Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0014349, Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:14:19 +0000

Subject
Re: zesty, bot, formulae, dichten
Date
Body
On 9/12/06 13:42, "jansymello" <jansy@AETERN.US> wrote:

> Victor Fet to List: But this versipellous name is also heavily present in
> Russian folklore and could have much earlier roots. In Christian tradition,
> "volkhvs" are three Magi who saw the Star of
> Bethlehem. O. Henry's "Gifts of the Magi" Russian translation is "Dary
> volkhvov".

I can¹t resist pointing out that the number of the Œhard-coming¹ Magi is NOT
specified in the only canonical nativity Gospel that reports this event
(Matthew 2: 1-13).
The Magi TRIO has passed into tradition because of the THREE types of
symbolic gifts they brought. In fact, as the PC Christ-less Winterval draws
near, a precise Nabokovian reading is appropriate: ³ ... when THEY had
opened THEIR treasures THEY presented unto Him gifts, gold and frank-incense
and myrrh.²

Much has been written on the meaning of the Greek Œmagos¹ (magician,
astrologer, scorcerer, wise-man ‹ some see Persian origins ‹ the Hebrew
Œrab-mag¹ suggests Babylonian) but the Magi as worshipping PAGAN KING seems
to be a later Christian invention (for obvious theological reasons?)

Stan Kelly-Bootle (forgive his recent hyperactivity)

Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm






Attachment