Creation, Man and the Messiah

Creation, Man and the Messiah (Norwegian: Skabelsen, mennesket og Messias - et digt) is the title of an epic poem written by the Norwegian poet Henrik Wergeland in 1829. The scale of the poem invited criticism, especially by Wergeland's counterpart, Johan Sebastian Welhaven. In 1845, while on his deathbed, Wergeland revised the poem and republished it under the title Man (Norwegian: mennesket) .

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Jon: There's this crazy story at the beginning of the Bible we have Adam and Eve and they in there in the Garden of Eden. Tim: And everything in the garden is great exactly is it should be except there's this one tree that they're told by God not to eat from because it's dangerous and it will kill them. Jon: So that's it, just avoid this fruit tree and we are fine? Tim: Right, it seems pretty simple. But in this garden there's a snake and it starts telling a different story. It says that if you eat of this tree it is not going to kill you in fact it's going to make you become like God. Jon: And Adam and Eve, they believe the snake and the the fruit. Tim: And because it is this the goodness of the garden is tragically lost and the evil and death enters into God's good world. Jon: Now, why is there a talking snake in the garden? I mean this thing is a problem. Tim: Yeah, it is very strange, and even more strange is the fact that the Bible doesn't say why or how this thing even got there. It simply presents the snake as this creature who's in rebellion against God and wants to get other people to doubt God's goodness and lead them on a path toward death. And so whatever this snake is, it's the source of evil that pervades our world and our lives even still today Jon: But there is some hope because right here in the story God makes this really interesting promise to Adam and Eve. Tim: That someone is going to come in the future, a son of Eve, and this guys gonna common is gonna crash the Serpent's head and destroy evil at its source. However during this battle t he serpent is going to bite this guy's heal. Jon: So it's like I'm mutual destruction Tim: Yes. It is a strange and beautiful promise and just hanging there until the next key moment in the story... ...when God singled out this guy named Abraham and says that through his family goodness and blessing is going to be restored back to all of the nations in the world and as we follow this family we get to one of Abraham's great-grandsons, this guy named Judah. and he receives this promise that a king is going to come from his line and that the whole world is going to follow this king, and he's going to bring peace and harmony and there will be lots of food and wine and milk in vineyard and it's going to be awesome. Jon: The first king that we meet from the line of Judah is a guy named King David and he's a hero maybe he is the Snake Crusher Tim: But it turns out that David is infected with the same evil as the rest of humanity. He never crushes the snake just the opposite. However God makes a promise to David that this king is going to eventually come from his line. But as you go on in the story one by one each generation of his sons they're just total chumps they give in to the snake, they choose evil they go after money and sex and power and following other gods. Jon: Things get so bad that they run the nation of Israel right into the ground and the big bad Empire of Babylon just takes them out. Tim: So now there are no more Kings to even fulfill this promise. Jon: So seems like the whole plan is lost. Tim: But during these dark days there's these crazy group of guys called Prophets and they kept talking about this coming King and reminding us of the promise that he'll come he will defeat evil and restore the garden. Now one specific profit Isaiah - he tells us more about why this King is bitten Isaiah says that the promised King receives this wound because of humanity's evil, and that it kills him. But then all of a sudden he comes back and Isaiah says that is because he suffered this wound that he can now become a source of healing to other people. Jon: But the Old Testament ends and the snake crushing King that everyone's been talking about never shows up. Tim: And that is why when the New Testament begins it introduces us to Jesus of Nazareth not as some random guy but as someone who comes to fulfill these specific ancient promises. Jon: Yeah, we learn that he's from the line of David, Judah, and Abraham. Tim: And he goes around Israel announcing that the goodness of God's kingdom is here now and he begins confronting the affects of evil on people by healing them by forgiving them of their sins and evil Jon: Many people are now believing that this is in fact the promised King Tim: Bit Jesus began telling his closest followers that he was going to become king and bring peace by taking the full effect if humanity's evil into himself. Jon: That fatal snake bite wound. Tim: And so it seems like the serpent wins and this story actually would be a tragedy except for what happens next. Jesus rises from the dead. Jon: A nd now Jesus has the power over evil and death for himself. Tim: So the rest at the New Testament is then making this claim the Jesus' power over evil and death has now become available to us to begin confronting the effects evil in our own lives. Jon: But even still, death and evil are a real problem in our world all around us. Tim: And so the story of the Bible ends by describing this future day when Jesus comes back and he finishes the job. He destroys the snake once and for all, and he restores the goodness at the garden here on earth

Creation

The two spirits

The poem starts out at the beginning of history, with two spirits watching and arguing over the newly created earth. One of them, Phun-Abiriel, is dismayed, because he is eager to create on his own, but unlike God, his thoughts do not take shape. In the process, he also wishes to see God, but can't. Phun-Abiriel's friend, Ohebiel, patiently explains to him that the spirits are not able to see the eternal, and that Phun-Abiriel is considered a newborn spirit or a rash youth. Anyway, Ohebiel loves him, but can't help him from brooding. As they talk, the heavenly host approaches, led by the eldest of spirits, Akadiel.

Life on earth

Then, Akadiel and the host witness the birth of life, as recalled in Genesis, over a period of six days. At the end of this part, Akadiel holds his speech to the still-sleeping human couple, demanding of them that they shall be rulers over themselves first, and then over the creation as such, and honour God in the creation and in themselves.

The soul-giving

Phun-Abiriel (his names formed of the names Phuniel and Abiriel, telling of the two sides of his character), still broods over the sleeping humans below him. He makes up his mind that he would rather rule the earth as a man than be the most lowly of heavenly spirits. He decides he will become the soul of the sleeping man, and the little "geist" that were in man before him, shall become "dream", as he himself will be called "thought". Phun-Abiriel then descends and merges with the sleeping Adam, and as this happens, he ultimately forgets his spiritual self and his background. Ohebiel, watching this, despairs, and wonders what will happen if the woman awakes without soul, and what kind of monster would come from the union of the two. To hinder this, she merges with Eve, after the advice of Akadiel, and she sacrifices herself on behalf of humanity with the words: "Man, hope!" The history of humanity, at this point, can proceed as planned.

The bewildering

This second part is the longest section of the epic poem. It follows the life of Adam and Eve, and their recognition as kindred spirits; this section also details Adam's fall in pride and Wergeland's version of the fall of man, here solely on the male account. Then, there are parts of Biblical history detailed, such as Cain and Abel, the great flood, and so on.

Origin of lordships

This part consists of two monologues, one considering secular power, and one considering clerical power, over people's goods and thoughts.

Glimpses of light: the Golden Age

This part tells of the archetypical man, who is both a king and a sage, along with a culture-hero, who teaches people to build cities, till the earth, govern justly and look into themselves for the truth. The woman teaches people agriculture, and is hailed as Isis, Ceres, Frigga and Athena. The man is hailed as Osiris, Crishna, Fu Hsi in China, Baal, Odin, Tuisto, Dionysus, Herakles, Zeus and Saturn.

As Man works to enlighten humanity, he is also acknowledged as Kneph, Akhar, Zerouane-Akherene, Huang Di, Fta (Siamese ephitet to deities), Nyame, Kutka, Sommonadokom, Allfađir and eventually Eloah. In the process, the vedam, the Zen, the I Ching, and the ten commandments are established as laws and guidelines. The last names to be given of this amalgam of earthly wisdom are: Hermes, Mimir, Zerdust, Yu the Great, Yao (ruler), Buddha, Manu (Hinduism), Confucius and Moses.

In the end, Akadiel approaches and foretells how this golden age of wisdom and prosperity eventually will corrupt itself to the Iron Age, with chained thralls and manipulation. He then tells that humanity, the "abiriels", eventually will rise and cast off their chains, to make a new priesthood in freedom and brotherly love.

Ruling classes

This part is a return to the theme of the lords and the priests, telling of exploitation and greed on behalf of the few. The voices from the people answer the demands of the lordships.

Interlude of hearts

This part contains scenes of romance, telling how individuals in love with one another can disregard their own potential differences between casts and classes.

Power and deceit

This section tells how the rulers and priests continue their treatment of ordinary people by means of practices such as human sacrifice and dictatorship. This part contains 28 different scenes.

Breakthrough for the human spirit

Philosophers, mostly Greeks, are introduced into the epic poem here; among them are Epicurus, Democritus, Aristotle and Plato. Plato is hailed by Akadiel as the one who perceives most clearly God's overall plan for humanity and the coming of Christ. Also, some of the Jewish sects are introduced, such as the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In the end, the prophet Mika foretells the coming of Christ.

Heaven and Hell

This part tells how Wergeland envisioned the difference between the blessed and the unblessed. Characters from the "power and deceit" section are introduced again; as the tortured ones rejoice, the former rulers recognize themselves as condemned, although they are all in the same place. In Wergeland's spirit-world, hell is a personal state of circumstances.

Salvation

This third main part concentrates mostly on Jesus and the story afterwards. Jesus is introduced mourning the history of the human race and their toils; he is comforted by Akadiel. Under Akadiel's guidance, Jesus walks out to his task, in a sequence based closely on the gospels. During this section, Jesus delivers a speech, based loosely on the Sermon on the Mount, where he tells the human spirit to acknowledge itself as what it is, through love.

This last section of the poem was written for the revised version of 1845.

First great victory of Christianity

The ironic title of this section refers to the Roman Empire`s transition to Christianity in the fourth century. Wergeland states that the Roman emperor is getting troubled by this sudden onset of peaceful ideology and the denial of power. The emperor then decides to get baptized, because he will then have sway over his people once more. The peaceful approach of Christianity, says Wergeland, is toppled and abused by the powers that be.

Spiritual resurrection of Christ

Here, the poet himself appears, sitting on a hilltop easter morning and contemplating the turn of events the last 1845 years from the coming of Christ to the then-present day. Akadiel addresses Wergeland, and the poet is allowed a glimpse one thousand years into the future as a means of seeing the conditions the world and humanity are in at that time. He awakens every century to see for himself what has happened and witnesses spiritual and political progress and liberation. The conditions he sees include the end of slavery; the liberation of women; and all Christian fractions merging into one, thus making the papacy obsolete, as the last pope dies 600 years from 1845. Eventually, all humanity becomes "Christian, each according to the colour of his own character". The poem ends in a praise to God, and the poet awakes, reconciled.

Differences between the 1829 and 1845 versions

Akadiel of the 1845 rendition of this poem was named Messiah in 1829. This made a distinction between Jesus and Messiah, which was not tolerated by the church at the time. The early version was also more dualistic in approach than the later version.

Primary Source

Wergeland, Henrik Skabelsen, mennesket og Messias (Svein Sandnes Bokforlag. 2008) ISBN 9788292945001

Other sources

Flom, George T. Scandinavian Studies and Notes (Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study, Volume 5, page 174. 1920) [1]
Grøndahl, Illit Henrik Wergeland, the Norwegian poet (BiblioBazaar, 2009) ISBN 978-1115014830

External links

This page was last edited on 23 August 2021, at 21:03

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