Albion (Blake)
In the mythology of William Blake, Albion is the primeval man whose fall and division results in the Four Zoas: Urizen, Tharmas, Luvah/Orc and Urthona/Los. The name derives from the ancient and mythological name of Britain, Albion.
Sources
In the mythical story of the founding of
According to another account,
The division of the primordial man is found in many mythic and mystic systems throughout the world, including Adam Kadmon in Kabbalah and Prajapati in the Rigveda.
Usage
The long, unfinished poem properly called Vala, or The Four Zoas expands the significance of the Zoas, but they are integral to all of Blake's prophetic books.
Blake's painting of a naked figure raising his arms, loosely based on Vitruvian Man, is now identified as a portrayal of Albion, following the discovery of a printed version with an inscription identifying the figure.[2] It was formerly known as "Glad Day", since it was assumed by Alexander Gilchrist to illustrate a quotation from Shakespeare.
Blake also uses the name
Children
The Sons of Albion feature in the poem
The Daughters of Albion feature in Visions of the Daughters of Albion, and other prophetic books. They are named, not consistently though, in The Four Zoas and in Jerusalem:
- Gwendolen
- Ragan
- Sabrina
- Gonorill
- Mehetabel
- Cordella
- Boadicea/Gwiniverra
- Conwenna
- Estrild
- Gwinefrid
- Ignoge
- Cambel
Gwiniverra has replaced Boadicea, who is later equated with Cambel.
See also
- Alebion – Ancient Greek mythological figure
- 15760 Albion – Trans-Neptunian object, prototype of cubewanos, minor planet
Sources
- ^ Thomas Bulfinch. Bulfinch's mythology, published: 1913. place: New York, New York
- ^ William Blake (illustrator) (1794–1796). Albion Rose, a colour printed etching with hand-drawn additions in ink and watercolour (planographic print; engraving; hand-coloured; colour). Retrieved 2008-08-12.
Albion rose from where he laboured at the Mill with Slaves / Giving himself for the Nations he danc'd the dance of Eternal Death
(Full unabbreviated title at: Google Arts & Culture site) - ^ Blake, William (1804), (Illustrations for) Jerusalem, the Emanation of the giant Albion, London: Trianon Press
- ^ Jerusalem 71:23
- ^ Damon, S. Foster. A Blake Dictionary. Hanover: University Press of New England, 1988, p. 14.