The Vowels' Symbolism in Archaic Hymns

Notes to the vowels in De Elocutione of Demetrius

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The vowels in the translations of YHWH

Having identified the role of vowels in the translations for the divine name YHWH the mechanisms for using the vowels seemed to be worth a few hours of study. The chronological overview of YHWH-references respectively translations from 1400BCE to 1900 indicate the importance of vowels as symbols inside the divine name1: Yehua, Yawhanan (Yhanan), Ia-u-a (Ia-u), YHW, Yah, Jehovah, YH (Yah), Yahu (Hebrew), Ia & Ia (Greek), IA2, 3, Iaoue, IA ( in Greek and [Iah] in Latin), Iabe 4 (for Samaritans), resp. Aa for the Jews 5, IOA (), Ieue, Ieue, Yohoua, Yohouah, Ieoa, Ihehoua, Jehovah6, Hiehouahi, Ihevhe, Ioua, Iehoua ( Ioua /Ioue - Jupiter), Iohauah, Iehouah (instead of Ioua), Iehue7, 8 Iaoouee, Iabe, Iouiee9. Only the true vowels may be considered for sacred symbolism such as vows, which excludes semivowels and consonants.

The Vowels and Consonants in the PIE-sky-god's name Dyaus

The next step is the analysis of the PIE-sky-god's name Dyaus. What puzzled me was the function of the leading D and trailing S consonants. Nothing had been revealed to explain their symbolism. It must be admitted that a great number of divine names such as IU-piter and the previously listed translations of YHWH do not contain any consonants. Therefore the consonants probably are not really needed for symbolism. To me the consonants in the name Dyaus at first seemed to provide a sort of cartouche10, which in Egypt had been used to mark a royal, normally a Pharaohs name. The oval surrounding their name was meant to protect them from evil spirits in life and after death. The cartouche has become a symbol representing good luck and protection from evil. The word's definition con-sonant already indicates the relatively unimportance of the consonants in comparison to the vowels, which are the basic sounding elements. Sounds therefore basically are vowels, whereas the consonants are merely supporting elements. This needs to be proven by analyzing the related words for sounds, masks and persons.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The Vowels in the Divine Name(s) The Name The Name The b in Iabe may have been understood as the w or uu (double u) Quaestiones in Exodum cap. XV quoted in The Name Of God Yehowah. Its Story, By Grard Gertoux The Name Of God Yehowah. Its Story, By Grard Gertoux A7 - Is Galatino the first who introduced the name Jehovah in 1518? resp. Iehoua or Iihue not derived from Ioue (Jupiter!), but from from Aramaic yihweh, respectively Hebrew Iehoua However, there are other equally reputable scholars who can provide evidence that the underlying Greek of Jave is "" and not "". London Papyri. Xlvi, 446-482 a cartouche is an oval with a horizontal erected at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu.

Vowels and Consonants

The first human organ that becomes fully developed is the inner ear a four and a half month old embryo already has a completely developed (repetition) acoustic organ11. Singing vowels in hymns must have been the general method to work with these vowels. The principal application of vowels is to produce sounds with an open vowel tract, which may be reflected by the Latin words. The archaic vowels A, I, U12 had been defined as: the low vowel A, which had been defined as low for the low position of the jaw in pronouncing this A-sound. The high vowels I and U, which had been defined as high for the low position of the jaw in pronouncing these sounds.

In pronouncing the word Dyaus we may identify five subsequent phases: 1. the D as a leading opening phase of the vowel tract, 2. to be followed by the high vowel I with a high jaw-position, 3. the low vowel A with a low jaw-position, 4. the high vowels U with a high jaw-position, and 5. the trailing consonant S as a hissing terminal phase and closing of the vowel tract. The role of the consonants is to define the exact timing for the opening and closing phases in controlling the vowel tract. Therefore we may understand why the consonant is defined as a closure phase: consonant - speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract.

Now, if the word consonare are restricted to producing consonants, the Latin expressions sonant and sono-sonare may be restricted to producing vowel sounds. The vowels are the most intense and penetrating acoustic signals. sonare to sound my interpretation: to produce vowel sounds. personare - (per-sonare = to sound through something, penetrate my interpretation: to produce penetrating vowel sounds), a persona is an actor's mask, a masked person, a role, a person's character, respectively a larva13, in which the larva merely refers to a previous, immature state which does not really matches the mature state. In ancient theaters a persona's mask and his voice (penetrating the actor's mask) represented the character of the mask-wearing actor. Only actual face remained visible to the public14. In Roman law persona was one who had civil rights15.

The word personare also correlates to person:

11 12 13 14 15

Music and your unborn child A Review of Vowel-Symbolism Lateinisches-etymologisches-woerterbuch What is a person? Personality (from lat. Persona, originally an actor's mask, from personare,1 to sound through)

Notes to the vowels in De Elocutione of Demetrius16

In order to analyze the vowels' symbolism the following report lists all references to the vowels in De Elocutione of Demetrius.

The euphony of Egyptian Hymns

A remarkable historical remark to divine names in Egyptian religion may be found in the work De Elocutione of Demetrius17 and this seems to refer to the archaic vowels, which may have been uttered in their succession A-E-H-I-O-U-18: 71. In Egypt the priests, when singing hymns in praise of the gods, employ the seven vowels, which they utter in due succession ; and the sound of these letters is so euphonious that men listen to it in preference to flute and lyre. To do away with this concurrence, therefore, is simply to do away entirely with the music and harmony of speech.But perhaps this is not the right time to enlarge on these matters.19

The recitation of the vowel-based translations of YHWH

This procedure seems to be related to the the recitation at the "Day of Atonement" where the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) pronounces the Tetragrammaton (Gods holiest name, according to Judaism). According to Demetrius the Egyptian and the Hebrew recitations may have been similar. Singing these vowels in hymns must have been the general method to work with the symbolic vowels.

Further Details in De Elocutione of Demetrius

I studied further details in De Elocutione of Demetrius, who 350BC described a great number of rules for the use of language.

Avoiding the clashes of vowels and diphtongs

In Demetrius' introduction the representative style involves rules such as to avoid long 'members,' the clashing of long vowels and diphthongs, and the use of striking figures: The plain type (of which Lysias may be taken as the representative) aims at clearness and simplicity, and draws on the language of ordinary life. It avoids strange compounds, as well as coined words, asyndeton, and all ambiguities. It favors epanalepsis20, or the repetition of connecting particles for the sake of clearness; with the same object, it will say one thing twice over; it avoids dependent constructions, and adopts the natural order of words; it employs simple periods, but shuns long 'members,' the clashing of long vowels and diphthongs, and the use of striking figures. This type possesses the qualities of vividness and persuasiveness. By a wise economy of language it says neither too much nor too little, and leaves the impression of directness and sincerity. Its obverse is the dry, or arid, type. This is illustrated in the three aspects of thought, diction, and composition. 19023921.

16 17 18 19 20 21

Demetrius, of Phaleron, b. 350 B.C. Spurious and doubtful works Demetrius, of Phaleron, b. 350 B.C. Spurious and doubtful works The Mystery of the Seven Vowels Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione The king is dead; long live the king. Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione introduction, pdf-page 34

The Rules for Euphony: samples of vowel-based words

In an euphonious hymn vowels are not allowed to collide: 68. With regard to hiatus different opinions have been held by different persons. Isocrates and his followers avoided hiatus, while others have admitted it whenever it chanced to occur. The true course lies between the two extremes. The composition should not be noisy, as it will be if the vowels are allowed inartistically to collide just as they fall together, producing the impression of a jerky and disjointed style. On the other hand, the direct contact of such letters should not be shunned altogether. The composition will perhaps be smoother in this way, but it will be less tasteful and fall altogether flat, when robbed of all the music which results from the concurrence of vowels. As a remarkable statement the pure vowel-based words seem to have been considered as the summit of euphony, which may have been the ultimate goal of style in the archaic Greek language: 69. It is worthy of remark, in the first place, that common parlance itself, though it aims at euphony above all things, brings these letters into contact in such words as and . It also forms many words of vowels and of vowels only, e.g. and , and these, so far from being less pleasant to the ear than others, possibly seem even more harmonious22. Especially the word Helios ( and 23, the sun, which had been considered as a divine being) seems to have been an especially successful well-compounded vowel-based design, which had been considered as a poetical form: 70. Poetical forms such as , where the resolution and the concurrence are designed, have a better sound than , and the same is true of as compared with . The resolution and the concurrence have the effect of actually making the words sing themselves. Many other words would be disagreeable if run together, but are pleasanter when they are separated and chime, e.g. . If you were to fuse the vowels into , the expression would be less euphonious and more commonplace24. 71. In Egypt the priests, when singing hymns in praise of the gods, employ the seven vowels, which they utter in due succession ; and the sound of these letters is so euphonious that men listen to it in preference to flute and lyre. To do away with this concurrence, therefore, is simply to do away entirely with the music and harmony of speech.But perhaps this is not the right time to enlarge on these matters.25 72. It is the concurrence of long vowels which is most appropriately employed in the elevated style, as in the words: 'that rock he heaved uphillward ' (.) 26. The line, it may be said, is longer through the hiatus, and has actually reproduced the mighty heaving of the stone. The words of Thucydides 'that it may not be attached to the mainland' (.) furnish a similar example. Diphthongs also may clash with diphthongs, e.g. 'the place was colonised from Corcyra; of Corinth, however, was its founder' (.).

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Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione introduction, pdf-page 105 Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione introduction, pdf-page 105 Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione The Greek sample text indicated as (.) may be inspected in the original manuscript.

73. Well then, the concurrence of the same long vowels, and of the same diphthongs, contributes to elevation of style. On the other hand, the concurrence of different vowels produces, through the number of sounds employed, variety as well as elevation, an instance being the word . In the word not only are the letters different but also the breathings, one being rough and the other smooth, so that there are here many points of unlikeness. 74. In songs, too, trills can be made on one and the same long letter, songs being piled (so to say) on songs, so that the concurrence of like vowels may be regarded as a small part of a song and as a trill.These remarks must suffice on the question of hiatus and of the kind of composition appropriate to the elevated style.

Smooth Words
It must be noted that vowel-base name such as A had been considered as a smooth word: 176. Musicians are accustomed to speak of words as 'smooth', 'rough', 'well-proportioned', 'weighty.' A smooth word is one which consists exclusively, or mainly, of vowels : e.g. A. is an instance of a rough word ; and the very roughness of its formation is designed to imitate the action it describes. A well-proportioned word is one which partakes of both characters and shows a happy blending of various letters. Length may be gained from long vowels: 177. Weight consists in three things: breadth, length, formation. (...) (the Doric equivalent of (.)) may serve as an example. This word derives roughness from the first syllable; and from the second it derives length owing to the long vowel, and breadth owing to the Doric form, the Dorians being accustomed to broaden all their words. This is the reason why comedies were not written in Doric, but in the pungent Attic. The Attic dialect has about it something terse and popular, and so lends itself naturally to the pleasantries of the stage. The concurrence of long vowel-sounds and of diphthongs seems to have been avoided: 207. In the plain style we must also shun the concurrence of long vowel-sounds and of diphthongs, since lengthening invariably suggests elaboration. If concurrence be admitted, let it be of short letters with short (as in ' '); or of short with long (as in ' the orb of day: )'; or of short vowels in some shape or form. In general, this variety of style has little dignity or distinction, being in fact fashioned with that very end in view. Smoothness of composition requires to avoid the concurrence of vowels: 299. Smoothness of composition (such as is employed particularly by the followers of Isocrates, who avoid the concurrence of vowels) is not altogether suited to forcible language. In many cases greater force will result from an actual clashing, e.g. ' when the Phocian war broke out originally, owing not to me, as I was not then engaged in public life'. If you were to rearrange the words and fit them together thus: 'when through no fault of mine the conflict began in the Phocian War, since I was not then engaged in public life,' you would rob them of a good part of their force, since in many passages even the jingle of clashing vowels may be held to make a sentence more forcible.

Limping verses by deliberately collision of vowels: 301. It has already been said that the figure of disconnected speech has a forcible effect. The same may now be said of disconnected composition generally. Hipponax is a case in point. In his desire to assail his enemies, he shattered his verse, and caused it to limp instead of walking erect. By destroying the rhythm, he made the measure suitable for energetic invective, since correct and melodious rhythm would be fitter for eulogy than for satire. Thus much with regard to the collision of vowels.

Appendix 1: Notes referring to Vowels27

Helios

The seven vowels: A-E-H-I-O-U-

The following entry lists the seven vowels: A-E-H-I-O-U-

Well-proportioned words

27 Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione

Collision and Hiatus

Vocals, Vowels

In a song or melody: vowels 'sing themselves.'

. 70, 74. Song, melody. Lat. cantus. In 70, the term is applied to words like which are chiefly composed of vowels and so 'sing themselves.' Cp. , 184.

Appendix 2: Index Entries referring to Vowels28

Egypt
The priests in Egypt employ the seven vowels in their hymns to the gods, 71, pp. 224, 225

Synaloepha
The fusion of vowels, 70, p. 303

Vowels
Long vowels render style impressive, 39. Concurrence of vowels contributes to elevation of style, 6873; but must be avoided in the plain style, 207. See also under 'Egypt,' p. 320 supra

28 Demetrius On style, the Greek text of Demetrius De elocutione

Contents
The vowels in the translations of YHWH.............................................................................................1 The Vowels and Consonants in the PIE-sky-god's name Dyaus..........................................................1 Vowels and Consonants........................................................................................................................2 Notes to the vowels in De Elocutione of Demetrius............................................................................3 The euphony of Egyptian Hymns....................................................................................................3 The recitation of the vowel-based translations of YHWH...............................................................3 Further Details in De Elocutione of Demetrius...............................................................................3 Avoiding the clashes of vowels and diphtongs...........................................................................3 The Rules for Euphony: samples of vowel-based words............................................................4 Smooth Words.............................................................................................................................5 Appendix 1: Notes referring to Vowels................................................................................................7 Helios...............................................................................................................................................7 The seven vowels: A-E-H-I-O-U-.................................................................................................7 Well-proportioned words ................................................................................................................7 Collision and Hiatus.........................................................................................................................8 Vocals, Vowels.................................................................................................................................8 In a song or melody: vowels 'sing themselves.'...............................................................................8 Appendix 2: Index Entries referring to Vowels....................................................................................9 Egypt................................................................................................................................................9 Synaloepha ......................................................................................................................................9 Vowels..............................................................................................................................................9