Genius loci
In
Roman examples of these genii can be found, for instance, at the church of St. Giles, Tockenham, Wiltshire, England, where the genius loci is depicted as a relief in the wall of a Norman church built of Roman material. This shows "a youthful and curly-haired Roman Genius worked in high relief, holding a cornucopia in his left hand and a patera in his right", which previously has been "erroneously identified as Asclepius".[3]
Asian usage
The numinous spirits of places in Asia are still honored today in city pillar shrines, outdoor spirit houses and indoor household and business shrines.[citation needed]
Western usage
In contemporary usage, genius loci usually refers to a location's distinctive atmosphere or a "
Art and architecture
Alexander Pope made the genius loci an important principle in garden and landscape design with the following lines from Epistle IV, to Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington:
Consult the Genius of the Place in all;
That tells the Waters or to rise, or fall,
Or helps th' ambitious Hill the heav'n to scale,
Or scoops in circling theatres the Vale,
Calls in the Country, catches opening glades,
Joins willing woods, and varies shades from shades,
Now breaks or now directs, th' intending Lines;
Paints as you plant, and, as you work, designs.
Pope's verse laid the foundation for one of the most widely agreed principles of landscape architecture,[citation needed] that landscape designs should always be adapted to the context in which they are located.
A priori, archetype, and genius loci are the primary principals of Neo-Rationalism or New Rationalism.[citation needed] Pioneered by the Italian architect Aldo Rossi, Neo-Rationalism developed in the light of a re-evaluation of the work of Giuseppe Terragni and gained momentum through the work of Giorgio Grassi. Characterized by elemental vernacular forms and an adaptation to the existing environment, the Neo-Rationalist style has adherents beyond architecture in the greater world of art.[citation needed]
In the context of modern architectural theory, genius loci has profound implications for place-making, falling within the philosophical branch of phenomenology. This field of architectural discourse is explored most notably by the theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz in his book, Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture.
Modern fantasy
Adaptations of the original concept of the genius loci appear in some modern fantasy works.
In the
In The Dresden Files, a genius loci is an elemental spirit of a place. The island of Demonreach has genius loci, also named Demonreach, which is omniscient regarding the island. Wizards can form a spiritual connection with a genius loci and the place it represents.[citation needed]
The Rivers of London series of novels by Ben Aaronovitch feature many beings described as genii locorum, primarily those of the River Thames and its tributaries.[6]
See also
- Jinn
- Kami
- Landvættir
- Seonangshin, Korean equivalent
- Shekhinah
- Spirit house
- Tomte
- Tuatha Dé Danann
- Chinese versions
- Cheng Huang Gong (City God), Chinese official urban equivalent
- Tu Di Gong(Earth Deity), Chinese locality equivalent
- Landlord deity (Landlord deity), Chinese equivalent for small regions like buildings
- Tutelary deity
- Zashiki-warashi
- Zeitgeist
References
- ^ Number is for the city of Rome, cf. Plin. Nat. Hist. III, 66
- ^ Woolf, Greg. (2008). "Divinity and Power in Ancient Rome" in Religion and Power: Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond. Nicole Brisch (ed.)(Oriental Institute Seminars No. 4), Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
- ^ Toynbee, J. M. C. (1978). "Two Romano-British Genii", in Britannia, Vol. 9, p. 330. London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies.
- ISBN 0-618-25760-8
- OCLC 50232054.
- OCLC 1263816005.
Further reading
- Patterson, Barry (2005). The Art of Conversation with the Genius Loci. Cappall Bann Books. ISBN 1-86163-169-3.