Potestate quam Daemones habent intelligendi.

The title page is as good a place as any to start.

Foucault's Pendulum falls into ten parts named for the sephirot, commencing at Keter, finishing at Malkut. Though it is not quite that straightforward, because nobody could be so immersed in Borges as Eco and not engage in some 'serpent-swallowing-tail'.

I have always loved the version of the Tree of Life in the book, but have never tried to trace it until this afternoon (being the Equinox), and the weekend of Yom Kippur. An image search led me to a copy of 'De Divinis Attributis quae Sephirot ab Hebrais nuncupantur eisudem; De Causis Antipathias et Sympathiae Rerum Naturalium, eisudem de modo et potestate quam Daemones habent intelligendi, ac commouendi conceptus animae, passionisque appetitus' (Venice, Dominicum de Farris 1589) of Caesar Aevolus, or Evoli, in an online catalogue for an auction held in 2003.

On the path between Netzach and Hod is a menorah and the Ark; from Chokmah appear rays, or a cast shadow; in the reproduction in the novel, it is perhaps not clear whether this is a blemish, but in the original it is clearly deliberate.

Julius Evola haunts the novel in a variety of ways; I doubt Eco chose Ceasre Evoli's illustration by chance. I'm not aware of the link ever being made before.

I take this as a blessing on our enterprise.

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She called the Devil by the Name of Bunne: The Faversham Witches (1645).

The Examination, Confession, Trial and Execution of Joan Williford, Joan Cariden and Jane Holt. Who were executed at Faversham in Kent for being Witches, on Monday the 29. of September, 1645. Being a true copy of their evil lives and wicked deeds, taken by the Mayor of Faversham and jurors for the said inquest. With the examination and confession of Elizabeth Harris, not yet executed. All attested under the hand of Robert Greenstreet, Mayor of Faversham. London, Printed for J.G. October 2. 1645. The Confession of Joan Williford, Septemb. 24. 1656, made before the Mayor, and other jurates. She confessed that the Devil about seven years ago did appear to her in the shape of a little dog, and bid her to forsake God and lean to him. Who replied, that she was loath to forsake him. She confessed also that she had a desire to be revenged upon Thomas Letherland and Mary Woodrofe, now his wife. She further said that the Devil promised her that she shoul...

Robert Plot, first Keeper of the Ashmolean, on mysterious circles, from 'The Natural History of Staffordshire' (Oxford, 1686).

And here perchance, by the way, it may be no great digression to enquire into the nature and efficient cause of those rings we find in the grass, which they commonly call fairy circles, whether they are caused by lighning, or are indeed the rendezvouzes of witches , or the dancing places of those little pygmy spirits they call elves or fairies . And the rather because, 1 - a question - perhaps by reason of the difficulty - scarce yet attempted, and 2 - because I met with the largest of their kind - that perchance were ever heard of - in this county; one of them showed me in the grounds between Handsworth Church and the heath being near forty yards diameter, and I was told of another by that ingenious gent. - one of the most cordial encouragers of this work - the Worshipful Sir Henry Gough, Knight, that there was one in his grounds near Pury-Hall but few years since - now indeed plowed up - of a much larger size, he believed near fifty. Whereas,...

Se riza el aire gris.

The field of olives opens and closes like a fan. Above the grove the sky is sunk the rain is dark the stars are cold. A trembling in the rushes and darkness falls on the riverbank. A ripple through the grey air. Olive trees laden with screams. A flock of captive birds move their long, long tails in the shadows. FGL (1931) PSY (Feb. 2025)

Paul Summers Young

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