Ahania
Encyclopedia
Emanationism
Emanationism is an idea in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems. Emanation, from the Latin emanare meaning "to flow from" or "to pour forth or out of", is the mode by which all things are derived from the First Reality, or Principle...
, or female counterpart, of Urizen
Urizen
In the complex mythology of William Blake, Urizen is the embodiment of conventional reason and law. He is usually depicted as a bearded old man; he sometimes bears architect's tools, to create and constrain the universe; or nets, with which he ensnares people in webs of law and conventional culture...
, Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas refers to one of the incompleted prophetic books by English poet William Blake, begun in 1797. The titular main characters of the book are The Four Zoas: , who were created by the fall of Albion in Blake's mythology. It consists of nine books, referred to as "nights"...
of reason, in William Blake's mythology
William Blake's mythology
The prophetic books of the English poet and artist William Blake contain a rich invented mythology , in which Blake worked to encode his revolutionary spiritual and political ideas into a prophecy for a new age. This desire to recreate the cosmos is the heart of his work and his psychology...
. She is the representation of pleasure and the desire for intelligence. Although Urizen casts her out as being the manifestation of sin, she is actually an essential component in Blake's system to achieving Divine Wisdom. She is a figure of the goddess of wisdom. It is through her that the sons and daughters of Urizen are born. In the original myth, her son Fuzon
Fuzon (Blake)
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Fuzon is the fourth and final son of Urizen, associated with the classical element of fire. In The Book of Ahania he fights Urizen for control of the world....
rebels against his father and is responsible for separating Urizen and Ahania. In his later version, Ahania is separated from Urizen after he believes that she is sinful.
Character
Ahania represents pleasure and is connected to the Zoas Urizen, who represents reason. They are divided because Urizen is unable to understand the necessity of pleasure for the mind. In Blake's early myth, Ahania and Urizen are united until their son Fuzon separates the two by cutting his father's loins apart. She is labeled as Sin by Urizen and hidden away with her only capable of lamenting her fate. Ahania is the representation of a wisdom goddess, as she is an emanation of Urizen, who is connected to the head.In Blake's later myth, she provides Urizen with twelve sons and three daughters, which represent the Zodiac and the three parts of the body. However, Urizen believes that Ahania has too much influence and denies her the ability to come to the marriage of Los
Los (Blake)
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Los is the fallen form of Urthona, one of the four Zoas. He is referred to as the "eternal prophet" and creates the visionary city of Golgonooza. Los is regularly described as a smith, beating with his hammer on a forge, which is metaphorically...
and Enitharmon
Enitharmon
Enitharmon is a major female character in William Blake's mythology, playing a main part in some of his prophetic books. She is, but not directly, an aspect of the male Urthona, one of the Four Zoas. She is in fact the Emanation of Los, also male. There is a complex verbal nexus attached. The Zoa...
. In return, she becomes cold and distant. Eventually, Los and Enitharmon bring Ahania to hear Enion
Enion
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Enion is an Emanation/mate of Tharmas, one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. She represents sexuality and sexual urges while Tharmas represents sensation. In her fallen aspect, she is a wailing...
's wailing. After Enion reveals the fallen world to Ahania, she represents intellectual desire and has a sexual element. Although she is cast off as being sinful, she is necessary for Divine Wisdom and is essential for any act of creation. Urizen tells her that he is afraid that Orc
Orc (Blake)
Orc is a proper name for one of the characters in the complex mythology of William Blake. Unlike the medieval sea beast, or Tolkien's humanoid monster, his Orc is a positive figure, the embodiment of creative passion and energy, and stands opposed to Urizen, the embodiment of tradition.In Blake's...
, the one that would overthrow him, would be born, and Ahania describes her vision of dark future. Urizen, upset, separates from her because she is not obedient enough for him. In despair, she enters the Caverns of the Grave. She returns on the Last Judgment when Urizen stops trying to control everything. This action allows Urizen to regain his previous form. In the feast after the Final Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
, she is reunited with Urizen.
Appearances
Ahania is described in The Book of AhaniaThe Book of Ahania
The Book of Ahania is one of the English poet William Blake's prophetic books. It was published in 1795, illustrated by Blake's own plates....
(1795), which gives her origins. She was originally part of Urizen until her son, Fuzon, rebelled against Urizen and cut apart his loins. This established her as a separate entity, and Urizen named her Sin. The work ends with Fuzon's death by the hands of Urizen. Eventually, this version was overwritten in Vala, or The Four Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas refers to one of the incompleted prophetic books by English poet William Blake, begun in 1797. The titular main characters of the book are The Four Zoas: , who were created by the fall of Albion in Blake's mythology. It consists of nine books, referred to as "nights"...
. The later version describes her more as his shadow counterpart and of their many children. Urizen is a jealous lover, which causes her to despair. Eventually, she is separated from Urizen when she hears Enion's lament. Ahania appears in Milton a Poem, and she is described as lamenting after she is cast out. In Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion, Ahania is described as a shade when Los is able to see the four Emanations.