Editor’s note: Happy Halloween!!!
As someone who appreciates the supernatural, horror and the macabre, Halloween is naturally my favourite holiday.
To be honest, every day is Halloween in my gothic heart.
Side note: tonight is the second moon in October {which is a rare astrological event}. It is thought to be a blue moon. How exciting for all the stargazers.
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“Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world.”
-Rumi
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Penny Dreadful‘s gothic supernatural television series explores the ancient language of the verbis diablo {the devil’s tounge}.
In penny dreadful’s mythology, the verbis diablo is a supposedly dead language with an esoteric nature. Few know about the verbis diablo and fewer people can decipher it or use it. {Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle is a master translator of the verbis diablo}.
It is very intriguing that the verbis diablo has biblical roots. According to Dr.Victor Frankenstein, “the verbis diablo is a corruption of angelical speech. What Adam spoke in paradise before the serpent made his memorable appearance.”
Ethan Chandler notes that according to the story, “Satan took God’s language and turned it inside out. After the fall of man, God spoke to Adam, but Adam could no longer understand him. “Why is my language unclear to thee? Because you now longer belong to your father, the devil.”
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Penny Dreadful’s mythology lays out clearly defined rules for the Verbis Diablo.
“Verbis Diablo is the ancient language that holds powers in its sentences. Both daywalkers as well as nightcomers can learn to speak the language and use it for their spellcraft. According to Biblical lore, the Verbis Diablo (approximately “Words of the Devil” in Latin) was a corrupted version of the language spoke in the Garden of Eden before mankind was banished on Earth. Its use blackens the hearts of those who speak it, until the thoughts and words of the speaker will be totally manipulated by Lucifer.“
–https://penny-dreadful.fandom.com/wiki/Verbis_Diablo_(language)
Speaking the verbis diablo has dire consequences.
Joan Clayton warns Vanessa Ives…
Joan Clayton (to Vanessa Ives): “You must remember such incantations are dangerous and you must never speak the Devil’s language idly. Let this language not become easy in your mouth or soon it will no longer be your mouth but his. And it will tell only lies. For he is the Father of Lies. If you believe in God, better you pray with all you got in you. Only if all else fails, you speak the Devil’s tongue. But mark, girl, it’s a seduction and before you blink twice it’s all you can speak, and so does a daywalker become a nightcomer.”
The Verbis Diablo is a most dangerous tome/manuscript…
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Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle tells Vanessa Ives, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Sir Malcolm Murray, Ethan Chandler and Sembene the story of the verbis diablo…
No one tells a story like Ferdinand Lyle. He is a gifted storyteller and scholar.
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The creation of fictional languages {“colangs”} is a truly creative endeavour. I must admit that as a lover of language, I was deeply fascinated with colangs.
According to the Penny Dreadful’s internet movie database page:
“The language used in season two (Verbis Diabolo) is a fictional amalgam of Aramaic, Ancient Greek, Latin, and an obscure Arabic dialect called (in phonetic English) “Kan Allah Musali-Algins.
“Verbis Diablo was created by David J. Peterson who is the co-founder and former president of the Language Creation Society which specializes in the creation of “constructed languages, or colangs”, from scratch. He’s also the creator of the languages used in Game of Thrones.”
-https://penny-dreadful.fandom.com/wiki/Verbis_Diablo_(language)
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“David J. Peterson: Verbis Diabolo is different from anything I’ve ever done. First, it’s a posteriori, which means that all the words and grammar come from other—in this case, real world—sources. Specifically, the sources were Arabic, Akkadian, Middle Egyptian, Attic Greek, Latin, Farsi and Turkish. Second, VD was not intended to be a language proper.
I looked at the language as an art piece. VD is supposed to be a language twisted in form; wrenched from Earth’s languages.Many words that meant something in a given language are taken and reversed phonetically to produce the equivalent VD word. Sometimes the reversal came with a reversal in meaning, as with justa, from Latin, which becomes atsüü, “vile”. Also pieces of words from many different languages will often be combined to produce portmanteaux which may have nothing to do with the original meanings of any of the parts.
In addition, though there are patterns in the language, sometimes the patterns are broken for no reason. A word which has meant the same thing every time one has heard it will suddenly have a new meaning in a new sentence for no discernible reason. Words will change orders to subvert previously attested patterns; words will be pronounced differently for no reason at all; the auxiliary, one of the few bits of predictability in the language, will move or drop out entirely.
All of this combines to produce something that doesn’t sound an awful lot like a language, and I think that’s true. It defies attempts to learn it, meaning that the only way to actually speak it is to be touched by the devil.In effect, that was the point.
So yeah, I had a lot of fun with it! It’s far different from anything I’ve ever done in the past. It sounds really weird. I’ve been pleased with the performances thus far.”
–https://www.goodreads.com/author/508612.David_J_Peterson/questions
I am enamoured with the line that Ferdinand Lyle says at the beginning: “mischief is best enacted in small groups at very close quarters.”
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In this short clip, Ferdinand Lyle tells the story of the verbis diablo quite skillfully.
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Have you accepted Vanessa Ives’ invitation to enter the Penny Dreadful creative universe?
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Please enjoy Verbis Diablo from the Penny Dreadful soundtrack…
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Ferdinand Lyle’s story of the monk brother Gregory reminded me of the codex gigas myth.
In case you are interested in the codex gigas legend, I have included these videos.
The codex gigas is one book/tome that is not on my reading list.
{I also wonder how the codex gigas survived the Spanish inquisition?}.
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Further Research…
Penny Dreadful Television Series…https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2628232/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Verbis Diablo translations, text and audio… http://dedalvs.com/work/penny-dreadful/
David J. Peterson…https://artoflanguageinvention.com/
David J. Peterson’s Personal Website…http://dedalvs.com/
David J. Peterson’s The Art of Language Invention YouTube series…https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidPetersonAoLI
https://www.youtube.com/c/LangTimeStudio
The Art of Language Invention Book by David J. Peterson…http://www.penguin.com/book/the-art-of-language-invention-by-david-j-peterson/9780143126461
Language Creation Society…https://conlang.org/
Codex Gigas…https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/codex-gigas-devils-bible-001276
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Have you watched Penny Dreadful?
What do you think about the Verbis Diablo?
What do you think about colangs?
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Many more Penny Dreadful reflections/posts to come…
Peace & Esoteric Love,
-V.
Reflection for today…Critical Reading -Henry David Thoreau & Tupac Shakur
13 Sep* Editor’s Note: Today {September 13th, 1996} marks the 23rd anniversary of Tupac’s tragic death at the age of 25.
Rest in Peace Tupac.
We will continue to celebrate your life and your legacy.
{Things are not the same without you…}
https://2paclegacy.net/today-marks-23-years-since-tupac-was-killed/
In this reflection, I wanted to explore the intellectual and poetic side of Tupac that is rarely discussed {the same happens with Jim Morrison the lead singer of The Doors}.
I hope to explore other artist’s reading lists in future reflections.
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“Readers are plentiful;
thinkers are rare.”
–Henry David Thoreau
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Tupac Shakur was always hungry for knowledge.
He was a voracious reader and student of life. His passion for learning and social justice advocacy was a part of his essence.
Tupac’s intellectual power came from a vast knowledge of eclectic topics. He loved to explore esoteric, the metaphysical and philosophical topics. This study became the foundation for his song lyrics and life philosophy.
His mother, Afeni Shakur, had already instilled in him a revolutionary education as she was a member of The Black Panthers. She passed on her wisdom and Tupac continued to polish the jewels.
Tupac was truly an autodidact {a self-taught person}. He would educate others through his song lyrics.
“Before his tragic death at age of 25, Tupac rapped about poverty, violence in the black community, police brutality, black empowerment, political strategy and spirituality.” https://www.blackfaves.com/story/11-books-tupac-shakurs-bookshelf-still-relevant-today/
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In this short video, Tupac’s first manager Leila Steinberg discusses Tupac’s love of literature and critical thinking.
“Leila Steinberg is an artist and community organizer who began working with youth twenty years ago in the San Francisco Bay area. As the daughter of a criminal defence attorney, she grew up surrounded by the workings of the justice system and took a front row seat at the personal tragedies and socio-economic pressures that turn so many at-risk youths into hardened felons. Steinberg helps them connect with their hearts and turn anger and pain into creativity.
AIM promotes artistic expression as a way to handle problems as opposed to choosing violence, drugs or other forms of escape. As the program facilitator, Steinberg sees confronting pain as the best way to move past it. She believes self-awareness is a key to making better choices.
Steinberg is committed to helping people who fall through the cracks of society. In 1995 she began a series of specialized programs for youth within the juvenile justice system and those residing in residential treatment facilities. As hip-hop music became the expression of today’s youth, Steinberg began training artists to develop voices powerful enough to reach a generation. While conducting poetry workshops in Northern California, she met Tupac Shakur and he became a regular participant in her class. They shared a vision of developing a space where each artist in attendance is encouraged, inspired and motivated to address social change in their work. Tupac referred to Leila as the “bow” and himself as the “arrow.” –http://www.pinlight.com/leila.htm
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This clip is from the movie Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel.
It is said to be a “documentary examining the politics, music and life of Tupac Shakur.”
This is the description from the Youtube video…
“This is a list of books read by Tupac during his lifetime including while he was at the Baltimore School of Arts and in prison. They are presented in no particular order. The topics include Black history, the afterlife, religion including Zen, war, women’s liberation, music, and poetry. Reading these books, it is clear how they moulded Tupac’s thinking and language. This is a handy list of good reading material if you ever find yourself locked up.”
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Written by: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
1984
Written by: George Orwell
Ah, This!
Written by: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
All God’s Children:
The Boskett Family and the American Tradition of Violence
Written by: Fox Butterfield
All You Need to Know About the Music Business
Written by: Donald Passman
And Still I Rise
Written by: Maya Angelou
Art of War
Written by: Sun Tzu
Assata: An Autobiography
Written by: Assata Shakur
At the Bottom of the River
Written by: Jamaica Kincaid
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
As told to: Alex Haley
Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Written by: A.C. Bhaktive-danta Swami Prabhupada
Black Like Me
Written by: John Howard Griffin
Black Sister:
Poetry by Black American Women, 1746 to 1980
Edited by Earlene Stetson
Blues People
Written by: Amiri Baraka
Catcher in the Rye
Written by: J.D. Salinger
The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences
Written by: Walter B. Gibson and Litzka R. Gibson
The Confessions of Nat Turner
Written by: William Styron
The Destiny of the Nations
Written by: Alice A. Bailey
The Diary of Anais Nin
Edited and with a Preface by: Gunther Stuhlmann
The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
Written by: E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil
The Grapes of Wrath
Written by: John Steinbeck
Great White Lie:
Slavery, Emancipation and Changing Racial Attitudes
Written by: Jack Gratus
The Harder We Run:
Black Workers Since the Civil War
Written by: William H. Harris
Here and Hereafter
Written by: Ruth Montgomery
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Written by: Maya Angelou
I Shall Not Be Moved
Written by: Maya Angelou
Imitation of Christ
Written by: Thomas a Kempis
In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens
Written by: Alice Walker
Initiation
Written by: Elisabeth Haich
Interesting People:
Black American History Makers
Written by: George L. Lee
James Baldwin: The Legacy
Edited by: Quincy Troupe
Kabbalah
Written by: Gersham Scholem
Life and Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by: Ira Peck
Life as Carola
Written by: Joan Grant
Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs
Written by: Linda Goodman
Makes Me Wanna Holler
Written by: Nathan McCall
The Meaning of Masonry
Written by: W.L. Wilmshurst
Moby Dick
Written by: Herman Melville
Monster:
The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member
Written by: Sanyika Shakur
Music of Black Americans: A History
Written by: Eileen Southern
Mysticism
Written by: Evelyn Underhill
Native Son
Written by: Richard Wright
Nature, Man and Woman
Written by: Alan W. Watts
No Man Is an Island
Written by: Thomas Merton
Nostradamus: The Millennium & Beyond
Written by: Peter Lorie
The Phenomenon of Man
Written by: Teilhard de Chardin
Ponder on This: A Compilation
From the Writings of: Alice A Bailey & the Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul
The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing
Written by: Mark Bricklin
The Prince
Written by: Niccolo Machiavelli
The Psychedelic Experience:
A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Written by: Timothy Leary, Ph.D., Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., Richard Alpert, Ph.D.
The Psychic Realm
Written by: Naomi A. Hintze and J. Gaither Pratt, Ph.D.
A Raisin in the Sun
Written by: Lorraine Hansberry
Roots
Written by: Alex Haley
Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools
Written by: Jonathan Kozol
Secret Splendor
Written by: Charles Essert
Serving Humanity
From the writings of: Alice A. Bailey
Sisterhood is Powerful:
Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement
Written by: Robin Morgan
The State of the World Atlas
Written by: Michael Kidron and Ronald Segal
Social Essays
Written by: LeRoi Jones
The Souls of Black Folk
Written by: W.E. Burghardt DuBois
Teachings of the Buddha
Written by: Jack Kornfield
Telepathy
Written by: Alice A Bailey
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Written by: W.Y. Evans-Wentz
Thoughts and Meditations
Written by: Kahlil Gibran
Tropic of Cancer
Written by: Henry Miller
The Visionary Poetics of Allen Ginsberg
Written by: Paul Portuges
Wisdom of Insecurity
Written by: A.N. Watts
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Written by: Robert M. Pirsig
Copied from: https://www.thuglifearmy.com/index.php/tupac-reading-library.html
{Goodreads also has an alternate list of books that Tupac read}.
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For more information…
Henry David Thoreau…http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau_life.html
Tupac Shakur…http://2pac.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000637/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23942.Books_Read_by_Tupac_Shakur_
Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel Movie…http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314806/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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Peace & Poetic Love…
-V.
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