It's a tad bit late but any road:
Thomas Hardy wrote a Christmas Eve poem entitled: The Oxen.
It reflects his Wessex childhood belief that the Oxen of Bethlehem descendants would kneel in reverance at the moment of Christ's birth.
An Oxen was/is a castrated bullock that grows to adult age and was used to pull carts and for ploughing. My late father use to tell me one of his jobs in his is youth in rural Ireland was feeding and mucking out and they lived until they reached the age of five at least. They must have been enormous.
Oxen are one of the few bovine creatures that actually get up from a kneeling position. So there is probably some truth in the Nativity story being renacted yearly on Dorset farms.
Thomas Hardy became agnostic in his early twenties rather like myself. He still regular worshipped in his local church but he became disillusioned in Christianity and was a big believer in fate.
I still visit churches especially in England. When I get the chance to visit them. But not worship rather for the being and nothingness and peace that ancient stone and brick buildings resonate.
Have you read his poem about the iceberg and the Titanic drifting on the same path from hundreds of miles away?
Read Tess Of The Durbevilles Or Jude The Obscure to see how we live on a blighted planet or rotten apple. I actually stood outside the Lamb and Flag pub in Oxford in August where he wrote Jude. Why didn't I go for a pint in there? Next time.
The Oxen was published when Hardy was 75 and he still longed for that childhood innocence to return and perhaps he would see the oxen kneel at the crib/ manger of our saviour Jesus Christ?
Wonderful, poignant poem, and the second time I've seen it on someone's blog this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope your day went well.
I am a Thomas Hardy fan Dave - so there's no need to convince me. The Titanic/iceberg poem is titled "The Convergence of the Twain" which would also be a good title for a poem about me meeting you.
ReplyDeleteDave feared the muscles of the man in front
But still called out, "Ye bleeding countryman!"
Thanks Jabblog. I love Thomas Hardy's novels and poetry and of course is wonderful Wessex or Dorset even. Like Shakespeare he believed that life is tragedy and championed the rural poor and hated the English class system and loved the Church of England but had little faith in God. A great man. Christmas was very very quiet. Thankfully it's over now. Happy new year Jabblog.
ReplyDeleteSo many of the country ways which we saw as children are being lost, history remembers the big stuff, but once we are gone and our memories with us, who will remember.
ReplyDeleteSo true Marlene. Have you read Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee? I'm going to read it again. I visited Slad last year. Another wonderful place.
DeleteBrilliant book, Marlene
DeleteIt is Marlene. I recommend that everyone should read it.
DeleteHardy was a favourite of mine during my schoolgirl years but I haven't read him for ages.
ReplyDeleteI must get hold of some of his books again.
They are very inexpensive to buy JayCee. I am reading Tess at the moment on Kindle and it only cost me 95 Cents. Jude The Obscure really disturbed me. I hope to go to Dorset again next year. It's probably my favourite part of England.
DeleteThanks YP. I could live in Dorset. I love the place. Everywhere there is much history and beautiful countryside. I know "The Convergence of the Twain". He also believed in fate and some people never having any luck and never getting anywhere in life. I think a lot of his work was autobiographical. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMy mother, here in northwestern Pennsylvania, would cross the road after dark to her uncle's farm across the road to see the cattle kneeling in the lantern light. It seemed miraculous to her at the time. Her family name was Holmes, and I imagine they originated from your side of the pond at some point.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story Debby. Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous holder of the Holmes surname. Professor Google informs me that Holm is Middle English for "Holly Tree". Funnily enough I was only reading about Basil Rathbone half an hour ago. He often portrayed Sherlock Holmes on stage. What a small world? Thanks Debby!
ReplyDeleteI like the poem too. The animals are one of my favourite things in my crib. I think they remind me of the farm when we were small and had lots of animals. I buy extra animals when I see them so now there are lots of sheep and cows in my set. My favourite Thomas Hardy is the Mayor of Casterbridge, second to Jude the Obscure. My least favourite is Tess of D'Urbevilles but I love the film. Thanks for the post Dave.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bitter sweet poem Rachel. The loss of that childhood innocence and belief in the baby Jesus. You can almost smell that stable in Bethlemen. It's the greatest story ever told and Hardy wrote some classic English literature and poems. The films like Far From The Madding Crowd starring that English rose Julie Christie. Yes i might bu a flat in Dorset if I don't buy some place in Portugal. Thanks Rachel.
DeleteI like visiting churches too but I'm not one of the faithful. I remember the peace of English churchyards
ReplyDeleteI believe it is possible to love the church and its fabric but you need not believe in God Linda. English churches and church yards are so beautiful and the people before us built them for the glory of God. Roger Scruton wrote about these things in his books.
ReplyDeleteJordan Peterson has written about the bible recently. He was interviewed and asked if he believed in God. He paused for a while and said no, not as such but there is something to learn from our ancestors and from history and he will not ignore it. I thought that was a good way of describing religion in a different way.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. I had never heard of him before now. I think you definitely get the feel that our ancestors and the church builders did it for the glory of God. I off to find out more about Jordan Peterson. Thanks.
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