AVIAN ICONS OF THE SEVENFOLD GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Tony Shutt PENTECOST 2016

The tradition of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is drawn from Isaiah 11.2-3

King James Version And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom1 and understanding2, the spirit of counsel3 and might4, the spirit of knowledge5 and of the fear of the Lord6; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord7: Latin Vulgate Version et requiescet super eum spiritus Domini spiritus sapientiae et intellectus spiritus consilii et fortitudinis spiritus scientiae et pietatis et replebit eum spiritus timoris Domini The development of the familiar idea of seven characteristics or gifts of the Spirit seems to be based on a loose Greek translation (known as the Septuagint, abbreviated as “LXX”) of the Old Testament and of Isaiah. The Hebrew word for ‘fear’ was translated as “godliness” or “piety” at the end of verse 2, and as “fear” in verse 3. Thus what seems originally to be meant as six characteristics of the Spirit in three pairs became seven characteristics. Paintings All 7 icons were made between Monday 9 and Saturday 14 May 2016. They are painted on canvas 16 x 12 inches using acrylic paint with some ink.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

sapientiae intellectus consilii fortitudinis scientiae pietatis timoris Domini

WISDOM Wisdom is traditionally interpreted as the first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit because it is the perfection of faith. Through wisdom, we come to value properly those things which we believe through faith. Here wisdom is symbolised by a tawny owl, winking wisely, perceiving and subtly signalling its acumen. Owls have a long association with wisdom. In ancient Greek culture this was from their association with the dark. Shadows do not dispel wisdom, which persists and thrives. The extended wing evokes protection and predation. Wisdom trusts it knows the needs of others as well as its own.

UNDERSTANDING Understanding is the gift of the Holy Spirit that allows us to grasp or apprehend, at least in a limited way, the essence of truth. Through understanding, our beliefs grow, change, sharpen, simplify and deepen, informing and challenging our faith. Here understanding is symbolised by an Egyptian Goose flying through the canopy of budding trees. It is not a native of the United Kingdom but of Africa, south of the Sahara and Nile Valley. It was introduced as an ornamental wildfowl species that now lives and breeds in the wild. Similarly, the Holy Spirit that enters our experience cannot be domesticated. The Spirit, like many a flighty bird, will roam free, with wildness and intent, and like a goose, will make its repetitive, robust and a noisy song in its season.

COUNSEL Counsel is traditionally interpreted as the perfection of prudence. Through counsel, we are able to judge how best to act, almost by intuition, some might say supernaturally. Thus, counsel is the timely and godly habit of decisive and concrete wise action. Here counsel is symbolised by a kingfisher, which, upon seeing a fish knows instinctively precisely what to do and gets on with it immediately. The colours are attractive too.

MIGHT Might is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. If prudence and justice are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done; fortitude gives us the resilience to do it. Here might is symbolised by a Goldcrest, the smallest European bird, classified in Latin with the name Regulus regulus, a double diminutive. Regulus means “prince, little king”, a diminutive of Latin rex “king”. Strength in weakness is a powerful theme of Christian faith.

KNOWLEDGE Knowledge is interpreted as the gift of the Holy Spirit that gives the ability to judge all things. Through knowledge, our actions are refined, and the circumstances of our life are seen, in a limited way, as we believe God sees them. Here knowledge is symbolised by a pair of goldfinches, in association, dialogue and community, perched on a wooden cross. During the late medieval period in Europe, goldfinches became symbolic of salvation, endurance and health. The interest in goldfinches is rooted in their striking plumage and lifestyle. Feeding on thistles, a symbol of the crucifixion, goldfinches were also fabled to have acquired blood-coloured feathers while attempting to remove the crown of thorns from Christ while he was being crucified.

PIETY Piety is the gift of the Holy Spirit that perfects our willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety cannot be reduced to mere religion; its forms, tools and habits, though such disciplines are useful and cannot be avoided. Piety is silence in song, a melody paused, lowliness exalted, exaltation at rest, the ascent of the human spirit towards the descent of the divine spirit, held in place by the energetics of both, a rising, falling, hovering and gliding exhilaration, trilling every beauteous benevolent note in an endless hymn to life. Here piety is symbolised by a Skylark in flight. The sky is divided into horizontal bands representing six of the seven heavens, an ancient symbolic division. The bird here is just in ‘sixth heaven’, with the seventh above and beyond the frame of the icon. At the conclusion of her 1863 poem ‘My period had come for Prayer’, the American Emily Dickinson alights on these lines, perhaps touching the wing tips of piety: The silence condescended – Creation stopped – for Me – But awed beyond my errand – I worshipped – did not “pray: -

FEAR OF THE LORD Fear of the Lord is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to experience reverential awe at the glory of God’s presence, condescending to be involved in our lives. In Hebrew, ‘Yirat’ (fear) is a form of devotion, a consciousness of the sacredness and mystery of receiving life from the living God. It draws upon gratitude for God. Such an attitude of devotion yields wisdom. Thus the psalmist’s claim that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’ Psalm 111.10 Here the fear of the Lord is symbolised by a somewhat impressionistic pheasant, painted hurriedly in the fear that the artist was running out time. The intensity of posture, colouring and stare are meant to evoke what Rudolf Otto described in ‘The Idea of the Holy’ (1917) as ‘mysterium tremendum et fascinans’ – a mystery that is both terrifying and fascinating in the awestruck experience of ‘God’ - the numinous disclosure and presenting of divine Being.

An early stage of the iconisation of “Might”.