| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Call of the Wild by Jack London: over, fetching the ground on his back and side. He had never been
struck by a club in his life, and did not understand. With a
snarl that was part bark and more scream he was again on his feet
and launched into the air. And again the shock came and he was
brought crushingly to the ground. This time he was aware that it
was the club, but his madness knew no caution. A dozen times he
charged, and as often the club broke the charge and smashed him
down.
After a particularly fierce blow, he crawled to his feet, too
dazed to rush. He staggered limply about, the blood flowing from
nose and mouth and ears, his beautiful coat sprayed and flecked
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: Greenwichers. They don't get enough tennis. They don't get
enough walking in the open places. Gosh, no! I know better
than to fall for that kind of thing. They spend hours
talking to each other, in dim-lighted attics, about Souls,
and Society, and the Joy of Life, and the Greater Good. And
they know all about each other's insides. They talk
themselves out, and there's nothing left to write about. A
little of that kind of thing purges and cleanses. Too much
of it poisons, and clogs. No, ma'am! When I want to talk I
go down and chin with the foreman of our composing room.
There's a chap that has what I call conversation. A
Fanny Herself |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Paradise Lost by John Milton: And snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw,
Boreas, and Caecias, and Argestes loud,
And Thrascias, rend the woods, and seas upturn;
With adverse blast upturns them from the south
Notus, and Afer black with thunderous clouds
From Serraliona; thwart of these, as fierce,
Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent winds,
Eurus and Zephyr, with their lateral noise,
Sirocco and Libecchio. Thus began
Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first,
Daughter of Sin, among the irrational
Paradise Lost |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: attendants at the same time. All these ceremonial observances can still be
studied on the Japanese stage.
[3] This was the name given to the estrade, or dais, upon which a feudal
prince or ruler sat in state. The term literally signifies "great seat."
RIKI-BAKA
(1) Kana: the Japanese phonetic alphabet.
(2) "So-and-so": appellation used by Hearn in place of the real name.
(3) A section of Tokyo.
[1] A square piece of cotton-goods, or other woven material, used as a
wrapper in which to carry small packages.
(4) Ten yen is nothing now, but was a formidable sum then.
Kwaidan |
