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agonia.net 
· Perspectives
Article 
Despre Boierism: manifest si razie
Round Table
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007-10-11 | | V. The chapter Memoirs, Essay, Publicistic Activity, Diary is, as the title itself suggests, the most heterogeneous of the sections of the dissertation. Its heteroclite character is determined by the nature of the analysed material itself. We attempt to present, under a common title, volumes which are not substantially confine with one another, or formally related to one another. The author himself had not intended the four volumes as a unitary work either, as they are late gatherings of his publicist activity. These objective circumstances determine the characteristic expository feature of our approach, as we tried mainly to summarise the contents of the above-mentioned works and to draw characteristics of the intellectual, aesthetic profile of the author. However, we assume subsidiarily the commentary and interpretation of the author’s discourse, especially when his opinions prove a unity if vision with the literary works. Not seldom do the notes in these secondary works offer new information regarding the alchemy and genesis of his literary work, with reference to biographical experiences regrettably meant to be definite past. Without wishing to impose an exclusivist opinion, we believe that the main value, sometimes impossible to tell, of these volumes is that of documents, and thus, this chapter can be seen as a complementarity of the brief biographical portrait at the beginning of our study. Between the lines written for more than sixty years we can figure out the cultural portrait of a personality who cultivated his firm, constant beliefs stoically and with dignity. Paradoxically, it is here that we see a complete Valeriu Anania, perhaps more than anywhere else. V. 1. In Rotonda plopilor aprinşi (The Rotunda of the Enflamed Poplars) (1983), the writer metamorphoses the inner time of his being in order to enchant us with unknown details of the life of different important writers whom he was meant to meet and appreciate. The volume offers different hypostases of Tudor Arghezi, Gala Galaction, Anton Holban, Victor Papilian, Lucian Blaga, Ion Luca, Marin Preda, Vasile Voiculescu. However, the volume does not have an empty, purely informational character but it is surrounded in a warm, intimate, sensitive and reflexive tone of confession. The volume proves itself incapable of belonging strictly to the memorialistic genre. The profound originality of Valeriu Anania’s memoirs is rendered not by the informational content but by the modality in which the narrator (identifiable with the author and sometimes overlapping with the eye-witness character and the protagonist, in a tripartition specific for the genre) views this content. It is not the subject itself, but the discourse, not the story but the telling, not the history but the attitude towards history, which sparkle. Ultimately, we shall not discover in Anania’s memoirs the evoked personalities, though this is the apparent intentionality, but Anania himself while revealing the others to himself. “The hero” of these stories is Valeriu Anania himself while the others float inherently in the proximity of his personality. While portraying each of his characters separately, the author writes another page about his self. And every of the evoked proves to be a part of the ontology of his own articulation. Their absence would have meant Valeriu Anania’s inexistence, just as the lack of artistic expression with which he evokes would have meant an incomplete and imperfect literary work of his own. V. 2. Cerurile Oltului (The Skies of the Olt) (1990) is an expression of the author’s interdisciplinary erudition in the embodiment of a very original essay of cultural polyphony. The common ways of art and theology reunite in a universe specific for both of them, a universe of the interdependence of the sacred ad the profane. Both the technique of Plato’s dialogue (this type of dialogue being specific for the patristic discourse) as well as the relaxation of the discourse through the appeal to different “literalised” commentaries or through completing the elevated subject with “profane” information, are the factors which ensure an opening and an accessibility highly superior to a scientific treatise; they enlarge the expectations of he to whom the discourse addresses. Eventually, the aesthetic emotion is granted not by the subject itself approached by Bartolomeu, but by the modality in which it is presented, by the shape of the discourse proposed by Anania. What determines the tonality specific for the essayistic discourse is related to the unlimited love the author feels for the national specificity. The common link for all the topics approached in the volume is tradition. Bartolomeu proves not only an expert in presenting the characteristics of the Brâncovenesc style, but manages, starting from them, to formulate a theory of culture and civilisation which recalls the authentic traditionalism but also the understanding of the affirmation of the national creating specificity through the concepts of synchronism (Eugen Lovinescu), adaptation (Mihai Ralea) and organic development (Lucian Blaga), in a silent and probable involuntary consensus with the opinions of the above mentioned intellectuals. Bartolomeu states the iconographer’s status as creator and implicitly his placing in a dimension similar to Manole’s, for example. Were we to relate to the theory of the aesthetic value, we should have to mention the fact that for Bartolomeu, the icon is seen both religiously and artistically, which is the maximum compromise his status as a theologian could admit. The small treaty of general aesthetics in the vision of a theologian, with its asperities, contradictions and ingenuities, expresses nevertheless the essayist’s interest in the depiction of the artistic side of iconography, even if he inherently appeals to religious dogma. We meet an argumentation of the paradox, according to which the absolute creating freedom and the artistic originality can manifest and express themselves only within norms and canons. According to this syllogism, which is not far from sophism, the greatest liberty of creation is performed by the artists who are most framed by the external theoretical factors; so, from this point of view, the Byzantine art would be the proper background for the original accomplishment of plastic art masterpieces. Even if subject to inherent polemics and counter-argumentations, Bartolomeu’s pleading has at least the merit of openly militating for the cause of artistic liberty within the dimension of religiosity, which is more than a theologian could be expected to do. The entire aesthetics of artistic liberty developed by Bartolomeu Valeriu Anania can be seen by theologians as a theolegumena, a personal theological opinion. What remains remarkable whatsoever is the author’s constant effort to harmonise the flame of the soul with that of the spirit, to find a common denominator in which art and theology be united in complementarity, if not in complete consensus. V. 3. Valeriu Anania is right when hesitating to definitely classify the texts from the volume Din spumele mării. Pagini despre religie şi cultură (Out of the Foams of the Sea. Pages on Religion and Culture) (1941-1994; 1995) as they neither are polemical journalism proper, editorials, documentaries, nor are they methodically integrated in his literary work. Eventually, they are an expression of the writer’s effort to communicate with occasional reader in a concise formula, while he reveals to him certain aspects considered to be of perennial not circumstantial importance. This is why the journalistic style is combined with the essayistic one, out of the pages of the volume shapes an extremely interesting biography, which bears the touch specific for all his writings. Out of the Foams of the Sea, a late and unintended compilation of the writer, which renders a prolix, repetitive, redundant, heteroclite and heterogeneous character, remains however a document of real interest. Sandu Frunză sees the value of the volume in the unitary confession of the performance of a “restoring hermeneutics”, thus reuniting the theological dogma and the mythical considerations with the aim of a constant attempt of restoring interpretation of the exhaustive significations of culture seen as a carrier and expression of the sacred. Obviously influenced by Mircea Eliade’s approach, Valeriu Anania shows an effort “… to find significations and symbols full of the archetypal essence capable to render the ritual dimension of man’s passage through he world.” (1). V. 4. We remark, in the volume De dincolo de ape. Pagini de jurnal şi alte texte (From Beyond Waters. Pages of a Diary and Other Texts) (1937-1989; 2000), the possibility the articles offer to us to reconfigure the complex personality of the author, to reconstruct the psychological and intellectual profile of the writer in an unknown stage of his life. Eventually, we are faced with an instrument useful for the depiction of a most possible authentic bio-bibliographical portrait of the writer. For Valeriu Anania, who had recently got out of prison after six years of detention and now situated at huge distance from his native land so passionately loved, missing is not a mere abstraction any longer. The thought materialises in a super-dimensioned shape of what is fundamentally and innerly Romanian, not with regard to meaning but to expression. VI. Valeriu Anania’s literary work, laborious and constantly elaborated for half a century, proves to be only a preamble of the masterpiece, the translation of the Bible – a definite accomplishment of his cultural destiny. The work on the artistic word finds its peak in the supreme effort to depict the authentic expression which word gives to the Logos, through this the author tasting the divine spirit ontologically. The self-expression of the author through the artistic word is elevated and metamorphosed in God’s expression, through the holy word, and thus achieving an inner self-elevation. The limits imposed by the summarising of our ample study makes us expose here Bartolomeu Valeriu Anania’s working approach in only one of the books of the Holy Bible translated by him. The selected example can offer only a sample of the great work. Through the translation of the Song of All Songs we understand the translator’s polyphonic spirit. Valeriu Anania does not hesitate to express his poetical spirit abundantly, totally reconfiguring the structure of the Verse 3 of Chapter 1: 1914: „La mirosul mirurilor tale vom alerga. Băgatu-m’a împăratul în cămara sa, bucura-ne-vom, şi ne vom veseli de tine, iubi-vom ţâţele tale mai mult decât vinul, dreptatea te-a iubit pe tine. To the smell of thy blessed ointment shall we run. The emperor hath taken me into his chamber, and we shall merry, we shall be joyful in thee, we shall love thy breasts more than wine, righteousness loved you.” (2) 1936: „Răpeşte-mă, ia-mă cu tine! Hai să fugim! – Regele m-a dus în cămările sale: ne vom veseli şi ne vom bucura de tine. Îţi vom preamări dragostea mai mult decât vinul. Cine te iubeşte, după dreptate te iubeşte! Take me with thee! Let us elope! – The king hath taken me into his chambers; we shall be merry and we shall enjoy thee. We shall cherish thy love more than wine. Who loves thee, loves thee right!” (3) Ioan Alexandru, 1977: „4. Trage-mă după tine, să ne grăbim! / Regele m-a introdus în cămara sa / Vom sărbători şi ne vom bucura în tine / Vom lăuda iubirea ta mai mult decât vinul. / Pe drept eşti iubit.” Draw me after thee, let us hurry! /The King hath put me into his room/ We shall celebrate and we shall rejoice in thee/ We shall praise thy love more than wine. Thou are loved rightly. (4) 2001: „Ţinându-ne de paşii tăi / vom alerga s’avem în răsuflare / mireasma mirurilor tale. / Mă duse regele’n cămara lui; / ne-om bucura, ne’om veseli de tine; / mai aprig decât vinul îţi vom iubi alintul; / pe drept o fac cei ce te iubesc.” Following thy steps,/ we shall run to feel thy fragrance in our senses./ The king hath taken me into his chamber;/ we shall be merry and rejoice in thee./We shall love thy caress more than wine/ Those who love thee, are so right to do it. (5) The freedom of translation is to be noticed especially in the first three lines, the poeticism being extremely shyly rendered in all the other three previous versions, those which followed The Septuagint losing even the phonetic-stylistic effect of the syntagma “the smell of thy ointments” so lyrically rendered by Valeriu Anania through the even more refined “the fragrance of thy ointments”, and very intuitively introducing “Following thy steps“ which suggests a following into and not only to the direction indicated by the lover (an intimate significance if we consider the mystical and allegorical dimension of the text). It is certain that we are proposed an undoubtedly valuable plus of poetic expression, as compared to the prosaic “we shall run”, “take me with you, let us run away” or even the difficult to accept “draw me”. As for the “love of the breasts” of the chosen one, Valeriu Anania draws attention that it is about an incorrect lecture of the Hebrew Text, noticed not only by Paul Claudel, but also by the following translators of the Romanian versions, in comparison to whose “worship of love”, “praise of love”, Valeriu Anania prefers the more delicate “love of caress”, in order to refer to, as we presume, the paternalist protecting perspective of the divinity/church towards its creature/believers. The temptation of poetisation is however performed upon a text lyrical par excellence. VII. Bartolomeu Valeriu Anania’s entire work is a direct expression of his vision upon the pure interference between the profane and the sacred, the former being understood as a “pathological state” of the latter. The author’s approach and discourse has been constantly oriented towards “the falling of the masks”, through which the sacred manifests in the profane. This attitude towards the exposal of mystery hides a trap: one might consider that the approach itself of revealing the profane as means of manifestation and existence of the sacred will certainly lead to a paradoxical desanctification. Rudolf Otto drew attention on the fact that the mysterium deprived of tremendum can be seen only as mirum or mirable, and the attempt to reveal the enigma of the mirum will always “… have the effect of softening and weakening religion itself. It is not religion that comes from them but the reasoning of religion, and this often ends into so rigid a theory, with so plausible interpretations that the mystery is simply left aside. The systemised myth, as well as the scholastic construction, is a levelling of the fundamental religious fact, which it dulls till it is completely destroyed.” (6) This is a danger in the proximity of which Valeriu Anania’s work often floats, thus, paradoxically situating itself at the other end of Blaga’s aesthetics, of increasing the mystery met on the way. Faithful to his vision, according to which the profane is a form of manifestation of the sacred, the author consequently considers it proper to show that mystery is a “natural” phenomenon for both of the instances. Through Valeriu Anania’s attempt to acquire or at least draw mystery closer in his works, it is exactly this invasion of the profane into the sacred, as the author himself seems to suggest in the subtext, the work of art is exactly a way to hide the sacred behind the profane. A rather transparent parallelism can be drawn between the revelation of the Logos in the word of the Scriptures and the survival of mysterium tremendum in the work of art. (1) Sandu Frunză, Pentru o hermeneutică restaurativă, afterword to Valeriu Anania, Din spumele mării, quoted edition, p. 243. (2) Biblia adică Dumnezeiasca Scriptură a Legii Vechi şi a Celei Nouă, published in the days of His Majesty Carol King Of Romania in the 49th year of his ruling. Edition of the Holy Synod, Bucureşti, Tipografia Cărţilor Bisericeşti, 60.-Strada Principatelor Unite-60, 1914, p. 817. (3) Edition Biblia sau Sfânta Scriptură, published under the supervision of His Holiness Teoctist, The Patriarch of the Orthodox Romanian Church, with the agreement of the Holy Synod, Societatea Biblică Interconfesională din România, 1992, p. 673. (4) Cântarea Cântărilor. Introductory study by Zoe Dumitrescu-Buşulenga. Translation from Hebrew, notes and commentaries by Ioan Alexandru. Bucureşti. Editura Ştiinţifică şi enciclopedică, 1977, p. 31. (5) Biblia sau Sfânta Scriptură, Jubilee Edition of the Holy Synod. Published with the blessing and with a preface of His Holiness Teoctist, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Version translated after The Septuagint, written and annotated by BARTOLOMEU VALERIU ANANIA , the Archbishop of Cluj, The Publishing House Institutul Biblic şi de Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române. 2001, p. 872. (6) Rudolf Otto, Sacrul. Despre elementul iraţional din ideea divinului şi despre relaţia lui cu iraţionalul. Romanian translation by Milea, Cluj-Napoca. Editura Dacia, 1996, p. 35. Lucian Bâgiu, 2006, Műhlbach, Transilvania English version Emilia Ivancu
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