"'My demon was in me,' Plik declared stiffly. 'I leave it to your judgment whether the word "demon" is to be taken in its Classical or medieval sense.'" (p. 48)
Before reading from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy at my son-in-law's funeral, I had to differentiate these kinds of "demons" from Pullman's "daimons."
The Three Meanings
an indwelling spirit
a fallen angel
the external, physical manifestation of a person's inner self which takes the form of an animal
The first two enter, whereas the third exits, a person.
Do "spirits" explain anything? A bulb is lit by an electric current, not by an indwelling spirit. A brain is conscious because organismic sensitivity became sensory experience, not (I think) because a soul indwells the body. However, their material bases do not devalue either an electric light or a human being.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I immediately thought of "daemon/daimon" when I read Plik's comment! Most people will think "fallen angel" rather than "indwelling spirit" these days.
Poul Anderson can be quoted for many reasons having to do with politics, art, literature, philosophy, science, religion, history, etc., but I can't quite think of anything from his works apt or appropriate for a funeral.
Ad astra! Sean
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