114 RES3 SPRING82

ofthe
Juande Flandes's"The Beheading
Art
and
(Geneva,
Baptist"
History
is apparent
Museum).A modernsensibility
inthepainting:
thecruelmaidenis seen
as a mallarmesque,
cold,starlike
virgin.
Thepeacockoffers
theemblematic
keyto
it
thescene.In alchemicalsymbology
stoodfortheextraction
ofthecelestial
essence.

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The

art

of

losing

one's

head

ELMIRE ZOLLA

Certainscenariosare like nodal pointsin a general

icons. A bold youthparadingthe
systemof interrelated
severedhead of an old hag is one such node. Itsbestknownvariationis Perseusholdingup on display
Medusa's transfixing
gaze. The motifis reversedwhen a
girlexhibitsthe head of an old man, such as Herodias
or Salome in the act of carryingSt. Johnthe Baptist's
head offon a tray.
This lattericon symbolizesthe feastof St. Johnthe
Baptistand midsummer'sday. The sacrificeof the
prophetpreparedthe Oncoming of the new
of the lastear of
Dispensation,just as the harvesting
corn hails the new solstitialorder.The astrologicalsign
of Virgo,the maiden proffering
an ear of corn, is but a
At
variationon the theme. Eleusisthe priestess,Virgolike,showed the initiatea severedspike of corn. Virgo
withMedusa; she wore Medusa's
was also identified
to ward off
maskas Proserpine-in-the-nether-world
intruders.
The icon of the youngman brandishingMedusa's
head symbolizesthe signopposite Virgoon the zodiac,
Pisces,when a god of dawn or Dawn's fiance LuciferMorningstarputsan end to the darkand chillyseason
old hag frozenaturewith
duringwhich the frightening
herdeadly stare.The crone of Pisces is the same
midsummermaiden growndecrepit,and heryouthful
slayeris none otherthanthe rejuvenatedsolar hero
whom she slew as an old man underVirgo.The two go
on unceasinglyturningtables on each other,fromthe
to the somberslough of winter's
peak of harvesttime
termand back, frommidsummermadnessto carnival
insisted
follyforever and ever. Greek mythographers
thatPerseusslice offMedusa's head witha golden
sickle.Atthe end of winterthe solar hero calls itquits
the sunforthe harvestsacrificeof the sun's offspring,
drenchedears of corn.
The two storiescan be told in termsof lovemaking
ratherthanassassination,in which case the old hag
loses her head over a saucy youngblood, while a
dotingold man loses his over a nymphet,unless it is
the latterwho dotes on a dismissiveold gentleman,and
out of spite insistson obtaininghis head on a platter.
Shrovetidejokes included makingfunof salacious
cronesand of fastoldsters.Carnivalsare repeatedin
midsummer;Virgocelebratesthe wake fordeparted
summerjust as Pisces does fordeceased winter.Both
LuciferunderPisces and Oberon in midsummerare

epicene. Leonardo's St. Johnthe Baptistis an

androgyne.The hidden'sideof lifesurfacesat the turn
of the season. In the Diwan Shams-iTabriziRum
suggests:
ask the severed head about thesecretsof theheart
In a Sh'a versionof the Baptist'slegend,Herod's
spirituallordswarn himthatifthe prophet'sblood is
drought.The
spilled upon the earth,the land will suffer
clever old lecherordersthe head to be chopped off
and spillsover.
over a tray,but the blood boils, froths,
reenacted
The scene seems to be
yearlyin Naples
the
when the bishop raises
phial containingthe blood
of St. Januarius,anotherholy man beheaded by a
and the contentsstartbubblingamid the shrieks
tyrant,
of women bystanders.A Gnosticmasterof the first
century,Marcus,held up to his priestessesa cup of
eucharisticwine, which startedto bubble, and the sight
threwthemintoa swoon.
A charmingtreatment
of the motifis the Balinese
by the
frogdance, which was originallyperformed
guild of courtesans.The kingof the frogspays courtship
to a nymph,who yieldsto him but laterfallsfora
lovelyyoungprinceof whom, in exchangeforher
caresses,she requestsherformersuitor'shead upon a
tray.When the ancientcustomsare stillupheld,the
dancing girlfinallyinvitesone of the onlookersto join
her in the dance, which means thathe shall stayforthe
nightand thatshe will see to itthathe loses his head
over her,like the kingof the frogs.
In Egyptfrogs,being tadpoles transmuted,
stood for
The
creator
cosmic, pivotalchanges.
god (Khnoum)was
also the kingof the frogs.His son (Ptah)was the
Golden Frog,and lamps made in his shape were
The froggessHekat
inscribed:"I am the Resurrection."
was his dark lady,who turnedintohis fairlady by
sloughingherfrogginess.
of the
Fromthe shoresof Bali to the embankments
few
have
been
a
must
Nile,
adepts
capable throughthe
in
of
ages readingblessings beheadingsand sloughings.
Theycan be the workof the swordof Gnosis,which
The VishnuPurana
freesfromall earthlylimitations.
and the Mahabhrataoffera Gnostic-likeinterpretation
of Namuci's beheadingby the god Indra.The storyof
the old hag and the dashingblood also appears in the
Indracycle. Indrahas to kissa bald, scaly seeress,
replantherwomb, and plantherfather'shead in a

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116 RES3 SPRING82

field,in orderto tastesoma, the divine intoxicant,

wisdom.
Indianicons of the supremegoddess blend the
variousscenes intoone. As Durga the Beheaded, she is
depictedcuttingoffherown head while at the same
time,withanotherbody,couplingwithShiva. As Kali
she raisesthe head of Raktabja,Seed-of-Blood,letting
his blood, the source of all desires,drip intoa skullthat
she holds forth- a symbolof action transformed
into
contemplation.Kali can also be shown as a laughing,
naked girlstickingout hertongue like Medusa. To
show one's tongueis an eroticenticementand a
challenge(I'll lickyou); it suggeststhe pantingintensity
of wrath,love, or spiritpossession. Yoginswind their
tonguesroundtheirchins. The darlinglittletongue
danglerhas threeintoxicatedeyes to denote thatshe is
at the same timeasleep, dreaming,and awake, beyond
all opposites.
The archetypepersiststhroughthe ages. The idea of
a girldisportingherselfwithan elderlyman's head and
of a youthgrabbingan old woman's head by the hair
eternallyholds sway over men's minds.In modern
literature
mostpoets have agreed thatHerodias-Salome
musthave been madlyin love withSt. Johnthe Baptist.
Some have detectedan epicene strainin him; others
have feltthatshe is a cold, unwomanlyvirgin.
Mallarm'sHrodiade describesheras a starry,
metallic,quiveringmaid, a Narcissus,"a mournful
flowergrowingsolitary,withno emotion/Savethatof
beholdingin apathyher shadow upon waters." She
fearsthe sightof Venus-Morn
ingstarin the sky.
Mallarm'sBaptistinsteadis he who dares lose his
head and be transformed
intothe Sun of wisdom. He
entonesthisresponsory:
The supernaturalstop
Of the sun exhaltsbut
As soon as it alights
Incandescent
I feel as ifat myvertebrae
Shadows extended
A-shudder
In unison
And myhead rises
As a solitarysentinel
Amidthissickle's
Triumphalflights
A trenchantbreach
Ratherwould itcheck or cut short

Those old misunderstandings

Withthe body
Than drunkwithfasts
Insiston following
In a haggardbound
Itspure gaze
High up where cold
Eternaladmitsnot
That you surpassit
All of you glaciers
But in accordance witha baptism
Enlightenedat the same
Principlewhich chose me
Bends in welcome.
The solstitialsun causes the harvesting
sickle to slash
throughthe prophet'sneck. The prophetwelcomes the
law of the sun, ratherthanseek a deadly, icy
disembodiment.
Mallarmspeaks as thoughentranced,allowingdim
intuitions
to exhale in a twilighttrickster
language/and
archetypaltruthsare thusstrangelyleaked out.
Thereare moredirectways of exploringthe mystery,
but theyimplyrunningmortaldangers.Medieval
sorceryofferedto teach the artof losingone's head,
especially on midsummernights,when the Wild Hunt
was imaginedchargingthroughthe land, withthe
thumpingof hooves, the clashingof swords,the
neighingof steeds,the blastsof horns,and the howls of
savage women and warriors.On her pale horse rode
She, called Diana, Titania,Herodias, Holda, Hilda,
Hella, Morrigain,Morgan le Fay, Little-Girl-andWithered-Hagin one. Her mate was a strangetwilight
creaturein motley,witha black mask or at least a
black patch over one eye: Hellekin,Harlequin,Woden,
Oberon. Call on the moon, on the eveningstar,
partake
of the brothwhere the rightweeds have been boiled,
and you shall lose yourhead, flyoff,and join the
retinue.
Yet itshall not be a disembodiment,"a haggard
bound," as Mallarmobscurelyunderstood.
The famousalchemistvan Helmontdared putthe tip
of his tongueto one of the mostfamousof witches'
weeds, aconitumnapellus. His head became numb,
and out of his heartthoughtsand feelingsstarted
emerging.He had lost his head and foundhis heart,
and withit incredibleclarity,intensity,
and peace.
It all eventuallywore off,but the blessingof vivid,
sweet dreamsremainedwithhimfora long time.

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Zolla: Theartoflosingone's head 117

Perseusbrandishing
a goldensickle,
fromCampania(Italy),
460-450 B.C. (MadridArchaeological
Krater
Museum),
representing
whileHermesassists,holding
hisdeed fromAthena,
theorderto perform
aboutto beheadMedusa.He avertshishead,receiving
a dancingpose.
The bentkneesoftheherosuggest
moment.
hiscaduceusas ifto consecrate
themetamorphic

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