The Organ of Marvelousness - Celeste Olalquiaga

words:

portentous: done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress

interregnum: period of discontinuity in a government, organization, or social order

scopophila: the pleasure of looking

laicization: secularization; the process that takes the licit use of powers, rights, and authority from a priest or other cleric

quotes:

"Immersed in a perspective of the world that saw in both organic and human creations the physical manifestation of a mysterious cosmic force, the "age of wonder" anchored all transcendental implications to their earthly correspondents in such a way that, for almost three hundred years, things enjoyed an unprecedented autonomy as purveyors of the enigmas of the universe." (pg 211)

"This produced that awareness of human insignificance in the face of cosmic magnitude known as a feeling of awe or wonder, best described as a state of suspension, of "held breath" - a literal arresting of the emotions." (pg 212)

"This is because marvels' appeal lay in their peculiar mix of the unknown and the mythological, whose poetic impact superseded the religious meanings that Christianity attempted to impose on them, freeing mirabilia to ride on the wings of imagination to the most esoteric meanings their novel appearances could inspire." (pg 215)

"The fragmentary aspect of these remains (as of all collectible naturalia) is fundamental for the imaginative projection that accompanies them, since fragments carry an implicit invitation to be restored to the totality from which they came." (pg 221)

thoughts:

• pgs 211-214: the display of relics, mirabilia, and naturalia in the Middle Ages and the term "age of wonder" in general; the visual display of natural history; the entire second paragraph on page 214
• pg 212: the ceraunic stone - claimed to be the concretization of thunder. the idea that anything intangible can have a tangible representation; the human need to see and touch and define
• pgs 214-215: Middle Ages' embalmed crocodiles tied with chains and hung from church ceilings signified mysteries of divine power and served as guardians to thwart other evils
• pg 219: actual body parts and whole bodies were treated as relics collected in the 16th and 17th centuries
• pg 223: examples of fake marvels like "ave manucodiata" whose legs were cut off to fit the legend; the history of searching for mystery/requiring something unknown for satisfaction