"Tene Mithra, etiam miles, fides nostris votis nos."
- see here. (Scroll down.)
- at two handfast ceremonies and have considered adapting the opening passage of Poul Anderson's "Star of the Sea" for this purpose.
What would be an appropriate passage from Poul Anderson for a funeral?
James Blish quotes Dylan Thomas:
And death shall have no dominion.
Dead man naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
-copied from here.
However, that is Thomas quoted by Blish, not Anderson. It seems that Yossi has chosen what she thinks is an appropriate passage from Philip Pullman. If asked, I will certainly read that at Ketlan's funeral.
16 comments:
Paul:
From The Byworlder, a customary recitation among at least some Byworlders when burying a friend:
"Wayfarer, farewell. For the gift of your love we thank you, and your gift shall be cherished within us on every road we may wander, and live between us in every camp where we meet, and be given again when we likewise enter your quietness. Until then we shall rejoice at sky, wind, water, and wide lands, in your name and memory—"
Skip told Yvonne there was a bit more of it, but PA chose not to give us the entire thing.
David,
Relevant.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
For me, either Anderson's use of lines from a Catholic hymn to the BVM at the end of "Star of the Sea" or his poem "Prayer in War" (to be found in ORION SHALL RISE) speaks resonantly to me. Esp. because of how that poem is so relevant to our time of chaos!
Btw, what do you think of "Prayer in War"?
I also like the hymn "Dies Ira," which used to be the standard song chanted at the funerals of adult Catholics. Frankly, I like the "Dies Ira" better than the too sentimental "Amazing Grace," which is now often used instead. Yes, I know some might think the "Dies Ira" too fierce and grim!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I will have to reread "Prayer in War."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I will be interested to know what you think of that poem! "Prayer in War" can also be found in STAVES, a collection of Anderson's verses.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Is it the one beginning "Lord beyond eternity..."?
Would the 3rd line not be better as "Why have You NOT set us free"?
These 2 lines are expressive:
"Hell indwells in us instead."
"Will You let it be undone?"
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
First question, Yes.
Second question, But I understood that where you suggested the word "NOT" to refer to the orthodox Christian belief that human beings are free to make their own choices, good or bad. Anderson himself, despite being at least agnostic most of his life, did believe in our freedom.
"Impressive," not merely "expressive" would be the term I would use. The ling about how "Hell indwells in us" can easily be understood as referring to how flawed and imperfect human beings are.
And I believe it is up to us, assisted by God, not to let everything be "undone."
"Prayer in War" has struck me as being among the most impressive verses Anderson wrote. It has also led me to wondering if, in his later years, Anderson at least wished he believed in God. This poem might be something I would want recited at my funeral!
Ad astra! Sean
I think PRAYER IN WAR was partially inspired by Kipling’s “Hymn Before Battle”
“Ah Mary, pierced with sorrows
Remember, reach and save
The soul that comes tomorrow
Before the God that made.
Since each was born of woman
For each at utter need —
True comrade and true foreman —
Madonna, intercede!”
That’s “Foeman” — damn the inventor of this autocorrect system to eternal torment!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Very nice, this poem by Kipling, and I will have to look it up in the collection of his verses I have. But, at least in this case, I think Anderson's "Prayer in War" was better than Kipling's poem.
Kipling might have been an Anglican, but he seems to have leaned to its high church wing, considering how "Catholic" he sometimes looks to me.
Hmmm, I will type that word FOEMAN and see if my computer accepts that word.
Ad astra! Sean
I remember being surprised as a child at the number of things non-Anglican Protestants -didn’t- do — confession, for example, or signing themselves with holy water and genuflecting on entering a church, or addressing petitions to the BVM. My family always did that stuff; we had a number of Anglican clergy on both sides.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
It's possible you had ancestors who were secret Catholics! And that it was only reluctantly that one of them "conformed" to the Anglican Church.
I used to know online an wx RAF officer who was a high church Anglican before he became a Catholic. We often discussed Anglican matters and I sometimes expressed to him how confusing Anglicanism looked to me, because it included low and high church people who STRONGLY disagreed with each other on so many doctrinal matters. Low churchers insisted they were Protestants and stressed the usual Protestant doctrines.
Ad astra! Sean
The Church of England is in the shape of a cross: high, low, middle and broad.
Kaor, paul!
And it's even more confusing and chaotic within Anglicanism these days! With some even denying the divinity of Christ and that He rose from the dead. Gads!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Yes. I might agree with what some Anglicans say but then add, "But this makes us no longer Christians."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly, some "Modernist" Anglicans have swerved so far from any kind of Christian orthodoxy that they can no longer be considered Christians. Which explains why many devout high and low church Anglicans have abandoned it.
Ad astra! Sean
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