CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
6275
Partner Institution:
Simon Fraser University
Source Collection Label:
Reading in BC Collection
Sub Series:
Reading in BC Collection
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
Sacred Geography Seminar with Prof. Robin Blaser on October 29, 1976 tape 1 of 2 #635
Title Source:
j-card
Title Note:
Liner notes: see the photo in the material description
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Interview
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Rights:
Copyright Not Evaluated (CNE)
CREATORS
Name:
Blaser, Robin
Dates:
1925-2009
Role:
"Speaker"
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Cassette
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/8 inch
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Physical Condition:
Excellent
Other Physical Description:
Clear box with j-card
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:34:00
Size:
33.0 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Content Type:
Sound Recording
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:31:01
Size:
30.3 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Content Type:
Sound Recording
Dates
Date:
1976-10-29
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
J-card
LOCATION
Address:
8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Venue:
SFU
Latitude:
49.276709600000004
Longitude:
-122.91780296438841
Notes:
Location taken from cassette #631
CONTENT
Contents:
Side Track No. Comments
One 0004 Tape begins with Blaser mid-sentence discussing the cosmology of the poetic “Edda” [1200-800 A.D.] and the prose “edda”. The topic is then further expanded into that of Norse religion and the old Norse world view. Blaser elaborates and explains the myths with references to Indo-European cultures
0038 Blaser discusses the family of languages. He refers to Webster’s International Dictionary. He draws together various pieces of cultural evidence to construct the characteristics of “Indo-European speech and culture”
0105 Blaser looks at “The Volaspa” for its Norse creation story. Discusses the generative act where we have a mutual attraction and opposition of cold and heat. The singular origin and identity is not the same as the Platonic one; this is a flow
0155 Everything, in this cosmology, returns to matter. Matter and spirit are not split as in our tradition. This difference is discussed
185 Blaser discusses the lack of creator in the Norse mythology. Creation is assumed to be spontaneous as a product of two opposed forces (heat and cold)
214 Blaser refers to Hinduism: he discusses the shape of the cosmos (shaped around the “eternal conflict which is life”). The cosmos develops in one of a fragile “order” of time and temporal relations with the “threat of disorder” always looming. Blaser discusses the structure of the Norse cosmos in some detail
250 The connection between the world of gods and the world of men, the ash tree, Yggdrasil. Blaser postulates that the world tree, any mythological world tree is the “latent invisible fire in the living wood which is the perfect symbol of eternal spirit trapped in matter”. Dionysus is an anthropomorphized version of this vision
270 A thorough examination of the Norse world-tree ensues
319 End of lecture
Two 000
003 Tape begins with an announcement of a poetry reading. Blaser begins his lecture by introducing Charles Olson’s “The Horses of the Sea” [to be found in Sparrow, 43, Black Sparrow Press]
055 A very lengthy discussion of sources in Olson’s work ensues
0156 Blaser introduces a passage from Fowler’s book on Norse religions and present some propositions that he has been building that are meant to allow us to speak to the nature of the “real”
Notes:
SFU BC Readings formatting
NOTES
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