Strife of Love and Pronunciation

July 08, 2021

Strife of Love and Pronunciation

I was taken with the antiquated book, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. The title, in English, means Poliphilo's Strife of Love in a Dream or The Dream of Poliphilus. Said to be created by the monk, Francesco Colonna, who was rumored to have a fetish for architecture, landscape, and costume. The book is a Graphic Designers' wet dream. A visual masterpiece of skillful page layout. Ornate letters and detailed woodcut illustrations. An abundance of symbolism, classical geography mythology, even secret messages. For instance, the decorated letter “in each chapter reads "POLIAM FRATER FRANCISCVS COLVMNA PERAMAVIT", which means "Brother Francesco Colonna has dearly loved Polia.” (Wikipedia, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili).

A traditional romance of its time, a story of courtly love between the title character, Poliphilo, meaning “friend of many things.” In the story, Poliphilo has a dream he is searching for his love Polia meaning "many things.” During his journey, he battles a dragon, meets some hot nymphs, and somewhat passionately admires the various architecture he witnesses while wandering in the mysterious land.

The ornate details and pagan symbols were also intriguing. The feeling of magic and mystery in each image. Although, the actual storyline is not Shakespeare by any stretch of the imagination. Hypnerotomachia Poliphili has been described as “one of the most beautiful incunabula ever printed.” (Wikipedia, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili).

Text; Satyr with Sleeping Nymph, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/365313

Magna Porta, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnerotomachia_Poliphili

HypnerotomachiaPoliphili,https://www.pinterest.com/pin/333407178640028468/

The fact that the text was written in a strange mixture of Greek, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, little Egyptian hieroglyphics,(just for good measure) even a made-up language was a source of much humor to me. It’s an odd book. I love oddities. I enjoyed waxing philosophical...

Was Francesco Colonna in love with a woman named Polia? Was Polia even real? If she had been what happened to her? The story ends as mysteriously as it begins. The lovers are united at last but as they embrace Polia vanishes. Poliphilo wakes up to find it was all a dream. Polia would forever stay just out of reach.