WINGED WORDS WINDSDAY
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell
(@RHCLambengolmo)
Vol. 3, No. 1: November 1, 2023
In
Observance of the Keltik New Year: November 1
Editor’s Note
November 1 is the Keltik New
Year’s Day, which was observed by the peoples of northwest Europe in ancient
times as a festival of liminality. The harvest was over; the winter was ready
to start. The boundary between the visible world and the invisible world beyond
became very thin, and the living could commune with their forebears. Bonfires
were kindled in celebration of the New Year, and feasting and storytelling were
hallmarks of the festivities.
All of these aspects served to
remind people that in every ending, there is a new beginning – and that is the
theme of this week’s selections, in which we learn how people from different
times and climes understood the End of Days – and the bright new world that
lies beyond that undiscovered country.
Part IX of a Treatise on Initiations for Asclepius
Excerpted from the Virgin of the World
Anonymous Hermetic Tractate (1st-3rd
Centuries CE)
Translated by Edward Maitland & Anna Kingsford in 1885
Note: In this
excerpt, Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary Egyptian sage from protohistoric
times, dialogues with his disciple Asclepius about the renewal of creation
beyond the End of Days.
Hermes Trismegistus: When
all these things shall be accomplished, O Asclepius, then the Lord and Father,
the sovereign God who rules the wide world, beholding the evil ways and actions
of men, will arrest these misfortunes by the exercise of his divine will and
goodness. And, in order to put an end to error and to the general corruption,
he will drown the world with a deluge or consume it by fire, or destroy it by
wars and epidemics, and thereafter He will restore to it its primitive beauty;
so that once more it shall appear worthy of admiration and worship, and again a
chorus of praise and of blessing shall celebrate him who has created and
redeemed so beautiful a work. This rebirth of the world, this restoration of
all good things, this holy and sacred rehabilitation of Nature will take place
when the time shall come which is ap-pointed by the divine and ever-eternal
will of God, without beginning and always the same.
Asclepius: Indeed,
Trismegistus, the nature of God is will reflected; that is, absolute goodness
and wisdom.
Hermes: O Asclepius, will
is the result of reflection, and to will is itself an act of willing. For he
who is the fullness of all things and who possesses all that he will, wills
nothing by caprice. But everything he wills is good, and he has all that he
wills; all that is good he thinks and wills. Such is God, and the world is the
image of his righteousness.
Asclepius: Is the world
then good, O Trismegistus?
Hermes: Yes, the world is
good, Asclepius, as I will inform thee. Even as God accords to all beings and
to all orders in the world benefits of diverse kinds, such as thought, soul,
and life, so likewise the world itself divides and distributes good things
among mortals, changing sea-sons, the fruits of the earth, birth, increase,
maturity, and other similar gifts. And thus God is above the summit of heaven,
yet everywhere present and beholding all things. For beyond the heavens is a
sphere without stars, transcending all corporeal things.
Isaiah of Jerusalem (8th century BCE)
Isaiah 25:6-9 (King James Version, 1611)
Note: In this
passage, Isaiah describes the universal Messianic Banquet beyond the End of
Days. Then shall be fulfilled the words of St. Juliana of Norwich: “All shall
be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. … Love was without beginning,
is, and shall be without ending.”
And in this mountain shall the
Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on
the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
And he will destroy in this
mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is
spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in
victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the
rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord
hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that
day, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is
the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
A World in Perplexity by Arthur Grosvenor Daniells
(1918) portrays the “peaceable kingdom” foreseen by the prophet Isaiah in the
11th chapter of his book in the Hebrew Bible. (Image Credit: Public
Domain)
The Gospel of Buddha
Compiled by Paul Carus (1865-1919)
Chapter 96: Maitreya
Note: In this
chapter, Gautama the Buddha (563-483 BCE) is nearing the end of his earthly
life, and he gives a prophecy to his closest disciple Ananda, about the future
Buddha, Maitreya – a Messianic figure who will appear to usher in a new Golden
Age of enlightenment for all humanity.
The Blessed One proceeded with a
great company of the brethren to the sāla grove of the Mallas, the Upavattana
of Kusinārā on the further side of the river Hiraññavatī, and when he had
arrived he addressed the venerable Ānanda, and said: "Make ready for me, I
pray you, Ānanda, the couch with its head to the north, between the twin sāla
trees. I am weary, Ānanda, and wish to be down."
"Be it so, Lord!" said
the venerable Ānanda, and he spread a couch with its head to the north, between
the twin sāla trees. And the Blessed One laid himself down, and he was mindful
and self-possessed.
Now, at that time the twin sāla
trees were full of bloom with flowers out of season; and heavenly songs came
wafted from the skies, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of
old. And Ānanda was filled with wonder that the Blessed One was thus honored.
But the Blessed One said: "Not by such events, Ānanda, is the Tathāgata
rightly honored, held sacred, or revered. But the brother or the sister, the
devout man or the devout woman, who continually fulfils all the greater and the
lesser duties, walking according to the precepts, it is they who rightly
honor,[Pg 242] hold sacred, and revere the Tathāgata with the worthiest homage.
Therefore, O Ānanda, be ye "constant in the fulfilment of the greater and
of the lesser duties, and walk according to the precepts; thus, Ānanda, will ye
honor the Master."
Then the venerable Ānanda went
into the vihāra, and stood leaning against the doorpost, weeping at the
thought: "Alas! I remain still but a learner, one who has yet to work out
his own perfection. And the Master is about to pass away from me—he who is so
kind!"
Now, the Blessed One called the
brethren, and said: "Where, O brethren, is Ānanda?"
And one of the brethren went and
called Ānanda. And Ānanda came and said to the Blessed One: "Deep darkness
reigned for want of wisdom; the world of sentient creatures was groping for
want of light; then the Tathāgata lit up the lamp of wisdom, and now it will be
extinguished again, ere he has brought it out."
And the Blessed One said to the
venerable Ānanda, as he sat there by his side:
"Enough, Ānanda! Let not
thy self be troubled; do not weep! Have I not already, on former occasions,
told you that it is in the very nature of all things most near and dear unto us
that we must separate from them and leave them?
"The foolish man conceives
the idea of 'self,' the wise man sees there is no ground on which to build the
idea of 'self,' thus he has a right conception of the world and well concludes
that all compounds amassed by sorrow will be dissolved again, but the truth
will remain.
"Why should I preserve this
body of flesh, when the body of the excellent law will endure? I am resolved;
having accomplished my purpose and attended to the work set me, I look for
rest!
"For a long time, Ānanda,
thou hast been very near to me by thoughts and acts of such love as never
varies and is beyond all measure. Thou hast done well, Ānanda! Be earnest in effort
and thou too shalt soon be free from the great evils, from sensuality, from
selfishness, from delusion, and from ignorance!"
And Ānanda, suppressing his
tears, said to the Blessed One: "Who shall teach us when thou art
gone?"
And the Blessed One replied:
"I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I be the last.
In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely
enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the
universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. He
will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will
preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax, and
glorious at the goal, in the spirit and in the letter. He will proclaim a
religious life, wholly perfect and pure; such as I now proclaim."
Ānanda said: "How shall we
know him?"
The Blessed One said: "He
will be known as Maitreya, which means 'he whose name is kindness.'"
The Fourth Eclogue
By Virgil (70-19 BCE)
Translated by H. R. Fairclough (Public Domain)
Note: This
prophecy by the Roman poet Virgil borrows its imagery from both Graeco-Roman
and Hebrew prophetic traditions to announce the birth of a Messianic child who
will grow up to lead the world into a new Golden Age of peace and plenty for
all people.
[1] Sicilian Muses, let us sing
a somewhat loftier strain. Not everyone do orchards and the lowly tamarisks
delight. If your song is of the woodland, let the woods be worthy of a consul.
[5] Now is come the last age of
Cumaean song; the great line of the centuries begins anew. Now the Virgin
returns, the reign of Saturn returns; now a new generation descends from heaven
on high. Only do you, pure Lucina, smile on the birth of the child, under whom
the iron brood shall at last cease and a golden race spring up throughout the
world! Your own Apollo now is king!
[11] And in your consulship,
Pollio, yes, yours, shall this glorious age begin, and the mighty months
commence their march; under your sway any lingering traces of our guilt shall
become void and release the earth from its continual dread. He shall have the
gift of divine life, shall see heroes mingled with gods, and shall himself be
seen by them, and shall rule the world to which his father’s prowess brought
peace.
[18] But for you, child, the
earth untilled will pour forth its first pretty gifts, gadding ivy with
foxglove everywhere, and the Egyptian bean blended with the laughing briar;
unbidden it will pour forth for you a cradle of smiling flowers. Unbidden, the
goats will bring home their udders swollen with milk, and the cattle will not
fear huge lions. The serpent, too, will perish, and perish will the plant that
hides its poison; Assyrian spice will spring up on every soil.
[26] But as soon as you can read
of the glories of heroes and your father’s deeds, and can know what valor is,
slowly will the plains yellow with the waving corn, on wild brambles the purple
grape will hang, and the stubborn oak distil dewy honey.
[31] Yet will a few traces of
old-time sin live on, to bid men tempt the sea in ships, girdle towns with
walls, and cleave the earth with furrows. A second Tiphys will then arise, and
a second Argo to carry chosen heroes; a second war will be fought, and great
Achilles be sent again to Troy.
[37] Next, when now the strength
of years has made you a man, even the trader will quit the sea, nor will the
ship of pine exchange wares; every land will bear all fruits. Earth will not
suffer the harrow, nor the vine the pruning hook; the sturdy ploughman, too,
will now loose his oxen from the yoke. No more will wool be taught to put on
varied hues, but of himself the ram in the meadows will change his fleece, now
to sweetly blushing purple, now to a saffron yellow; and scarlet shall clothe
the grazing lambs at will.
[46] “Ages so blessed, glide
on!” cried the Fates to their spindles, voicing in unison the fixed will of
Destiny.
[48] O enter upon your high honors
– the hour will soon be here – dear offspring of the gods, mighty seed of a
Jupiter to be! See how the world bows with its massive dome – earth and expanse
of sea and heaven’s depth! See how all things rejoice in the age that is at
hand!
[53] I pray that the twilight of
a long life may then be vouchsafed me, and inspiration enough to hymn your
deeds! Then shall neither Thracian Orpheus nor Linus vanquish me in song,
though mother give aid to the one and father to the other, Calliope to Orpheus,
to Linus fair Apollo. Even were Pan to compete with me and Arcady be judge,
then even Pan, with Arcady for judge, would own himself defeated.
[60] Begin, baby boy, to
recognize your mother with a smile: ten months have brought your mother long
travail. Begin, baby boy! The child who has not won a smile from his parents,
no god ever honored with his table, no goddess with her bed!
“Ragnarök, the Twilight of the Gods”
Excerpted from Chapter 40 of The Age of Fable by Thomas
Bulfinch (1796-1867)
Note: This is a
summary of the apocalyptic prophecy contained in the Voluspa poem
of the Elder Edda, a collection of sacred poetry from
pre-Christian Scandinavia. Its resemblance to other oracles about the End of
Days – and the hope that lies beyond it – is quite striking. According to the
seeress’ prophecy in the Voluspa, Baldur, the god of light, is a
Messianic figure who will return at the start of the new world to establish the
“peaceable kingdom.”
It was a firm belief of the
northern nations that a time would come when all the visible creation, the gods
of Valhalla and Niffleheim, the inhabitants of Jotunheim, Alfheim, and Midgard,
together with their habitations, would be destroyed. The fearful day of
destruction will not, however, be without its forerunners. First will come a
triple winter, during which snow will fall from the four corners of the
heavens, the frost be very severe, the wind piercing, the weather tempestuous,
and the sun impart no gladness. Three such winters will pass away without being
tempered by a single summer. Three other similar winters will then follow,
during which war and discord will spread over the universe. The earth itself
will be frightened and begin to tremble, the sea leave its basin, the heavens
tear asunder, and men perish in great numbers, and the eagles of the air feast
upon their still quivering bodies. The wolf Fenris will now break his bands,
the Midgard serpent rise out of her bed in the sea, and Loki, released from his
bonds, will join the enemies of the gods. Amidst the general devastation the
sons of Muspelheim will rush forth under their leader Surtur, before and behind
whom are flames and burning fire. Onward they ride over Bifrost, the rainbow
bridge, which breaks under the horses' hoofs. But they, disregarding its fall,
direct their course to the battlefield called Vigrid. Thither also repair the
wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent, Loki with all the followers of Hela, and the
Frost giants.
Heimdall now stands up and
sounds the Giallar horn to assemble the gods and heroes for the contest. The
gods advance, led on by Odin, who engages the wolf Fenris, but falls a victim
to the monster, who is, however, slain by Vidar, Odin's son. Thor gains great
renown by killing the Midgard serpent, but recoils and falls dead, suffocated
with the venom which the dying monster vomits over him. Loki and Heimdall meet
and fight till they are both slain. The gods and their enemies having fallen in
battle, Surtur, who has killed Freyr, darts fire and flames over the world, and
the whole universe is burned up. The sun becomes dim, the earth sinks into the
ocean, the stars fall from heaven, and time is no more.
After this Alfadur (the
Almighty) will cause a new heaven and a new earth to arise out of the sea. The
new earth filled with abundant supplies will spontaneously produce its fruits
without labor or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, but the
gods and men will live happily together.
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Baldur by Johannes Gehrts (1855–1921).
(Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
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