J. K. Rowling tweeted earlier this year that all of the epigraphs in her seventh Strike novel, The Running Grave, will be from the I Ching. We know this is not technically true, just to be clear, because the manuscript we have been shown has a passage from Dylan Thomas as an opening epigraph; one has to think, though, that these Thomas lines are an outlier and all the other epigraphs will be from the classical Chinese book of divination (cf., the opening epigraphs of
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As you perhaps consider yourself a Rowling geek (saying that in the most positive way), I consider myself a Yijing geek. Fascinating your first encounter with the Yijing was through the Ritsema/Karcher's translation as it is quite unyielding for a beginner in the way it was translated and presented. Not a volume that I would use for divination, for example, but perhaps for reference. There's an interesting story regarding that collaboration, one that ended in enmity between them. Eranos later revised the translation and in 2005 it was published by Watkins under the Ritsema/Sabaddini name (see here for a review and some background https://www.biroco.com/yijing/ritsema.htm). I could go on but it would be irrelevant to your note...
Now, Rowling didn't use Ritsema/Karcher for her epigraphs but the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. That is, if we go by what was shared by you in "First ‘Running Grave’ Epigraphs Out: Dylan Thomas Poem and I Ching Note" back in February. The complete quote is as follow:
"A house that heaps good upon good is sure to have an abundance of blessings. A house that heaps evil upon evil is sure to have an abundance of ills. Where a servant murders his master, where a son murders his father, the causes do not lie between the morning and evening of one day. It took a long time for things to go so far. It came about because things that should have been stopped were not stopped soon enough.
In the Book of Changes it is said: “When there is hoarfrost underfoot, solid ice is not far off.” This shows how far things go when they are allowed to run on."
It comes from the Wenyan Zhuan, one of the Ten Wings of the canonized Yijing and its brief text applies only to the first two hexagrams, in this case, the text of hexagram #2, Kun or The Receptive.
If you haven't, I strongly suggest you find a copy of that translation as it appears to be the one Rowling used. Mind you, I've only seen one quote/epigraph, the one you shared, and doesn't mean the rest are from the same translation but it would make more sense if they did for consistency.
Thanks as always John for the insightful analysis of one of the influences for JKR/RG. Something I have wondered is whether JKR/RG’s own duality of personality--being herself and RG--and her own personal longing for wholeness might be coming into play in Strike’s own journey? Particularly since JKR has referenced her own journey as being pivotal for the HP series, wouldn’t be surprised if the Strike novels are just a front row seat for us as readers to watch her own transformation during this part of her life...
I haven't followed the Strike series as closely as many of y'all have, but considering Rowling's creative genius, I would not be surprised to find that she has embedded connected imagery, themes, symbolism, or other literary elements even in the epigraphs for those who have eyes to see.
Are any of the HP faculty noticing any connections or patterns among epigraphs across the 6 Strike novels so far? I've seen the extensive analysis of the epigraphs for each novel, but what about from novel to novel? Seems like it would not be beyond JKR/RG to slip in some interconnected references that only the closest of readers might notice.
Hi John,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As you perhaps consider yourself a Rowling geek (saying that in the most positive way), I consider myself a Yijing geek. Fascinating your first encounter with the Yijing was through the Ritsema/Karcher's translation as it is quite unyielding for a beginner in the way it was translated and presented. Not a volume that I would use for divination, for example, but perhaps for reference. There's an interesting story regarding that collaboration, one that ended in enmity between them. Eranos later revised the translation and in 2005 it was published by Watkins under the Ritsema/Sabaddini name (see here for a review and some background https://www.biroco.com/yijing/ritsema.htm). I could go on but it would be irrelevant to your note...
Now, Rowling didn't use Ritsema/Karcher for her epigraphs but the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. That is, if we go by what was shared by you in "First ‘Running Grave’ Epigraphs Out: Dylan Thomas Poem and I Ching Note" back in February. The complete quote is as follow:
"A house that heaps good upon good is sure to have an abundance of blessings. A house that heaps evil upon evil is sure to have an abundance of ills. Where a servant murders his master, where a son murders his father, the causes do not lie between the morning and evening of one day. It took a long time for things to go so far. It came about because things that should have been stopped were not stopped soon enough.
In the Book of Changes it is said: “When there is hoarfrost underfoot, solid ice is not far off.” This shows how far things go when they are allowed to run on."
It comes from the Wenyan Zhuan, one of the Ten Wings of the canonized Yijing and its brief text applies only to the first two hexagrams, in this case, the text of hexagram #2, Kun or The Receptive.
If you haven't, I strongly suggest you find a copy of that translation as it appears to be the one Rowling used. Mind you, I've only seen one quote/epigraph, the one you shared, and doesn't mean the rest are from the same translation but it would make more sense if they did for consistency.
Best wishes.
Thanks as always John for the insightful analysis of one of the influences for JKR/RG. Something I have wondered is whether JKR/RG’s own duality of personality--being herself and RG--and her own personal longing for wholeness might be coming into play in Strike’s own journey? Particularly since JKR has referenced her own journey as being pivotal for the HP series, wouldn’t be surprised if the Strike novels are just a front row seat for us as readers to watch her own transformation during this part of her life...
I haven't followed the Strike series as closely as many of y'all have, but considering Rowling's creative genius, I would not be surprised to find that she has embedded connected imagery, themes, symbolism, or other literary elements even in the epigraphs for those who have eyes to see.
Are any of the HP faculty noticing any connections or patterns among epigraphs across the 6 Strike novels so far? I've seen the extensive analysis of the epigraphs for each novel, but what about from novel to novel? Seems like it would not be beyond JKR/RG to slip in some interconnected references that only the closest of readers might notice.
Excellent thought, Wayne! I'll think on it -- and have passed it on to the faculty for their consideration.
What do you think?