[Milton-L] another version of Adam and Eve

[Hannibal Hamlin]

Matthew,

I'm open to correction, and I certainly did not check Crumb's text against
all available English translations. Even on a more cursory scan, however, it
does seem too close to Alter for coincidence. The only significant
alteration I noticed was the translation of "tohu wabohu," which Alter
strikingly renders as "welter and waste," but which Crumb doesn't. Even if
it is someone else's translation, however, it is still uncredited (I'm sure
Crumb didn't make his own). As for the cherubim, Alter's note makes clear
that these creatures, which have more ancient Canaanite roots, are non-human
beasts who do not themselves hold the sword of fire that also guards the
gate. Since this is precisely what Crumb depicts, and since every other
image of the guarding cherubim I have seen has them, in human-angel form,
holding the sword, I assume Crumb got his interpretation from Alter.

All this seems fine to me; I'm only puzzled at the lack of credit to Alter.

Hannibal



On 6/5/09, Matthew Stallard <stallard at ohio.edu> wrote:
>
> Hannibal,
>
> How can you be sure it is Alter's translation if it is "slightly altered"?
> There are, after all, a number of modern English translations. It might be
> hard to consult all of them. Also, what is so special about the depiction of
> the cherubim that points exclusively and "obviously" to Alter's note as a
> source?
>
> Best,
> Matthew
>
> ____________________________
> Matthew Stallard, Ph.D.
> Ohio University
> Department of English
> 305 Ellis Hall
> Athens, OH 45701
> stallard at ohio.edu
>
>
>
> --On Friday, June 05, 2009 2:14 PM -0400 Hannibal Hamlin <
> hamlin.hannibal at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> I caught Crumb's bit in The New Yorker too, and am interested to see the
>> whole. One thing that puzzled me about his drawing of Gen. 1-3 is how
>> relatively uninterpreted it is, especially surprising from this icon of
>> the counter-culture. There are a few interpreted things one can point to
>> -- it seems Adam and Eve do have sex in Eden (or at least wrestle), the
>> serpent has arms and legs, and the cherubim are definitely non-humanoid
>> (to borrow a term from sci-fi) -- but Crumb seems to be offering a fairly
>> straightforward illustrated Bible rather than anything along the lines of
>> Paradise Lost. Crumb also seems to be using the translation of Robert
>> Alter (slightly altered), though there is no credit given, which seemed
>> odd. As my wife pointed out, the representation of the cherubim obviously
>> derives from Alter's scholarly note, which makes the lack of credit
>> especially troublesome. Maybe the error is the New Yorker's.
>> Hannibal
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 2:02 PM, <gilliaca at jmu.edu> wrote:
>>
>> I come again with something aslant our topic.
>>
>> When I taught the undergraduate Milton course, I would, early in our
>> reading of PL, bring to class paintings and other illustrations of the
>> fall, to show how artists have interpreted the narrative.  If I were
>> still teaching, I would be making copies of something quite interesting
>> in the lastest [June 8 and 15] New Yorker.
>>
>> In the midst of its annual fiction issue is an illustrated version of the
>> two creation stories from Genesis - by the cartoonist B. Crumb.
>>
>> His muscular and solid Adam and Eve certainly fit the narrative.  He will
>> publish an illustrated Genesis in the fall, and I hope to get a copy.
>>
>> Meanwhile, enjoy this unexpected treat. I hope all of you are enjoying a
>> summer of resortation!
>>
>> C
>> Cynthia A. Gilliatt
>> English Department, JMU, ret.
>> JMU Safe Zones supporter
>> "You have made God in your own image when God hates the same people you
>> hate." Fr. John Weston _______________________________________________
>> Milton-L mailing list
>> Milton-L at lists.richmond.edu
>> Manage your list membership and access list archives at
>> http://lists.richmond.edu/mailman/listinfo/milton-l
>>
>> Milton-L web site: http://johnmilton.org/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Hannibal Hamlin
>> Associate Professor of English
>> The Ohio State University
>> Burkhardt Fellow,
>> The Folger Shakespeare Library
>> 201 East Capitol Street SE
>> Washington, DC 20003
>> hamlin.22 at osu.edu/
>> hamlin.hannibal at gmail.com
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Milton-L mailing list
> Milton-L at lists.richmond.edu
> Manage your list membership and access list archives at
> http://lists.richmond.edu/mailman/listinfo/milton-l
>
> Milton-L web site: http://johnmilton.org/
>



-- 
Hannibal Hamlin
Associate Professor of English
The Ohio State University
Burkhardt Fellow,
The Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
hamlin.22 at osu.edu/
hamlin.hannibal at gmail.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.richmond.edu/pipermail/milton-l/attachments/20090606/b4ab8121/attachment.html