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The cross of reality and quadriga on the compass

Peter Leithart has written extensively on Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy and the medieval quadriga (see the end of this post for further reading). My goal in this post is to restate much of what he has said, with the hope that some new associations will emerge. 

The north-south axis is associated with space, the east-west with time. Further, we can say space has two extremes, inside and outside, and that the (masculine) north is associated with the outside, the (feminine) south with the inside, while the (masculine) east is associated with the past, and the (feminine) west with the future.

If this is so, we can see that the Historical sense of the text maps onto the east, the Tropological to the south, the Allegorical to the north and the Anagogical to the west. A brief definition of each of these terms is in order. The Historical is concerned with what is, what actually happened: the literal and historical meanings of the text. The Tropological is associated with what we are to do: the ethical, moral or action-oriented meanings of the text. The Allegorical is related to Christ and how he is revealed in the text: it refers to what we are to believe. Finally, the Anagogical refers to the Church, or what we are to hope for.

This works very well: The east is the sanctuary of God, who established the order and ground of creation, and Eden showed a kind of 'blueprint' that Adam could work from. From what is proceeds the possibility of knowledge in its two-fold form: potentiality and actuality. That is, north is outside or actuality, south is inside or potentiality. The north is thus associated with what we are to believe or know to be true. The south is associated with potentiality: transforming belief into manifest reality. Finally, the east is associated with the future, what we should hope for.

There are four perceptions of time: Epochal, Lyrical, Analytical and Dramatic. Epochal time is historical time, that divided by historical events, and is thus oriented towards the past, and is placed in the masculine east. Lyrical time relates to the sense of time standing still: the present without past or future, such as when you are looking at a sunset or lost in a piece of music: it is actuality and is placed in the north with the Allegorical and what we are to believe. Analytical time is the ticking clock, or linear time, that which moves relentlessly from past to future: it is associated with the south, or potentiality. Finally, Dramatic time is theater time: it is a revelation of what will or should be: it is future-oriented, eschatological time, and is thus placed in the feminine west.

Let's apply these associations to the Gospels and the four cherubic creatures. I will use the traditional associations, although I have said that I don't think these are the only possible ones. Matthew is associated with a new law: the gospel contains long speeches by Christ that some have compared with the five books of the Torah. Matthew is traditionally associated with the Man face, which places him in the south. When we consider that the south is associated with ethics, this makes sense: Christ is 'measuring' out or separating in 'analytical' fashion through exposition of the law a correct mode of action. Mark is associated with the Lion, and so he is therefore in the East. Many people have pointed out the prominence of the word 'immediately' in the gospel: there is an immediacy associated with Christ's actions. I think this can be seen as an epochal sense: Christ is making history, dividing time and defining it by his actions. He is building a new order, a new creation: 'what is' is being changed. Luke is associated with the Ox, or the future, and it has been noted that his gospel emphasizes healing and travelling. This is the movement of Christ in the world, establishing and dramatically acting out the role of the Church. He is focused on building what will be in the future, and the feminine west is thus future-oriented: it is eschatological time. Finally, John is the eagle, the non-synoptic gospel, different from all the others and is thus placed in the north. He is focused on what we should believe about Christ, with actuality.

One final note. I think these associations are stable, but because we are dealing with qualities other associations are possible. The particular associations will depend on how you are looking at an arrangement (such as that of the gospels), that is, what your goal or telos is. The meaning as a whole that emerges and will determine how you see the component parts. Therefore, if you see different patterns, I suggest that the reason is likely to be that the overall meaning you are focused on is different. When this is recognised, it becomes possible to 'stack up' different meanings. For example, different associations between the four faces and the four gospels can and have been suggested. Assuming such associations have something to them, it is not then a matter of choosing between them, but deciding on what meaning is being focused on, and how it relates to other overall meanings (see here for an example).

Further reading:
The Relevance of Eugene Rosenstock-Huessy
The Cross of Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, 1
The Cross of Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, 2
The Cross of Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, 3
The Cross of Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, 4
Rehabilitating the Quadriga
Quadriga on the cross

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