News from The Times that they are going to dig up Garcia Lorca from the mass grave he was thrown in after being murdered by the fascists. A lot of people in Spain think this is an outrage (including some of Lorca's relatives) but they reinterred Yeats after he died in Paris so that his wishes could be followed and he would be buried "under Ben Bulben". (Or at least they think they did - more on that weird story here. ) Did Lorca want to be buried in a rubbish filled canyon? No, actually, he didn't:When I die,
bury me with my guitar
beneath the sand
When I die,
among orange trees
and mint plants.
When I die,
bury me,
if you would, inside a weather vane.
When I die!
12 comments:
Not to be any more disrespectful than I usually am, but how are they going to be able to tell which remains are his? From what little I know of mass graves, it doesn't appear they take much care about distinguishing who is who; they just toss them in.
The standard tourist response at Yeats' grave in Drumcliffe: "Is that it?"
It's a modest thing, to be sure, but ours ...
Cheers, Dec
Dana
No clue. DNA? I'm amazed that they found him at all actually and they seem pretty certain about it.
Dec
We believe you. Wouldnt be sporting to pull the wool over the eyes of coach loads of tourists.
At first glance, it would seem to be easy to discern what his wishes were. But thinking about this a little, you wonder if the orange trees would have been his final wish. Was he the kind of man who would have wanted the orange grove when so many of his fallen compatriots are perhaps destined never to have them or anything but anonymous death?
His family may feel better about it, and in the end that may be all that matters. But it sounds like the family is not so united on this point either...
I saw a recent BBC piece about a fallen airman from WWII who was finally found and identified by matching DNA with his still surviving sister. At least in that case it was obvious that it gave some kind of peace to her to have him home.
While the papers,perhaps understandably,focus on Garcia Lorca,the reason behind the exhumations is that Judge Garzon intends to investigate the crimes of Franchism as crimes against humanity,and therefore arrive to an indictment of those responsible who may be still alive.
The identification of the greatest possible number of victims is the first step.
They will cross-reference times and places of disappearances and,when possible,compare the DNA with that of living relatives.
Ciao,
Marco
Thanks for the clarification, Marco. It sounds like an enormous but worthy task.
Marco
I think its worthwhile for both reasons.
Lorca's an aesthetic hero of mine and along with Bruno Schulz and many others one of the great voices silenced by fascism.
Seanag
I know what you mean, and every death is an untold story. There's a very affecting bit at the end of Jacob Bronowski's Ascent of Man where he talks about his relatives murdered at Auschwitz and then steps into the marsh where the ashes were dumped, reaches into the water and lifts up the mud. Any ground can be sanctified and holy, but still it would be nice if there were a place in Granada that admireres of Lorca's talent like myself could go and lay flowers or quietly contemplate.
I think the explanation from Marco about the mass excavation makes a difference here. If attempts are made to find everyone's connection, then how it turns out for any one person, even a famous one, does not seem unjust to the others.
I hope you get to visit Lorca in an orange grove one day. But, as you say, the darker spot will also contain some of his life and meaning.
Thank you for the Bronowski mention, by the way. I did not not know that the book, or was it the TV show, was brave enough to include that moment. The Ascent of Man indeed.
seanag
I found the Bronowski here. I read in an interview that this scene was entirely spontaneous and done in one take.
Thank you very much for that link to the Bronowski clip, Adrian. I was ready for the mud of course, but not ready for his words. It spoke to my condition today, as one of my old professors would have put it.
It makes sense that his gesture was an improvisation. Otherwise, it would probably have come across as staged in some way.
Thanks again.
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