Luvah
Encyclopedia
In the mythological writings
of William Blake
, Luvah is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion
, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents love, passion, and rebellious energy. His Emanation
(female counterpart) is Vala
; his fallen form is Orc
. Throughout Blake's mythological system, he is opposed to Urizen
, the representation of reason. He is also connected to Jesus
, who takes upon his form as the being of love after Luvah falls and turns to a being of hate.
Luvah's emanation, Vala, originated as two innocent individuals that were separated by Vala being impregnated by Albion. From that union, Urizen was created. When the Fallen Man looked upon Vala, she was separated from Luvah, and she hid from him. Urizen joins with Luvah in order to control mankind, with Urizen seeking to dominate the imagination and would allow Luvah to dominate reason. However, Luvah does not accept but does steal Urizen's horses, which sparks a war between the two. During this time, Urthona falls and divides. Urizen soon withdraws from the war, and Tharmas
strikes down both Luvah and Vala, which causes them to both fall. As this happens, Albion is brought low, and Urizen becomes the ruler. Urizen punishes Luvah by placing him within the Furnaces of Affliction, with Vala feeding the furnaces. The furnaces causes Luvah to melt, and Urizen uses the metallic remains of Luvah to create the universe, which represents reason's solidification of emotions. This leads to Luvah, in the form of a cloud, constantly tormenting Albion, which represents suppressed desires. Albion opposes Luvah, and he falls. Soon, he is born from Enitharmon
in the form of Orc. Thus, he transitions from Love into Hate. From him comes wars, including the Napoleonic Wars
, and he stars wrecking the body of Albion.
After Orc is born, the jealous Los
uses the Chains of Jealousy to bind Orc upon a mountain. While bound, his imagination is able to exist in a cave located in Urizen's kingdom, which wakes up Urizen. When Urizen seeks out Orc, Orc is freed as he changes into a serpent. The form is corrupted and he is turned into a satanic image. Orc spends his time rebelling against Orc, and it is only when Urizen stops fighting Orc that Orc is able to become Luvah.
After the Final Judgment
, Albion makes Luvah the servant of Urizen, which represents reason controlling love and ensuring that there is only creation. Albion tells Urizen to let Luvah rage enough to allow for the hate to burn out. Luvah's role in the harvest, he is a singer and is able to unite with Vala before joining Albion only to be cast away until the Zoas can all join with Albion.
, but he is not mentioned again until Vala, or The Four Zoas
. The history of Luvah's origins, war on Albion, and his involvement as Orc are described in Vala along with descriptions of his return to his Luvah state after the Final Judgment. Blake's Milton a Poem describes various aspects of Luvah's story, including his tomb at Golgonooza where the dead Luvah resided. In Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion, Luvah is connected with the various warring individuals through Los's dividing of the world of life and death. The work also explains how Jesus allowed for Luvah to fight against Albion, as Luvah's hate must be expressed before it can be purged.
William Blake's mythology
The prophetic books of the English poet and artist William Blake contain a rich invented mythology , in which Blake worked to encode his revolutionary spiritual and political ideas into a prophecy for a new age. This desire to recreate the cosmos is the heart of his work and his psychology...
of William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, Luvah is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion
Albion (Blake)
In the complex mythology of William Blake, Albion is the primeval man whose fall and division results in the Four Zoas: Urizen, Tharmas, Luvah/Orc, and Urthona/Los. The name derives from the ancient and mythological name of Britain, Albion.-Sources:...
, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents love, passion, and rebellious energy. His Emanation
Emanationism
Emanationism is an idea in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems. Emanation, from the Latin emanare meaning "to flow from" or "to pour forth or out of", is the mode by which all things are derived from the First Reality, or Principle...
(female counterpart) is Vala
Vala
Vala can refer to:Caste* Vala, a Rajput clan found in Gujarat in IndiaPeople* Numonius Vala, a Roman family name, or any of the men of that name* Vala , an Indo-Aryan name and surnameFiction...
; his fallen form is Orc
Orc (Blake)
Orc is a proper name for one of the characters in the complex mythology of William Blake. Unlike the medieval sea beast, or Tolkien's humanoid monster, his Orc is a positive figure, the embodiment of creative passion and energy, and stands opposed to Urizen, the embodiment of tradition.In Blake's...
. Throughout Blake's mythological system, he is opposed to Urizen
Urizen
In the complex mythology of William Blake, Urizen is the embodiment of conventional reason and law. He is usually depicted as a bearded old man; he sometimes bears architect's tools, to create and constrain the universe; or nets, with which he ensnares people in webs of law and conventional culture...
, the representation of reason. He is also connected to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, who takes upon his form as the being of love after Luvah falls and turns to a being of hate.
Character
Luvah represents a generative aspect that is connected to experience. In Blake's system, Luvah, the third Zoas, represents emotion as the Prince of Love, and his name may be connected to the word "lover". Love is the supreme emotion, and it is connected to all others, including hate. Luvah is connected to the heart. He is connected to Jesus, and the Incarnation is the result of Luvah transforming into hate; Jesus replaced Luvah's physical form after Luvah descended from his position. As such, Jesus is the physical aspect of Love and he suffers what Luvah would suffer. When Urizen witnesses Jesus in that form, he becomes upset and afraid of the new Luvah.Luvah's emanation, Vala, originated as two innocent individuals that were separated by Vala being impregnated by Albion. From that union, Urizen was created. When the Fallen Man looked upon Vala, she was separated from Luvah, and she hid from him. Urizen joins with Luvah in order to control mankind, with Urizen seeking to dominate the imagination and would allow Luvah to dominate reason. However, Luvah does not accept but does steal Urizen's horses, which sparks a war between the two. During this time, Urthona falls and divides. Urizen soon withdraws from the war, and Tharmas
Tharmas
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Tharmas is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents sensation, and his female counterpart is Enion, who represents sexual urges. He is connected to the God the Father aspect of the...
strikes down both Luvah and Vala, which causes them to both fall. As this happens, Albion is brought low, and Urizen becomes the ruler. Urizen punishes Luvah by placing him within the Furnaces of Affliction, with Vala feeding the furnaces. The furnaces causes Luvah to melt, and Urizen uses the metallic remains of Luvah to create the universe, which represents reason's solidification of emotions. This leads to Luvah, in the form of a cloud, constantly tormenting Albion, which represents suppressed desires. Albion opposes Luvah, and he falls. Soon, he is born from Enitharmon
Enitharmon
Enitharmon is a major female character in William Blake's mythology, playing a main part in some of his prophetic books. She is, but not directly, an aspect of the male Urthona, one of the Four Zoas. She is in fact the Emanation of Los, also male. There is a complex verbal nexus attached. The Zoa...
in the form of Orc. Thus, he transitions from Love into Hate. From him comes wars, including the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, and he stars wrecking the body of Albion.
After Orc is born, the jealous Los
Los (Blake)
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Los is the fallen form of Urthona, one of the four Zoas. He is referred to as the "eternal prophet" and creates the visionary city of Golgonooza. Los is regularly described as a smith, beating with his hammer on a forge, which is metaphorically...
uses the Chains of Jealousy to bind Orc upon a mountain. While bound, his imagination is able to exist in a cave located in Urizen's kingdom, which wakes up Urizen. When Urizen seeks out Orc, Orc is freed as he changes into a serpent. The form is corrupted and he is turned into a satanic image. Orc spends his time rebelling against Orc, and it is only when Urizen stops fighting Orc that Orc is able to become Luvah.
After the Final Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
, Albion makes Luvah the servant of Urizen, which represents reason controlling love and ensuring that there is only creation. Albion tells Urizen to let Luvah rage enough to allow for the hate to burn out. Luvah's role in the harvest, he is a singer and is able to unite with Vala before joining Albion only to be cast away until the Zoas can all join with Albion.
Appearances
The first appearance of Luvah is in The Book of ThelThe Book of Thel
The Book of Thel is a poem by William Blake, dated 1789 and probably worked on in the period 1788 to 1790.It is illustrated by his own plates, and is relatively short and easy to understand, compared to his later prophetic books. The metre is a fourteen-syllable line. It was preceded by Tiriel,...
, but he is not mentioned again until Vala, or The Four Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas
Vala, or The Four Zoas refers to one of the incompleted prophetic books by English poet William Blake, begun in 1797. The titular main characters of the book are The Four Zoas: , who were created by the fall of Albion in Blake's mythology. It consists of nine books, referred to as "nights"...
. The history of Luvah's origins, war on Albion, and his involvement as Orc are described in Vala along with descriptions of his return to his Luvah state after the Final Judgment. Blake's Milton a Poem describes various aspects of Luvah's story, including his tomb at Golgonooza where the dead Luvah resided. In Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion, Luvah is connected with the various warring individuals through Los's dividing of the world of life and death. The work also explains how Jesus allowed for Luvah to fight against Albion, as Luvah's hate must be expressed before it can be purged.