The Anathemata
Middle-sea and Lear-sea (continued)
You that shall spread your hands over the things offered
make memento of us
and where the gloss reads jungit manus1 count us among his argonauts whose argosy you plead,2 under the sign of the things you offer.
David Jones notes
1 In the Canon of Mass at the beginning of the prayer Hanc igitur oblationem, the rubric directs the priest to spread his hands over the offerings; and after the words ‘that we be . . . counted within the flock of thy elect’ a further rubric, Jungit manus, directs him to join his hands together.
2 What is pleaded in the Mass is precisely the argosy or voyage of the Redeemer, consisting of his entire sufferings and his death, his conquest of hades, his resurrection and his return in triumph to heaven. It is this that is offered to the Trinity (Cf. ‘Myself to myself’ as in the Havamal is said of Odin) on behalf of us argonauts and of the whole argosy of mankind, and, in some sense, of all sentient being, and, perhaps, of insentient too, for, as Paul says, ‘The whole of nature, as we know, groans in a common travail all the while.’ (Romans, viii, 22. Knox translation.)
additional notes
DJ note 2: Hávamál ( ‘sayings of the high one’) is presented as a single poem in the Codex Regius, a collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age. The poem, itself a combination of different poems, is largely gnomic, presenting advice for living, proper conduct and wisdom.
comments