ELYSIUM, n. An imaginary delightful country which the ancients foolishly believed to be inhabited by the spirits of the good. This ridiculous and mischievous fable was swept off the face of the earth by the early Christians — may their souls be happy in Heaven!
2006 Update: A paradise in which heroes, the wholesome, the hospitable and honest can enjoy the acclaim of mortals without disordering our plans.
P.S. I believe Schiller's An Die Freude includes a reference to Elysium. Does anyone remember how that goes?
what?
ReplyDeleteyou're not intending WA to be a bed of roses today, are you.
ReplyDeleteOde to Joy? i'm not feeling it.
ReplyDeleteYay 6th!!!
ReplyDeleteAm I on a trip to Elysium?
No, Doug, never heard of it. Those dang Christians have a lot to answer for!
Elysium - A house overlooking a magnificent ocean;
ReplyDeleteElysium - A field of dreams...perhaps Dodger Stadium which happens to be located on Elysian Park Way.
"Freude schöner Götterfunken,
ReplyDeleteTochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten Feuertrunken,
Himmlische Dein Heiligtum!"
...
without googling!
Beethoven put a wonderfully simple melody on top of these beautiful words...and created teh most memorable of symphonies :)
Elysium Fields Forever .... [my apologies to the Beatles] where the soul lives eternally in Spring and knows only happiness. If they know only happiness, then hayfever pills must abound.
ReplyDeleteELYSIUM, n. Paris. Crowned by a big arch with a statue of Napoleon - thus demonstrating why it was that Dante placed Elysium (as Limbo) in the first circle of Hell.
ReplyDelete:)
Puppy, a little less creamer this time.
ReplyDeleteBrian, dog's have tails where there thrones would go.
Kyah, it's just a river away.
Joel, if you ever make it out this way during baseball season, I'm taking you to a game.
And that, my friends, is how to catch a penguin! (OK, it only half-worked but I declare victory with the "teh.") Come on in, Minka.
Quilldancer, sounds like celebreheaven.
Doug, wish I'd have thought of that! TYoo early in the morning -- or too late in the week -- maybe both. I couldn't get the brand of a single antihistimine to come to mind.
ReplyDeleteI should have left the house ten minutes ago. If I caould only make enough money from blogging to supposrt my bad habits (eating, etc.)
What the...
ReplyDeleteI can't work with a word like this!
"Wholesome"? Are you nuts?
does the snagging of aforementioned Penguin constitute the completion of an Elysiastic quest? (yes, i made up that word... because, while frolicking through the Elysian Fields of my brain, that's what i get to do!)
ReplyDeleteElysium: Pindar holds that all who have passed blamelessly through life three times live there in bliss. ...
ReplyDeleteAt least that's what Google told me. How in the fried devil would I know of such things?
O Ceallaigh, my recollection was that Dante put Limbo just outside of hell but I don't have time for googlery (coinage credit to Puppy.) You raise a good point, though, that the elysians fields in Paris are Prussian Hell.
ReplyDeleteJenna, you're a gifted author. Try to imagine a wholesome character. Then your character can shoot them.
Puppybrose, I'm still trying to spread Wikipidiot and Googlery.
TLP, aren't you a Frisbetarian? Elysium is every rooftop.
Elysium: Collection and analysis of existing data is in process. Thank you, everyone, for your patience.
ReplyDeleteAriel
Elysium, a floral-fruity fragrance by Clarins, introduced 1993, with notes of jasmine, honeydew, ylang-ylang, dewberry, linden blossom, lily of the valley, freesia, rose, osmanthus,sandalwood, papaya, musk, cedarwood. Wow, that's a lotta notes.
ReplyDeleteNot as many notes, however, as Minka dredged up with that incredibly arcane Teutonic reference to a Beethoven/Schiller tune.
(And the P.S. itself ... BAH! Does anyone remember how that goes? BAH.
xoxo
A "gifted author"? I just swooned and woke up in Elysian Fields but they sent me back because I'm not "virtuous" or "heroic" enough for them. Pffft, what do they know? Yeah...I was just bounced out of this so called "paradise"! Can you believe that? Those hosers.
ReplyDelete*drags two bags of trophes behind her, armed with hammer and nails she redecorates the walls with her awards for first place and throws herself happily into the next lazy boy, a blanket and she´s back*
ReplyDeleteMirelle this here Penguin knows the entire ode off by heart, and even a more naughty version of it *winks*.
Tennesee Williams wrote a streetcar named desire (absoultely fanatstic!)...one of the streetcar´s destination was Elysian Fields!
Uncle Doug, your spelling is getting worse from day too day. I dont even know what your trying to spell.
ReplyDeleteElysium: An ointment to put on fingers swollen with the Whitlow.
ReplyDeleteAriel, that's hilarious. Let us know when you get there.
ReplyDeleteMireille, that P.S. was a successful penguin trap. I knew she couldn't resist and this site just isn't the same when she's off pouting.
Jenna, we should really talk to them about their criteria.
Wilkommen zurück, Minka. Es ist schon zeit eines freundes freund zu sein, nicht wahr?
SACADA, its a German word. You won't be fluent in that language for at least another decade.
Still, Indie? My sincere sympathies. How do you manage to drum nervously?
Elysium Fields -- current residence of Hercules and the other "noble" children of the Greek gods -- and those Greek gods as well.
ReplyDelete(I'm sorry, it's the teacher in me. Too many people said they didn't know and I couldn't stand it. I heart Greek mythology.)
does pain lead to Heaven, Indie?
ReplyDeleteJoy, bright spark of divinity,
ReplyDeleteDaughter of Elysium,
Fire-Inspired we tread
Thy sanctuary
Thy magic power re-united
All that custom has divided
All men become brothers
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.
etc.
(Friedrich Von Schiller, Ode: An Die Freude)
Was the Daughter of Elysium Persephone? I think she had a cool gig.
Elysium Fields - sounds like a story book fanatasy :-) or, a sweet smelling white flower...
ReplyDeleteBTW, are you getting much smoke from up Castaic way? Must at least see a nice orange tinted sun.
Did Jenna Just say Hoser? Is she channeling Bob, or Doug MacKenzie?
ReplyDeleteElysium: Just another Asylum
Up on the roof? Oh! Why didn't you say so? Yeah, I've been up on the roof. Under the boardwalk too.
ReplyDeleteThose places can be like paradise.
That's right Minka, I had forgotten about Elysium Fields...what an excellent memory you have. I absolutely LOVED a Streetcar Named Desire as wel as most of Tennessee Williams stuff, although whenver I watch the movie I get a little tripped out on how some key scenes were changed and some very important things were suspiciously left out...I'd suggest a re-make, but they'll never be able to top that acting.
ReplyDeleteElysium: Lethal extraction from the fruit of Hominus americanus.
ReplyDeleteDoug, aber natuerlich: "und wer´s nie gekonnt der stehle weinend sich aus diesem Bund!"
ReplyDeleteQuilldancer, thank you. I heart Greek mythology too. I'm just not a teacher.
ReplyDeleteVery good, Mistress Anna! Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, kidnapee of Elysium.
Terry, I'll find out when I get home. During the workday I pretend to be a mild mannered Altadenan.
V.I., Jenna is the voice of her people.
TLP, elysium is a place of 10,000 antennas.
Squaregirl, good to have you back
Old Mule, I think that's Austalopithecus Americanus.
It's OK, a4g, she's heard of you.
Minka, wer auch nur eine Seele sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!. Und, ja, ich habe vergoogelt daß
Well, I'd say that you usually enjoy the acclaim of mortals without disordering your plans;)
ReplyDeleteAnd NO, I don't remember how that goes--in fact, I don't think I've ever heard or read it once. But it's nice of you to ask, I mean, as if.
And I won't come back all fowl, lol.
elysium - An asylum for people named Ely.
ReplyDeleteI overreached on that one, huh?
All I know is you gotta be dead to go there... and a hero or a poet. It's not that crowded I don't think.
ReplyDeleteTerry, i wondered the same thing. so, would one find sweet allysum in those Elysian (or Elysium) Fields? honestly, that would be so much more comfy than the "bed of roses" i saw referenced while practicing Wikipidiocy.
ReplyDeleteChamps-Élysées = Elysian Fields (in case anyone wondered and/or failed to catch O'C's drift earlier. that was your drift O'C, right? if not, it should have been.)
It's a park in So. Cal and I'm pretty sure they allow just about anyone to go there...I've even heard they sell drugs there...that must be why everyone in Elysium thinks they are a hero or a god or a poet or something more than mortal.
ReplyDeleteActonbell, maybe you know Mozart's Ich bin der vogelfanger bin ich ya?
ReplyDeletePoobah, I can't accuse you of overreaching unless I were sure you hadn't been there.
Haha, Jamie Dawn, it's paradise because you can always get a table.
Puppybrose, it was. Maybe you notice the Arc de triomphe at one end.
Very funny, Squaregirl. Now I know you're back.
"Gyúlj ki, égi szikra lángja,
ReplyDeleteszent öröm, te drága szép!
Bűvkörödbe, ég leánya,
ittas szívünk vágyva lép.
Újra fonjuk szent kötésed,
mit szokásunk szétszabott.
Egy-testvér lesz minden ember,
hol te szárnyad nyugtatott."
ariel, you have a lovely voice! I tried to sing along but I almost chocked to death :)
ReplyDeletesquare, I have a rather good memory and retain informations esily. But in this case I wrote an essay abotu symbolism in Strretcar named Desire, and that streetcar´s name was very symbolic to my mind :)
Doug...it is the effort that counts!
gee, Doug. ya think? i only stated the obvious for those who might *not* have noticed. (which, technically, was me... because i didn't realize it until last night. but then i was away from the computer most of the day. sorry to be such a maroon)
ReplyDeleteMonika... i lovelovelove that you have that kind of knowledge. i swear, you get more impressive with each passing day! xo
*beams with pride*
ReplyDeletewhat's that light? *shades eyes*
ReplyDeleteOh, its teh penguin, beaming. Wow Minka, you must about 4000 watts going there!