WEAVING 3

Wikipedia Commons
Watercolors for Blair's The Grave
Christ Descending

These mortal bodies in which we live and move and have our being are constructed of bones and sinews and blood. These are the coverings for Souls Divine who have been given 'a little space' to 'work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.' For communicating about this covering which was afforded to Adam and Eve when they left Eden as naked beings, Blake developed the metaphor 'Robe of Blood.' More than a physical coating for the soul, it includes the psychic portion of man which Blake imaged as the Four Zoas.

The Robe of Blood is most often associated with the Zoa Luvah who is imaged a man's emotional nature in which is expressed all the joy and pain of relating to an exterior world. In solidarity with the predicament of man the 'Divine Lamb Even Jesus who is the Divine Vision' wore Luvah's Robe of Blood. In theological terms this is the incarnation, God becoming a living presence within man exemplified by Christ in Jesus and in each of us.

Four Zoas, Page 12, Night I, (E 307)

"Los saw the wound of his blow he saw he pitied he wept 
Los now repented that he had smitten Enitharmon he felt love
Arise in all his Veins he threw his arms around her loins
To heal the wound of his smiting

They eat the fleshly bread, they drank the nervous wine  -
PAGE 13 
They listend to the Elemental Harps & Sphery Song
They view'd the dancing Hours, quick sporting thro' the sky      
With winged radiance scattering joys thro the ever changing light

But Luvah & Vala standing in the bloody sky      
On high remaind alone forsaken in fierce jealousy                
They stood above the heavens forsaken desolate suspended in blood
Descend they could not. nor from Each other avert their eyes
Eternity appeard above them as One Man infolded
In Luvah[s] robes of blood & bearing all his afflictions 
As the sun shines down on the misty earth Such was the Vision    

But purple night and crimson morning & golden day descending 
Thro' the clear changing atmosphere display'd green fields among
The varying clouds, like paradises stretch'd in the expanse
With towns & villages and temples, tents sheep-folds and pastures
Where dwell the children of the elemental worlds in harmony,     
Not long in harmony they dwell, their life is drawn away     
And wintry woes succeed; successive driven into the Void
Where Enion craves: successive drawn into the golden feast

And Los & Enitharmon sat in discontent & scorn" 

Four Zoas, Night II, Page 32, (E 321)
The heavens were closd and spirits mournd their bondage night and day
And the Divine Vision appeard in Luvahs robes of blood          

Thus was the Mundane shell builded by Urizens strong power       

Sorrowing went the Planters forth to plant, the Sowers to sow   
They dug the channels for the rivers & they pourd abroad
PAGE 33 
The seas & lakes, they reard the mountains & the rocks & hills
On broad pavilions, on pillard roofs & porches & high towers
In beauteous order, thence arose soft clouds & exhalations
Wandering even to the sunny Cubes of light & heat               
For many a window ornamented with sweet ornaments                
Lookd out into the World of Tharmas, where in ceaseless torrents                                                   
His billows roll where monsters wander in the foamy paths

On clouds the Sons of Urizen beheld Heaven walled round         
They weighd & orderd all & Urizen comforted saw                 
The wondrous work flow forth like visible out of the invisible   
For the Divine Lamb Even Jesus who is the Divine Vision
Permitted all lest Man should fall into Eternal Death
For when Luvah sunk down himself put on the robes of blood
Lest the state calld Luvah should cease. & the Divine Vision
Walked in robes of blood till he who slept should awake   

Thus were the stars of heaven created like a golden chain
To bind the Body of Man to heaven from failing into the Abyss"
            
Four Zoas, Night IV, Page 54, (E 337)
"The Council of God on high watching over the Body   
Of Man clothd in Luvahs robes of blood saw & wept
Descending over Beulahs mild moon coverd regions
The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision they were comforted
And as a Double female form loveliness & perfection of beauty
They bowd the head & worshippd & with mild voice spoke these words

PAGE 56 
Lord. Saviour if thou hadst been here our brother had not died
And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God
He will give it thee for we are weak women & dare not lift
Our eyes to the Divine pavilions. therefore in mercy thou
Appearest clothd in Luvahs garments that we may behold thee      
And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah Behold
We perish & shall not be found unless thou grant a place
In which we may be hidden under the Shadow of wings
For if we who are but for a time & who pass away in winter
Behold these wonders of Eternity we shall consume               

Such were the words of Beulah of the Feminine Emanation  
The Empyrean groand throughout All Eden was darkend
The Corse of Albion lay on the Rock the sea of Time & Space
Beat round the Rock in mighty waves & as a Polypus
That vegetates beneath the Sea the limbs of Man vegetated      
In monstrous forms of Death a Human polypus of Death

The Saviour mild & gentle bent over the corse of Death
Saying If ye will Believe your Brother shall rise again"  

Four Zoas, Night VII, Page 87, (E 369)
"Los trembling answerd Now I feel the weight of stern repentance
Tremble not so my Enitharmon awful gates    
Of thy poor broken Heart I see thee like a shadow withering
As on the outside of Existence but look! behold! take comfort!
Turn inwardly thine Eyes & there behold the Lamb of God
Clothed in Luvahs robes of blood descending to redeem
O Spectre of Urthona take comfort O Enitharmon   
Couldst thou but cease from terror & trembling & affright
When I appear before thee in forgiveness of ancient injuries 
Why shouldst thou remember & be afraid. I surely have died in pain
Often enough to convince thy jealousy & fear & terror
Come hither be patient let us converse together because  
I also tremble at myself & at all my former life

Enitharmon answerd I behold the Lamb of God descending
To Meet these Spectres of the Dead I therefore fear that he"

Songs and Ballads, Auguries of Innocence, (E 491)
"It is right it should be so 
Man was made for Joy & Woe
And when this we rightly know
Thro the World we safely go
Joy & Woe are woven fine
A Clothing for the soul divine 
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine
The Babe is more than swadling Bands
Throughout all these Human Lands" 

Wikimedia Commons
The Angel of the Divine Presence clothing Adam & Eve with Coats of Skins 

Letters, To Butts, 1803, (E 729)
"I have now on the Stocks the following Drawings for you ...The Angel of the Divine Presence clothing Adam & EveAdam & Eve with Coats of Skins"


Genesis 3
[21] Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
[22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
[23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
[24] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.