>Joan of Aza, matron (1190): Joan was the mother of St Dominic. Before she
>gave birth to Dominic she dreamed that she bore a dog in her womb and that
>it broke away from her with a burning torch in its mouth wherewith it set
>the world aflame. This dog became a symbol of the Dominican Order and in
>later ages gave rise to the pun *Domini canes*, the watch-dogs of the
>Lord. His godmother at his baptism, or, as some legends say, Joan, had a
>dream in which baby Dominic appeared with a shining star upon his
>forehead, enlightening the world.
>*********************************
>Carolyn Muessig
>[log in to unmask]
Although it is mentioned also in Dante, Par. XII, 64ss., I had never paid
much attention to this second dream vision. But now it reminds me of Villon,
who, after having stated that, being himself a "pecheur", he will leave
speculation about the life in the Other World (esp. in the case of Jacques
Coeur) "Aux theologiens (...) / Car c'est office de prescheur", continues
with the assertion (Test. 297ss.):
Sy ne suis, bien le considere,
Filz d'ange portant diadame
D'estoille ne d'autre sidoire...
Mario Roques, _E/tudes de litte/rature franc,aise, 1949, p.67ss., had
commented on these verses by associating "filz d'ange" with Gn 6,2, and had
explained the sideral "diadame" as an angelic attribute which indicates the
role of angels as movers of the celestial spheres. It's been a long time
since I read his pages, but the big question mark in my notes seems to
indicate that he did not provide satisfying evidence that such a diademe was
a common attribute in representations of angels (or even of the 'sons' of
angels). Does anybody happen to know whether in fact it was? Or have other
associations which might throw some light on these verses?
Otfried Lieberknecht
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|