The Night of Enitharmon's Joy
Encyclopedia
The Night of Enitharmon's Joy, often referred as The Triple Hecate or simply Hecate, is a 1795 colour print by English artist and poet William Blake
, which depicts Enitharmon
, a female character in his mythology, or Hecate
, a chthonic
Greco-Roman goddess of magic
and the underworld
. The work presents a nightmarish scene with fantastic creatures
.
The Triple Hecate is painted with deep tones
and bold masses. Blake employed a new technique whose "effect is darker and richer than [his] illuminated books." One scholar interprets his color print Hecate thus:
Blake often drew on Michaelangelo to create and compose his epic images, including Hecate's, according to a consensus of critics. "Blake is indebted to Michaelangelo for many of his giant forms." Michaelangelo contributed many "characters to Blake's gallery of mythic persons and heroes." Regarding the Hecate color print, a suggested trail may be traced. From Michaelangelo Blake copied his early sketch entitled The Reposing Traveller, which then evolved into a figure for his work (1795-1797) regarding Night Thoughts, and also into the similarly posed figure of Hecate here.
The color print may also allude to the Three Fates--the Moirae
of Greek mythology
and the Parcae
of Roman
. Notwithstanding these allusions, critics point out that a contemporary trigger for Blake's inspiration probably was the return popularity of Shakespeare's play Macbeth
. As offstage Hecate listens, the three witches in arranging Macbeth's doom, chant, "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Each witch in turn adds her verses, the second's being:
Hence bat
, owl
, snake
or frog
would be appropriate to The Triple Hecate.
Blake printed his illuminated Europe a Prophecy
in 1794. The bulk of the book, according to one scholar, "is devoted to the night of Enitharmon's joy, when she establishes her Woman's World with its false religion of chastity and vengeance: a religion of eighteen hundread years, which is the error of official Christianity
." In other words, it is said to represents a Feminine Will over a patriarchal Christianity. Blake's character is described as "the Moon
of love to Los
's Sun
", hence its relationship with Hecate, one of the Moon Goddesses alongside Diana
/Artemis
and Selene
. She is also invoked in Hamlet
, in the play within the play method
, by the (actor) Lucianus: "With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,\Thy natural magic and dire property [...]" but in Europe: a Prophecy Enitharmon's night is presented in this way:
There are other literary sources for the myth of Hecate, such as Metamorphoses by Ovid
, VI 140, VII 74, 94, 174, 177, 194, 241, XIV 44, 405, and Blake himself: "The Gods all Serve her at her will; so great her Power is, like fabled Hecate, she doth bind them to her law." (Blake, Then She bore Pale desire…). But not only in his poetry The Triple Hecate makes a connection: it is seen as an opposition to his painting Pity
, circa 1795, where the piety
provides a "possibility of salvation
" in the fallen world. Here, both witchcraft
and curse
, associated with Hecate, are factors to human perdition. Geoffrey Keynes
wrote about it:
The print was made in a time in which Shakespeare's Macbeth had a revival, being performed nine times. Like other works by Blake, such as The Ghost of a Flea
, the picture is part of W. Graham Robertson's private collection
and was presented to the Tate Gallery
by himself in 1939. It is considered to be one of the most brilliant and significant pictures of William Blake.
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, which depicts 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...
, a female character in his mythology, or Hecate
Hecate
Hecate or Hekate is a chthonic Greco-Roman goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and crossroads.She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony...
, a chthonic
Chthonic
Chthonic designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the underworld, especially in relation to Greek religion. The Greek word khthon is one of several for "earth"; it typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land or the land as territory...
Greco-Roman goddess of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. The work presents a nightmarish scene with fantastic creatures
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
.
The Triple Hecate is painted with deep tones
Lightness (color)
Lightness is a property of a color, or a dimension of a color space, that is defined in a way to reflect the subjective brightness perception of a color for humans along a lightness–darkness axis. A color's lightness also corresponds to its amplitude.Various color models have an explicit term for...
and bold masses. Blake employed a new technique whose "effect is darker and richer than [his] illuminated books." One scholar interprets his color print Hecate thus:
"She is triple, according to mythology: a girl and a boy hide their heads behind her back. Her left hand lies on a book of magic; her left foot is extended. She is attended by a thistle-eating ass, the mournful owl of false wisdom, the head of a crocodile (blood-thirsty hypocrisy), and a cat-headed bat."
Blake often drew on Michaelangelo to create and compose his epic images, including Hecate's, according to a consensus of critics. "Blake is indebted to Michaelangelo for many of his giant forms." Michaelangelo contributed many "characters to Blake's gallery of mythic persons and heroes." Regarding the Hecate color print, a suggested trail may be traced. From Michaelangelo Blake copied his early sketch entitled The Reposing Traveller, which then evolved into a figure for his work (1795-1797) regarding Night Thoughts, and also into the similarly posed figure of Hecate here.
The color print may also allude to the Three Fates--the Moirae
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and the Parcae
Parcae
thumb|#00px|Early 16th-century [[millefleur tapestry]] depicting the Three Fates under their Greek namesIn Roman mythology, the Parcae were the personifications of destiny, often called The Fates in English. Their Greek equivalent were the Moirae. They controlled the metaphorical thread of life of...
of Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
. Notwithstanding these allusions, critics point out that a contemporary trigger for Blake's inspiration probably was the return popularity of Shakespeare's play Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
. As offstage Hecate listens, the three witches in arranging Macbeth's doom, chant, "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Each witch in turn adds her verses, the second's being:
- "Fillet of a fenny snake,
- In the cauldron boil and bake;
- Eye of newt and toe of frog,
- Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
- Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
- Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
- For a charm of powerful trouble,
- Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." (MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, IV.i)
Hence bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
or frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
would be appropriate to The Triple Hecate.
Blake printed his illuminated Europe a Prophecy
Europe a Prophecy
Europe a Prophecy is a 1794 prophetic book by English poet and illustrator William Blake. It is engraved on 18 plates, and survives in just nine known copies. It followed America a Prophecy of 1793.-Background:...
in 1794. The bulk of the book, according to one scholar, "is devoted to the night of Enitharmon's joy, when she establishes her Woman's World with its false religion of chastity and vengeance: a religion of eighteen hundread years, which is the error of official Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
." In other words, it is said to represents a Feminine Will over a patriarchal Christianity. Blake's character is described as "the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
of love to 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...
's Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
", hence its relationship with Hecate, one of the Moon Goddesses alongside Diana
Diana
Diana may refer to:*Diana , ancient Roman goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity*Diana , people with the given name Diana*Diana, Princess of Wales, first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales-Music:...
/Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
and Selene
Selene
In Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
. She is also invoked in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, in the play within the play method
Story within a story
A story within a story, also rendered story-within-a-story, is a literary device in which one narrative is presented during the action of another narrative. Mise en abyme is the French term for a similar literary device...
, by the (actor) Lucianus: "With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,\Thy natural magic and dire property [...]" but in Europe: a Prophecy Enitharmon's night is presented in this way:
- "Now comes the night of Enitharmon's joy!
- Who shall I call? Who shall I send?
- That Woman, lovely Woman! may have dominion
- Arise O RintrahRintrahRintrah is a character in William Blake's mythology, representing the just wrath of the prophet. Rintrah first appears in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in the burdened air" shows him personifying revolutionary wrath...
thee I call! & Palamabron thee. - Go! tell the human race that Womans love is Sin!
- That an Eternal life awaits the worms of sixty winters
- In an allegorical abode where existence hath never come:
- Forbid all Joy, & from her childhood shall the little female
- Spread nets in every secret path."
There are other literary sources for the myth of Hecate, such as Metamorphoses by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, VI 140, VII 74, 94, 174, 177, 194, 241, XIV 44, 405, and Blake himself: "The Gods all Serve her at her will; so great her Power is, like fabled Hecate, she doth bind them to her law." (Blake, Then She bore Pale desire…). But not only in his poetry The Triple Hecate makes a connection: it is seen as an opposition to his painting Pity
Pity (William Blake)
Pity is a colour print on paper, finished in ink and watercolor, by English artist and poet William Blake. Along with his other works of this period, it was influenced by the Bible, Milton, and Shakespeare...
, circa 1795, where the piety
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
provides a "possibility of salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
" in the fallen world. Here, both witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
and curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
, associated with Hecate, are factors to human perdition. Geoffrey Keynes
Geoffrey Keynes
Sir Geoffrey Langdon Keynes was an English biographer, surgeon, physician, scholar and bibliophile...
wrote about it:
The print was made in a time in which Shakespeare's Macbeth had a revival, being performed nine times. Like other works by Blake, such as The Ghost of a Flea
The Ghost of a Flea
The Ghost of a Flea is a minature tempera mixture with gold painting on mahogany type tropical hardwood panel by the English poet, painter and printmaker William Blake, held in the Tate Gallery, London...
, the picture is part of W. Graham Robertson's private collection
Private collection
A private collection is a privately owned collection of works, usually a collection of art. If seen in a museum alongside a work or describing said work, it signifies that piece of art in a museum is not actually owned by that museum, but is on loan from an independent source. This source will...
and was presented to the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
by himself in 1939. It is considered to be one of the most brilliant and significant pictures of William Blake.
External links
- The Night of Enitharmon's Joy (formerly called `Hecate'). Profile of the picture in Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
official website. - Tate Britain Past Exhibitions. A collection of Gothic Nightmares in Tate official site.