114RES3 SPRING82 Juan de Flandes's"The Beheading ofthe Baptist"(Geneva, Artand History Museum). A modern sensibility is apparent inthe painting: thecruelmaidenis seen as a mallarmesque,cold, starlike virgin. The peacock offerstheemblematic key to thescene.In alchemical symbology it stoodfortheextractionofthecelestial essence. This content downloaded from 137.132.123.69 on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:48:34 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTheartof losing one'shead ELMIRE ZOLLA Certainscenariosare like nodal points in a general system of interrelatedicons. A bold youthparading the severedhead of an old hag is one such node. Its best- knownvariationis Perseus holdingup on display Medusa's transfixinggaze. The motifis reversedwhen a girl exhibitsthe head of an old man, such as Herodias or Salome in the act of carrying St. John the Baptist's head offon a tray. This lattericon symbolizes the feastof St. John the Baptist and midsummer's day. The sacrificeof the prophetprepared the Oncoming of the new Dispensation,just as the harvesting of the last ear of corn hails the new solstitialorder.The astrologicalsign of Virgo, the maiden proffering an ear of corn, is but a variationon the theme.At Eleusisthe priestess,Virgo- like, showed the initiatea severed spike of corn. Virgo was also identifiedwith Medusa; she wore Medusa's mask as Proserpine-in-the-nether-world to ward off intruders. The icon of the young man brandishing Medusa's head symbolizes the sign opposite Virgo on the zodiac, Pisces, when a god of dawn or Dawn's fiance Lucifer- Morni ngstarputs an end to the darkand chilly season during which the frightening old hag froze naturewith her deadly stare.The crone of Pisces is the same midsummermaiden growndecrepit, and her youthful slayer is none otherthanthe rejuvenated solar hero whom she slew as an old man under Virgo. The two go on unceasinglyturning tables on each other, fromthe peak of harvesttimeto the somber slough of winter's termand back, frommidsummermadness to carnival folly forever and ever. Greek mythographers insisted thatPerseusslice offMedusa's head witha golden sickle. At the end of winterthe solar hero calls it quits forthe harvestsacrificeof the sun's offspring, the sun- drenchedears of corn. The two storiescan be told in termsof lovemaking ratherthan assassination, in which case the old hag loses her head over a saucy youngblood, while a doting old man loses his over a nymphet, unless it is the latterwho dotes on a dismissiveold gentleman, and out of spite insistson obtaining his head on a platter. Shrovetide jokes included making funof salacious crones and of fastoldsters.Carnivalsare repeated in midsummer;Virgo celebratesthe wake for departed summer just as Pisces does fordeceased winter.Both LuciferunderPisces and Oberon in midsummerare epicene. Leonardo's St. John the Baptist is an androgyne. The hidden'sideof lifesurfacesat the turn of the season. In the Diwan Shams-iTabrizi Rum suggests: ask the severed head about the secretsof the heart In a Sh'a versionof the Baptist'slegend, Herod's spiritual lordswarn himthatifthe prophet's blood is spilled upon the earth, the land will suffer drought. The clever old lecherordersthe head to be chopped off over a tray, but the blood boils, froths, and spills over. The scene seems to be reenacted yearly in Naples when the bishop raisesthe phial containing the blood of St. Januarius, another holy man beheaded by a tyrant, and the contentsstart bubbling amid the shrieks of women bystanders. A Gnostic masterof the first century,Marcus, held up to his priestesses a cup of eucharistic wine, which startedto bubble, and the sight threwthem intoa swoon. A charming treatmentof the motifis the Balinese frogdance, which was originallyperformedby the guild of courtesans.The king of the frogspays courtship to a nymph, who yields to him but laterfallsfora lovelyyoung prince of whom, in exchange forher caresses, she requests herformersuitor'shead upon a tray. When the ancientcustomsare still upheld, the dancing girlfinally invitesone of the onlookersto join her in the dance, which means thathe shall stay forthe night and thatshe will see to it thathe loses his head over her, like the king of the frogs. In Egyptfrogs,being tadpoles transmuted, stood for cosmic, pivotalchanges. The creator god (Khnoum) was also the king of the frogs. His son (Ptah) was the Golden Frog, and lamps made in his shape were inscribed:"I am the Resurrection."The froggess Hekat was his dark lady, who turnedintohis fair lady by sloughing her frogginess. Fromthe shoresof Bali to the embankmentsof the Nile, a few adepts musthave been capable through the ages of readingblessings in beheadings and sloughings. They can be the workof the swordof Gnosis, which freesfromall earthly limitations.The VishnuPurana and the Mahabhrataoffera Gnostic-like interpretation of Namuci's beheading by the god Indra.The story of the old hag and the dashing blood also appears in the Indra cycle. Indrahas to kiss a bald, scaly seeress, replant her womb, and plant herfather'shead in a This content downloaded from 137.132.123.69 on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:48:34 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions116RES3 SPRING82 field, in orderto tastesoma , the divine intoxicant, wisdom. Indian icons of the supremegoddess blend the variousscenes intoone. As Durga the Beheaded, she is depictedcutting offherown head while at the same time, withanother body,coupling withShiva. As Kali she raisesthe head of Raktabja,Seed-of-Blood,letting his blood, the source of all desires,drip intoa skullthat she holds forth - a symbol of action transformedinto contemplation. Kali can also be shown as a laughing, naked girlsticking out her tongue like Medusa. To show one's tongue is an eroticenticementand a challenge (I'll lick you); it suggests the pantingintensity of wrath,love, or spiritpossession. Yogins wind their tongues roundtheirchins. The darling little tongue dangler has threeintoxicated eyes to denote thatshe is at the same time asleep, dreaming, and awake, beyond all opposites. The archetypepersiststhrough the ages. The idea of a girldisporting herselfwithan elderly man's head and of a youthgrabbing an old woman's head by the hair eternally holds sway over men's minds.In modern literaturemost poets have agreed thatHerodias-Salome musthave been madly in love withSt. John the Baptist. Some have detectedan epicene strainin him; others have feltthatshe is a cold, unwomanlyvirgin. Mallarm'sHrodiade describesher as a starry, metallic,quiveringmaid, a Narcissus, "a mournful flower growingsolitary, withno emotion/Savethatof beholding in apathy her shadow upon waters." She fearsthe sight of Venus-Morni ngstar in the sky. Mallarm's Baptist insteadis he who dares lose his head and be transformedintothe Sun of wisdom. He entonesthis responsory: The supernaturalstop Of the sun exhaltsbut As soon as it alights Incandescent I feel as ifat my vertebrae Shadows extended A-shudder In unison And my head rises As a solitary sentinel Amidthissickle's Triumphalflights A trenchantbreach Ratherwould it check or cut short Those old misunderstandings Withthe body Than drunkwithfasts Insiston following In a haggard bound Its pure gaze High up where cold Eternaladmitsnot That you surpass it All of you glaciers But in accordance witha baptism Enlightened at the same Principle which chose me Bends in welcome. The solstitialsun causes the harvesting sickle to slash through the prophet's neck. The prophet welcomes the law of the sun, ratherthan seek a deadly, icy disembodiment. Mallarm speaks as thoughentranced,allowing dim intuitionsto exhale in a twilight trickster language/and archetypal truthsare thus strangely leaked out. There are more direct ways of exploring the mystery, but theyimplyrunning mortal dangers. Medieval sorcery offeredto teach the artof losing one's head, especially on midsummer nights, when the Wild Hunt was imaginedchargingthrough the land, withthe thumping of hooves, the clashing of swords, the neighing of steeds, the blastsof horns, and the howls of savage women and warriors.On her pale horse rode She, called Diana, Titania,Herodias, Holda, Hilda, Hella, Morrigain,Morgan le Fay, Little-Girl-and- Withered-Hag in one. Her mate was a strangetwilight creaturein motley, witha black mask or at least a black patch over one eye: Hellekin,Harlequin,Woden, Oberon. Call on the moon, on the eveningstar,partake of the brothwhere the right weeds have been boiled, and you shall lose yourhead, flyoff, and join the retinue. Yet it shall not be a disembodiment, "a haggard bound," as Mallarm obscurely understood. The famousalchemistvan Helmontdared put the tip of his tongue to one of the mostfamousof witches' weeds, aconitum napellus. His head became numb, and out of his heart thoughts and feelings started emerging. He had lost his head and foundhis heart, and with it incredible clarity,intensity, and peace. It all eventually wore off, but the blessing of vivid, sweet dreams remainedwithhimfora long time. This content downloaded from 137.132.123.69 on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:48:34 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsZolla: The artof losing one's head117 Kraterfrom Campania(Italy), 460-450 B.C. (MadridArchaeologicalMuseum),representing Perseus brandishing a goldensickle, aboutto beheadMedusa.He avertshis head,receiving theorderto perform hisdeed from Athena, whileHermes assists,holding hiscaduceusas ifto consecratethe metamorphic moment.The bentkneesofthehero suggest a dancingpose. This content downloaded from 137.132.123.69 on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:48:34 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions