has home field advantage, is forced to eat the food of another land he is not familiar with.
This reminds me of the Dune series, a big, I dunno if I would call it a theme, a big thing about these books, is the dialogue. Characters, would talk to each other, but there would be mountains of subtext coded in to the words that only the ones trained in it would be able to figure out. It made those books so much fun, and it's also a reason, I think, a faithful movie adaptation would be very difficult to make. Man I loved those books.
Stephen and Haines are walking and talking. Haines say's to Stephen, in regards to their views of metaphysics, that he would think Stephen is able to free himself. He is his own master.
Stephen rebukes "I am a servant of two masters, an English and an Italian. Then corrects himself, he is a servant to three masters: The British Empire (English), the holy Roman catholic (Italian) and the third being the Apostolic church (who wants him for odd jobs.)
What is the Apostolic Church? Well, I will tell you. It is a Christian and Pentecostal movement that started in the UK from a movement called the Welsh Revival. It grew like weeds and now it has a solid following in Nigeria. They call it "Apostolic" because of that is the name of roles in their church government, and they want emulate the practices and government of the first century of Christianity.
So everywhere where he goes, he has to lick someones shoes.
But here, we have an answer to the question that has been eating us alive. Where is Haines from?
"I quite understand that, he said calmly. An Irishman must think like that, I daresay. We feel in England that we have treated you rather unfairly, It seems history is to blame."
that..... mmmmm... yeah... not a fan of this guy...
Also, he is British.
Settle in. Confusion is up ahead.
"The proud potent titles clanged over Stephen's memory the triumph of their brazen bells: et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam: the slow growth and change in rite and dogma like his own rare thoughts, a chemistry of stars.
"The proud potent titles" Titles can mean a lot of things. you know most of them I am sure, but there is another kind that isn't so well known. Titles are also parishes in Rome that are ran by bishops.
it goes on...
Symbol of the apostles in the mass for pope Marcellus, The voices blended, singing alone loud in affirmation: and behind their chant the vigilant angel of the church militant disarmed and menaced her heresiarchs. A horde of heresies fleeing with the mitres awry: Photius and the brood of mocker of whom Mulligan was one, and Arius, Warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and Valentine, Spurning Christ's terrene body, and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the Father was Himself His own Son. Words Mulligan had spoken a moment since the mockery of the stranger. Idle mockery. The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind: a Menace, a disarming and a worsting from those embattled angels of the church, Michael's host, who defend her ever in the hour of conflict with their lances and their shields.
Good grief.
I have absolutely no idea what I have just read.
Let's break it down. First Haines gives a back handed comment about, the unfortunate relationship between their two lands. At that point, Stephens mind goes to his memories of hearing mass, specifically remembering the Nicene Creed. Specifically the part that translates to "and one Catholic and Apostolic Church"
1. "Symbol of the apostles in the mass for pope Marcellus, the voices blending, singing alone loud in affirmation:"
or
A picture of church goers singing an old song written for pope Macellus II
2. (affirmation:) "and behind their chant the vigilant angel of the church militant disarmed and menaced her heresiarchs"
or
while the people at church are singing the pretty old song, there is an angel, or maybe a statue of an angle, that is watching over her church, and is ready to defeat the leaders of heretics.
3."A horde of Heresies fleeing with mitres awry:
or
A large group of people who disagree with the catholic church, running away with their fancy hats a barely staying on their heads.
or
A large group hypocrites, priests and bishops, who lie about being faithful to the catholic church
4. (mitres awry:) Photius and the brood of mockers of whom Mulligan was one,
or
(mitres awry:) Saint Photios the Great, Buck Mulligan and many others who didn't take their religion seriously.
5. "and Arius warring his life long upon the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father"
or
and Arius making it his life's work to to convince everyone that God the Father was more important than God the Son.
or maybe..
and Aries the god of war (warring), spending his life fighting the idea of a monotheistic god?
Just a thought.
6. "and Valentine, spurning Christ's terrene body,"
or, this might be a stretch...
And St Valentin rejecting that Jesus was of the world, not spiritual in nature.
7. "and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the Father was Himself His own Son.."
or
and Sabellius, who was probably from North Africa, said that the idea of the trinity was completely bogus.
but it was written by James Joyce, in way to confuse me with his mess of Fathers and Sons.
8. Words Mulligan had spoken a moment since in mockery to the stranger. Idle mockery.
or
The same kind of words Mulligan had used to subtly insult the milk lady. Subtle Mockery
9. The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind:
or maybe
Death surely awaits all of those that fabricate stories from thin air.
10. (wind:) a menace, a disarming and worsting from those embattled angels of the church,
or
(wind:) a danger, a disarming and a defeat from those angels of the church prepared for war,
11. Michael's host, who defend her ever in the hour of conflict with their lances and shields
or
Michael's army who will forever defend the church at anytime with there weapons and shields
*The end of this intense paragraph ends with a little twist of a prayer, reminiscent of the ending of the Hail Mary:
"Ever in the hour of conflict"
"and at the hour of death."
Woof, now let us put it all together. Here's the original again:
The proud potent titles clanged over Stephen's memory the triumph of their brazen bell: et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam: the slow growth and change of rite and dogma like his own rare thoughts, a chemistry of stars. Symbol of the apostles in the mass for pope Marcellus, The voices blended, singing alone loud in affirmation: and behind their chant the vigilant angel of the church militant disarmed and menaced her heresiarchs. A horde of heresies fleeing with the mitres awry: Photius and the brood of mockers of whom Mulligan was one, and Arius, warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and Valentine, spurning Christ's terrene body, and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the Father was Himself His own Son. Words Mulligan had spoken a moment since the mockery of the stranger. Idle mockery. The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind: a Menace, a disarming and a worsting from those embattled angels of the church, Michael's host, who defend her ever in the hour of conflict with their lances and their shields.
or
A memory of the Roman parishes that were ran by bishops, took over Stephen as a particular quote from the Nicene Creed came to him: " ... and one Catholic and Apostolic Church" and the slow changes that both that prayer and church has made over time just like his own thoughts. He then remembered masses that consisted of only a choir that sang a song that was once written for Pope Macellus: while the people at church are singing the pretty old song, there was an angel, maybe a statue of an angel, that was watching over her church, and was ready to defeat the leaders of heretics. A large group of people who disagree with or lie about being faithful to the catholic church, running away with their fancy hats barely staying on their heads, and Arius making it his life's work to to convince everyone that God the Father was more important than the God the Son. And possibly St Valentine rejecting the notion that Jesus was only human and not spiritual in nature. and Sabellius, who was probably from North Africa, said that the idea of the holy trinity was completely bogus. These were the same kinds of words Mulligan had used to subtly insult the milk lady. Subtle mockery. Death surely awaits all of those that fabricate stories from thin air. A danger, a disarming and a defeat from those angels of the church prepared for war, Michael's army who will forever defend the church at anytime with their weapons and shields.
Haines continues with his preamble. Makes an awkward comment that I sadly suppose was common place at the time. "I don't want my country fall into the hands of the German Jews either. That's our national problem, I'm afraid, just now."
Abruptly, camera cuts to two men standing on a cliff, speaking to each other. A businessman and a boatman. The business man says "She's making for Bullock harbor". The boatman agrees and says "There's five fathoms out there, It'll be swept up that way when the tide comes in about one. It's nine days today."
When read I Fathoms, my mind goes to phantoms, which would also be fitting.
I believe they are talking about a man that drowned out there nine days ago,
They see a sail boat, looking for a his corpse.
The page ends with us being brought back to Stephen and Haines, meeting Buck Mulligan, and a young man, clung to a rock, I think he might be dead.
Glossary
Behold- to see and/or observe something, especially something extraordinary
Vigilant - keeping a careful eye for dangerous situations.
Heresiarch - The leader of a Heretical group
Heresy - Saying or believing things that disagree with orthodox religions
Mitre - The fancy hats that bishops and popes wear. Also when you cut the ends of to pieces of wood at 45° degree angles and stick them together.
Awry - all mixed up, or in this case, out of its normal or correct position, crooked
Consubstantiality - The difference between whether something is literally something or essentially something.
Terrene - earthy also not being of a metaphysical nature.
Worsting- Old-fashioned term for beating someone on in an argument or fight.
Host - (possibly Heavenly Host) a biblical term for the angels
Fathom - a unit of measurement equal to 6 feet, usually used for measuring depth of water.
Places
Bullock- A small fishing village that has been very popular over the ages. Druids built a standing stone circle there. Those stones would then be smashed up to build the Martello Towers. People think that it was named by the Scandinavians, meaning "Blue Haven". Later the Irish would name it the Gaelic word for a tidal blow hole that exists there. Later, The Irish king would give the Cistercian monks the land.
Other Things
Nicene Creed. You want to know a sure way to finding catholic school kid in a crowd? Just say the words "We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. This will trigger an involuntary reaction, Catholic alums just cant resist finishing that prayer. Most of them don't even know the words, they only know the sounds, or maybe that was just me.
Pope Marcellus Mass is a "masse sine nomine" or a "mass without a name" As far as I understand it. It is just a song that is sung during a part of the catholic mass. This particular one was one of the first ones ever made. It was composed in honor of Pope Macellus II some where in the 1500s. It sounds nice.
Photius - Photios I of Constantinople, born sometime between 810 and 820 and died February 6, 893. The Eastern Orthodox church calls him Saint Photios the Great. He was viewed as the most important intellectual of his time, "The leading light of the ninth-century renaissance. He caused a little tussle named the Photian Schism, claiming that the Byzantine Emperor, had the right to hire and fire whichever patriarch they wanted without the permission of the Vatican.
Arius was born somewhere between 250 and 256-336. He was a leader of his local christian congregation in Alexandria, Egypt. His opinions were directly opposed to the Nicene Creed which said that the god was 3 equal parts: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Arius said that there were indeed three parts, but they were not equal. His contribution the holy confusion of Christianity was the claim that the father was more important than the other two.
Saint Valentine - Born in Terni, Italy. The Patron Saint of Epilepsy and the namesake of couples buying junk for each other, and singles drinking in defiance. he was beheaded for not denying Christ.
Sabellius existed around 215. He was a faith leader and a theologian who did most of his work in Rome. It is fuzzy where his is from, probably from Libya in North Africa. His big offense was throwing away the whole, holy trinity, saying that God was a single and indivisible personal deity. He claimed that the three parts were just three manifestations of one divine person. This got him excommunicated as a heretic, and his preaching permissions revoked.
