Queen Sophia
A continuation of my last post…
Image credit: Brian Isett & Claudia Biçen
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Novalis is back!
I made a separate post because what I REALLY want is to gush about is his unfinished novel, the title of which I just realized was based on an epic poem called Parzival by Wolfram from the 13th century.
I mainly wanted to focus on a story WITHIN the story. (Talk about narrative inception!)
A little obsessed with allegorical storytelling and I wanted to publicly acknowledge my crush on Novalis.
In this sub-story, we get to explore more of his philosophy through characters like Eros and Sophia.
If that’s not intriguing, Skip this post!
If it is, Comment below!
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Obviously the reason Novalis couldn’t finish the book is because he died.
This novel was posthumously assembled and translated by friends of Novalis. One of the main buddies was Ludwig Tieck.
I highly recommend reading Ludwig’s Phantasus! The title was used as inspiration for George MacDonald’s Phantastes! Which inspired Narnia, y’all!
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A note before beginning:
Love and Wisdom are inseparable.
The concept of Eros (see my previous post) cannot be understood without the philosophical idea of “Sophia”.
Types of wisdom:
—Sophia is speculative wisdom. She stands for theoretical knowledge, overarching and absolute truths, ultimate reality and higher meaning, guiding principles and supreme ethics.
—Some overlap and contrast. Traditionally compared to her “sister” Prudentia who is applied wisdom, and literally means prudence. Practical reasoning, common sense, discernment in both big life choices and day-to-day decisions, involves gray areas, “hmm, that’s a judgement call” or often up to your conscience, requires foresight.
Sketch of the author’s beloved, Sophie.
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Without further ado…
The unfinished (all the fragmentalists approve) novel:
Heinrich von Ofterdingen!!!!
Our hero, titular character and protagonist is a student not unlike Novalis himself. He obsessively tells his parents about this dream he had of a blue flower.
Feel free to call him Henry.
Fancy is his mum. Sense is his father. Dad says he had a similar dream back in the day. They send him off to his mother’s hometown where he falls in love with a lass named Matilda.
They snuggle together by a crackling fire while his new father-in-law tells a story to the crowd.
The story appears fairly convoluted to modern readers who are used to a “rational” plot structure and characters who are relatable. If you are familiar with character names in the Russian novel, or the apparent contradictions across ancient mythologies, you probably already know what I mean.
If you don’t get what I’m saying, consider Botticelli’s Venus and the Three Graces. To modern eyes it’s just a bunch of ladies but upon closer inspection it is rich with mythology and allegory.
Synopsis: Fable, armed with a magic lyre, saves the realm from a curse and a villain; the lovely Sophia becomes queen.
Here is the story-within-a-story:
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SCENE ONE: The Prophecy
Setting: Frozen realm
Characters: Royal siblings named Eros and Fable
Bird of a thousand voices sings…
Soon will the noble stranger come in time,
his endless reign begin, the warmth return
The queen will waken from the sway of dream
When earth and sea, enjoined by love are one
Once Fable has her ancient right reclaimed,
The cold of night from this realm shall leave
In Freya’s womb, the world awake enflamed
And every lover chance upon his love
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SCENE TWO: The Quest of Eros
Eros took the paths of night by the pallid moon espied
and in all the rarest gem bedied, the realm of shadow opened wide
covered with a mist of blue, hemmed with a golden seam
he followed Fancy as she drew him over land and stream…
Love hies along in dusky ways,
The moon his only light;
The shadow-realm itself displays,
And all uncouthly dight.
An azure mist with golden rim
Around him floats in play,
And quickly Fancy hurries him
O’er stream and land away.
***
“Suddenly a milk-blue stream broke on all sides from the dark heap of ashes. The phantoms hastened to fly, but the flood visibly swelled and swallowed up the detestable brood. Soon all fear was allayed. Heaven and earth flowed together in sweet music. A flower, wonderful in beauty, floated glittering upon the gentle billows. A shining bow half circled the flood, and on both sides of it sat celestial shapes on splendid thrones. Sophia sat highest with the bowl in her hands, near a majestic man, whose locks were bound by a garland of oak leaves, and who bore in his right hand a palm of peace instead of a sceptre. A lily leaf bent over the chalice of the floating flower. The little Fable sat upon it, and sang to the harp the sweetest song. In the chalice sat Eros himself, bending over a beautiful, slumbering maiden who held him fast embraced. A smaller blossom closed around them both, so that from the thighs they seemed changed to a flower.”
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SCENE THREE: Fable’s Tale
Back at the castle. Things are chaotic. An evil scribe is after little Fable to kill her (?) so she escapes to the courtyard. Fable descends down the stair to the land of shadow, where there is a black gate and black beams from a heavenly body. Meets a sphinx for a battle of riddles:
What do you seek?
I seek my own inheritance.
Where is it?
In ancient times.
What will happen if you find it?
I will remain a child forever.
Who goes with you?
I stand alone.
Do you know me?
Not yet.
Where is love?
Sophia.
The sphinx allows her to pass from colonnade to cavern. Subterranean realm —Three crone sisters chuckling maliciously (LOL) and through the crack of their back-door Fable finds the night sky! Constellation of phoenix.
Fable’s loud cry:
“Children of the past, within your cells awake, leave your beds of rest for soon the day will break! I weave your threads of life into one web alone, farewell to years of strife, your being shall be one— each in the other dwell and in the other love all, one heart within you swell, one breath arise and fall”
“Within your cells awaken,
Children of olden time;
Be every bed forsaken,
The morn begins to climb.
Your threadlets I am weaving
Into a single thread:
In one life be ye cleaving,
The times of strife are sped.
Each one in all is living,
And all in each beside;
One heart its pulses giving.
From one impelling tide.
Yet spirits only are ye.
But dream and witchery.
Into the cavern fare ye,
And vex the holy Three.”
Then she gets a job down there refilling their lanterns (reminded me of Spirited Away!) Black lamps run on tarantula oil. Fable flyting?
Casually ascends up a ladder to a trapdoor?
She pops up through underground tunnels to the throne room and asks her dad for help (?) the king gives her a magic lyre.
Retinue of spiders dance to her Music!
The crones can’t stop dancing so they burn (?)
“The wicked are dancing and the good are at rest, has the flame arrived?”
Three witches burn.
Flowers grow in the fire.
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SCENE FOUR: Disaster & Destiny
Up above, the evil scribe took over, mutinous mob burns the queen, mother of Fable and Eros.
Funeral pyre and destruction of the Sun?
Weeping Sophia’s blue veil covers the depths of the earth.
“the inward will be revealed, the outward hidden
the curtain will rise and the play commence
I shall spin days of eternity”
The royal gardener with his three companions climb down the old Giant’s shoulders and put a gold coin in his mouth for his wisdom:
“Soon the garden will bloom again”
The house had fallen into ruins, ivy grew on the walls…soft moss cushioned the stair…Altar, a chandelier, and a sleeping king.
“You chose the part of you that is immortal”
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SCENE FIVE: Wedding, Funeral, Coronation
Eros must seek out Freya and awaken her (to marry?) I think Ginistan was trying to seduce him but then he finds his half sister Freya who was like a mom to him but now he’s magically older and they get married or something…hmmm…
They arrive too late, the queen is dead. Ashes of the mother poured into the bowl, they all drank and the mother “dwelt” in them. All passed around the bowl, the room became an assembly of the Blessed.
(That’s a bit yucky)
“The mystery has been revealed to all
and yet remains eternally unfathomed
a new world has been born from suffering
and the ashes are dissolved in tears
to become the drink of eternal life
heavenly mother dwells in everyone
In order that each child might be born eternally
do you feel the sweet birth in the beating of your hearts?”
“A mighty springtime spread across the earth, everything rose up and stirred; the earth floated closer beneath the veil; the moon and clouds moved northward in joyful turmoil; the castle of the king shone with radiant splendor over the sea… everywhere they saw whirlwinds of dust in which familiar figures were forming… everything was renewed in spirit… no stone lay any longer on a human heart, every burden fell away, making way for a solid footing…”
Everyone is Unfrozen!
Statues can move. Fountain came to life again in the courtyard.
Eternal festival!
King Perseus (I thought the king’s name was Arcturus??) gives Sophia two coronation gifts:
1.Chess set as a memorial of the dead queen
2.a golden spindle.
Image Credit: Walton
Confession. I have no idea what a spindle is… had to look it up. (Are you crafty? I wish I was.)
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Sophia becomes the new ruler!
Then everyone sings:
…Her presence will gladden us forever,
follow us into our dwelling, there in the temple we shall dwell eternally
and guard the mystery of the world
the empire of eternity is founded
in love and peace, all opposition ended
gone forever is the woeful dream of pain
Sophia priestess of all hearts forever reign…
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The End
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