Holy Words
Class Reading: Gerardus van Der Leeuw/Sacred and Profane Beauty
November 22, 2015
Words have power. This is evident to everyone. We have all had our minds changed on a matter because of words. Word influences belief. The power contained in words is derived from both the sound a word makes and the meaning behind a word. For primitive man, however, the power of words was found not in the meaning but in the rhythm. As Van Der Leeuw says, “under rhythmic constraint, words exert a force.”(115) Without this rhythm, words of content were considered profane. The formula behind poetry and song is what brought things alive and made things sacred. What is sung is not as important as how it is being sung. The primitive understanding of words emphasized formula. Thus, for primitive man, word is inextricably connected to dance. Music for the sake of music is a modern invention. The primitive man used music to achieve rhythm, symmetry, and harmony. We moderns should appreciate the primitive wonder of formula and rhythm, while also focusing on content. Often times, rhythm is the stage on which content is made great and beautiful.
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