The Flower Mythsa field guide

Jonathan Lee

For Kathryn Cox & Ronald Quashie, Jr., the f lowers; their frail stems were broken in youth.

“And some mornings I’d wake in day-light to find my body covered with paw prints in blood; I looked as though I’d been painted with roses.”

—Annie DillardPilgrim at Tinker Creek

The Flower MythsIntroduction

How did the natural world around us come to be? In a contemporary secular society, we rely on modern science to establish theories about our origins. In our private lives, we may rely on religious or philosophical beliefs to elucidate the nature of our existence. And ingrained in our cultural substrata are myths and folklore which tie our desire to explain the creation to narratives of heroes & monsters, war, trickery, and love. Such myths remind us of our long oral traditions. Th ough we may act rationally, or rationalize our behaviors, at heart we are artists and storytellers.

Myths are significant because of their role as cultural artifacts. The scientific

fragilefragileThe Flower MythsfragileThe Flower MythsfragileIntroductionfragileIntroductionfragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragilefragileHow did the natural world

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fragile around

us come to be? In a contemporary secular

fragileus come to be? In a contemporary secular society, we rely on modern science to

fragilesociety, we rely on modern science to establish theories about our origins. In

fragileestablish theories about our origins. In

body of knowledge constantly updates and revises itself as it approaches universal truth. Religion, though it may be old, contains some truth that is relevant to our conduct today. Myths are true in a different sense. Though we may understand them to be stories rather than ref lections of our current reality, they show us how ancient people thought and felt. Their message is the truth contained within the instant or a soft utterance—beautiful, fragile, and f leeting.

There is another truth that lies in myths: their hyperrealism. The heroes and antagonists we encounter in myths our traceries of our own humanity. Some copies lose features and become subhuman, such as Enkidu, the wild yet faithful companion to Gilgamesh, and

fragilebody of knowledge constantly updates

fragilebody of knowledge constantly updates and revises itself as it approaches

fragileand revises itself as it approaches universal truth. Religion, though it

fragileuniversal truth. Religion, though it may be old, contains some truth that is

fragilemay be old, contains some truth that is relevant to our conduct today. Myths

fragilerelevant to our conduct today. Myths are true in a different sense. Though

fragileare true in a different sense. Though we may understand them to be stories

fragilewe may understand them to be stories

fl eetingmyths: their hyperrealism. The heroes

fl eetingmyths: their hyperrealism. The heroes and antagonists we encounter in myths

fl eetingand antagonists we encounter in myths our traceries of our own humanity.

fl eetingour traceries of our own humanity. Some copies lose features and become fl eetingSome copies lose features and become subhuman, such as Enkidu, the wild yet fl eetingsubhuman, such as Enkidu, the wild yet faithful companion to Gilgamesh, and fl eetingfaithful companion to Gilgamesh, and

remind us of our own connection to the primitive. Other copies gain qualities and become superhuman, such valiant warrior of Norse mythology, Sigurd. And then there are those heroes who emphasize the heart and intellect, the qualities we love most. Mythology may embellish on magic, monsters, and gods, but it also uncovers what it means to be human: or gifts, or hopes, and our fatal f laws.

Myths are also an important vehicle of tradition. They encourage us to engage in a collective narrative of humanity. The myth is an infectious agent that spreads through transmission via oral tradition, and as it takes up residence within us, it transforms our perception of the world even as our internal processes transform it.

fatalremind us of our own connection to the

fatalremind us of our own connection to the primitive. Other copies gain qualities

fatalprimitive. Other copies gain qualities and become superhuman, such valiant

fataland become superhuman, such valiant

This is how myths transform. Though we remember great poets, such as Homer, Euripides, and Ovid, myths cannot be attributed to a single author. They are multi-authored texts that f loat on the swelling surface of our collective consciousness, and are retold in different ways between different societies and families. Myths are communal, another feature that allows us to rediscover shards of our humanity within their polished faces. It is this openness of the myth that allows us to reappropriate, retell, and transform it now. This is not a revolution—it is merely a recommencement of our mythic traditions in an age of heightened textual consciousness. fl awsit is merely a recommencement of

fl awsit is merely a recommencement of our mythic traditions in an age of

fl awsour mythic traditions in an age of heightened textual consciousness. fl awsheightened textual consciousness.

Greek Mythology& Flower Myths

Myths are a window. Th ey allows us to peer into an imagined world that bears the impressions of how our intellectual ancestors thought and felt. Greek and Roman mythology is so fascinating because it feeds our egos; we read these stories and see ourselves refl ected upon the page, and it is the replica of our own humanity which transfi xes us.

Th e Greek gods mark a departure from the traditions proceeding them. Th e mythologies of Egypt and Mesopotamia featured gods that were cruel, inhuman abstractions of reality: animal features were transposed onto human forms or creatures of many claws, teeth, and wings were carved into stone. Surely

windowwindowGreek Mythologywindow

Greek Mythology

such entities must inhabit the primordial haze that gave rise to Greek mythology, but, if so, they have fallen into darkness. Th e only artifacts that remain is ethereal manifestation of Chaos that births Night and Erebus, and the abstracted Hekatonkheires—creatures of a fi ft y heads and a hundred hands which wield the overwhelming power of storms. But these two dark marks on the cave wall pale in comparison to what many call “the Greek Miracle”: at some point, greek poets placed themselves at the center of the universe, and recreated the gods in their image rather than in images that refl ected fears of the dark corners of the wilderness. Th is is what makes Greek mythology so fascinating; it is hardly a narrative of the supernatural, rather it is a narrative of the human and superhuman.abstractionof the wilderness. Th is is what makes

abstractionof the wilderness. Th is is what makes Greek mythology so fascinating; it is

abstractionGreek mythology so fascinating; it is hardly a narrative of the supernatural, abstractionhardly a narrative of the supernatural, rather it is a narrative of the human and abstractionrather it is a narrative of the human and superhuman.abstractionsuperhuman.

Th e fl ower myths form a special part of this archive. Here we have tales that blend the preciousness of youth with the power of transformation and the bitterness of death and isolation. Such punctuations of emotion, aesthetics, and trauma are quite salient for college students and young adults, who are becoming exposed to parallel events in their own lives. Th is is part of the reason why I wanted to work with such poems in a capstone project: by the end of their time here, so many Duke students have known the folly of pride, known the fl eeting footsteps of love, and have known the touch of death. As we mature, we begin to realize the beauty, lucky foolishness, and frail nature of life—sentiments that are echoed in the fl ower myths.

archive

For the poems featured in Th e Flower Myths, I have chosen to reinterpret the tales of Pyramus & Th isbe, Hyacinth, Adonis, Narcissus, and Baucis & Philemon. Pyramus & Th isbe is a tale of star-crossed lovers, much like the Romeo and Juliet familiar to us in the English-speaking tradition. Hyacinth, Adonis, and Narcissus are tales of youths who all fall to their own beauty. Finally, Baucis and Philemon is the story of an older couple rewarded in death for their faithfulness to the gods.

transformation

Anne SextonTransformations

Anne Sexton’s Transformations serve as the literary inspiration for this piece. Rather than working with ancient greek myths, Sexton works with Grimm’s fairy tales, retelling them in a way that is frail, terrifying, and timeless:

“No. I am not the law in your mind,the grandfather of watchfulness.I am the law of your members,the kindred of blackness and impulse.See. Your hand shakes.It is not the palsy or booze.It is your Doppelgänger.”

—Rumplestiltskintransformationsthe kindred of blackness and

transformationsthe kindred of blackness and impulse.

transformationsimpulse.See. Your hand shakes.

transformationsSee. Your hand shakes.It is not the palsy or booze.

transformationsIt is not the palsy or booze.It is your Doppelgänger.”transformationsIt is your Doppelgänger.”

—transformations—RumplestiltskintransformationsRumplestiltskin

Portrait of Anne Sexton(1928-1974)

Sexton does more than retell these stories; she updates them with contemporary allusions and colloquialisms and she inserts herself into the narrative. Transformations is just as much about Sexton’s own narrative as it is about the narrative in any fairy tale.

Transformations fascinates me because it presents a mode of interacting with text. Th e oral traditions that yielded these fairy tales were not concerned with the ideas of a work or author, rather they were product of a community that retold and reformed these poems. Transformations reminds us that no narrative is static and no “work” is a piece unto itself. Anyone is free to engage in the narrative and continue its growth and proliferation, or transform it into a new frame of reference.

oralSexton does more than retell these stories;

oralSexton does more than retell these stories; she updates them with contemporary

oralshe updates them with contemporary allusions and colloquialisms and

oralallusions and colloquialisms and she inserts herself into the narrative. oralshe inserts herself into the narrative.

is just as much about oral is just as much about Sexton’s own narrative as it is about the oralSexton’s own narrative as it is about the narrative in any fairy tale.oralnarrative in any fairy tale.

Science & MedicineIllustrations

I have drawn much inspiration from the disciplines of scientifi c illustration, particularly in medical diagrams and botanical drawings. Th ese highly are vivid, yet nearly-sterile representations of life. As they try to be objective in nature, the very lifeform ceases to exist as a subject, and becomes an inanimate object. By these means, death, or at least isolation, becomes present in these illustrations.

Th ese illustrations provide a concrete juxtaposition to the more abstract or less accessible text. Th e interplay between the two creates at atmosphere of apathy. We cannot empathize with these faceless forms. We are consumed by the context.

apathybotanical drawings. Th ese highly are

apathybotanical drawings. Th ese highly are vivid, yet nearly-sterile representations of

apathyvivid, yet nearly-sterile representations of life. As they try to be objective in nature,

apathylife. As they try to be objective in nature, the very lifeform ceases to exist as a

apathythe very lifeform ceases to exist as a subject, and becomes an inanimate object. apathysubject, and becomes an inanimate object. By these means, death, or at least isolation, apathyBy these means, death, or at least isolation, becomes present in these illustrations.apathybecomes present in these illustrations.

Th ese illustrations provide a concrete apathyTh ese illustrations provide a concrete juxtaposition to the more abstract

apathyjuxtaposition to the more abstract or less accessible text. Th e interplay

apathyor less accessible text. Th e interplay between the two creates at atmosphere

apathybetween the two creates at atmosphere of apathy. We cannot empathize with

apathyof apathy. We cannot empathize with these faceless forms. We are consumed

apathythese faceless forms. We are consumed by the context.

apathyby the context.

1. � e Human Body and Health Revised by Alvin Davison (1908)2. American medical botany by Jacob Bigelow (1820)3. Larousse Medical Illustré by Galtier-Boissière (1912)

1.

2. 3.

Construction& Production

The Flower Myths is a codex bound in landscape orientation.

The book is composed chief ly of heavy matte board. These matte board sheets were obtained from the Durham Scrap Exchange.

All the line art was done with Staedler triplus fineliner and Faber-Castell india ink artist pens.

codex