The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

GA 277a — 25 August 1915, Dornach

The Apollonian Course IX

In this lesson, Rudolf Steiner first discussed how the euryihmic gesture changes depending on whether thoughts, feelings, or impulses of will underlie the texts. He then gave seven further perspectives (call, question, communication, insight, past, present, future) from which a text can be developed and which can be expressed through certain postures. - Particularly with regard to the movement instructions for the individual feelings—joy and pain, expectation and fulfillment, etc.—the descriptions handed down in the notes differ greatly from one another. In order to document the full range, all the nuances in the descriptions are listed in subchapters 2.1 to 2.3.

Thoughts, feelings, impulses of the will

We must observe some things carefully. Movements and gestures can be made large or small. You will need to bear this in mind later when composing poems. A poem, its basic content, and the feeling it conveys must be divided into:

Thoughts
Feelings
Impulses of will
Thoughts

Thoughts can relate to each other in three ways.

1.1 Comprehensive – synecdochical, encompassing, summarizing

Progressing from the larger to the smaller.

Examples: “Hen, spreading her wings,” or: “All-glorifying nature, guide (large, comprehensive) what God has given me (smaller)” [from “Morning Prayer” by Fercher von Steinwand].

The best way to recognize such a thought is that it is concluded with a colon (:) or comma (,).

The larger thought = larger movement; the thought below it — indicate with a smaller movement. // If you have a thought that encompasses another (superordinate thought) — use a large movement; the one that is encompassed (subordinate thought) — use a smaller movement.

1.2 Related — metaphorical, likening

Such thoughts can be recognized by the symbols comma (,), semicolon (5), and dash (-).

Examples: “You swift speaker of scents; you lively blood of springtime” [from ‘Lerche’ by Fercher von Steinwand], or: “There, like Autafort up there, / My strength was broken.” [from Ludwig Uhland: “Bertran de Born,” 7th stanza].

Imitate the movement, using gestures that are as similar as possible. Related thoughts - make the same gestures.

1.3 Touching (metonymic)

Two thoughts that merely touch each other, join together. Here are the symbols semicolon (5) period (.) comma (,).

Example: “The moon looks in, sleepwalking / A blond youth, alone.” [From: “Nachtbild” by Fercher von Steinwand] Gestures that are unequal to each other, different in nature. // In the case of touching thoughts – here it must be different from comprehensive thoughts, only different in nature, not one growing beyond the other – unequal gestures.

[The following drawing by Rudolf Steiner in Marie Steiner's Nb 138 belongs in this context, but was probably created later, as he gives different examples here than in the course lesson.]

Syn. / Predator / Lion Metaph. / Bird for airship / A concept that has in common with another O water lily, you swan / O swan, you blooming swimming rose. / Meton. / The bird sings, the forest is / cheerful

Feelings

When Rudolf Steiner spoke during this lesson about the possibilities of representing the content of a text in terms of thoughts, feelings, and will in eurythmic gestures, he introduced his remarks on “feelings” in the following way (not verbatim): When representing sounds, we use our arms and hands to make visible, to “disenchant,” the “enchanted” movements and intentions of movement in the larynx and its neighboring organs. Now, however, it would be the case that the larynx, “this enchanted human being in miniature,” not only performs these movements within itself, “but also wants to move itself in space, it wants to dance in space.” And if it now wants to move far, far forward, completely stretched out and narrow, “then this gives the voice the timbre of tension,” and if it wants to slacken, recede broadly backward and downward, “then the timbre of relaxation arises in the voice.” . But if he wants to move openly, as if receiving, at the front of the room, then “the timbre of expectation” comes into the voice, and his desire to dance large, radiant, wide, high, above, even behind his head, “gives the voice the timbre of fulfillment.”

In feelings, we have the two main types: joy and pain.

These can be distinguished from expectation and fulfillment, tension and relaxation. There are actually no feelings that cannot be classified under these categories. Only intensification. // Gradation (intensification) is a more complicated type of expectation.

2.1 Joy and pain

Make all feelings of joy such that if [you were to] divide the body, cut through it, what lies behind the plane is joy, and what lies in front is pain. // Imagine the body: divided, pulling the plane slightly in front of you. The pain is in front of this plane. // The movements usually take place in two planes, especially when moving backwards.

I don't remember that one should “pull the plane slightly in front of oneself.”

Joy

All joy is expansive, causes expansion. // All joy is expansion. // Behind externally // backward // backward. The movements are narrow and upward (narrow at the top and as far back as possible) // position backward // backward // narrow upward.

An increase [...] into the joyful – backwards // The increase into the joyful in small intervals from front to back // backwards

Pain

Everything painful internally = in front of oneself (expressed internally in an occult manner). // Everything painful takes place in front of the person. // All pain causes internal cramping. // Forward. The movements inward, narrowing also downward (always from the outside to the inside) // Position forward // Pain - inward.

An increase in sadness – forward // forward, inward, downward. // The increase in pain: in small intervals from behind to the front.

Grief - through downward movement.

2.2 Expectation and fulfillment

Expectation

Forward, very far forward; more stretched movements and MSt.Nb 140 hands open (wide forward)

Expectation - forward // wide forward // position forward // strongly tense, but extending, a-posture

Fulfillment

Fulfillment — backward // wide backward // backward. The movements are wide, leaving the face free (wide at the top and as far back as possible. backward) // backward position // backward posture. Movement toward the center and as far backward as possible // far upward and backward

2.3 Tension and relaxation

Tension

Forward, also stretched forward, but movements inward. (narrow forward).

Tension - front // strongly narrow forward // Position forward // held tense O-posture.

Relaxation

Relaxation - backward // narrow, strongly backward // backward. The movements are also wide, passive (wide downwards and backwards, more passive). // Position backwards // Solution - narrow, strong upwards and backwards, but limp.

Impulses of the will

Things often intersect [overlap], [you have to] decide for one or the other. With impulses of will, it depends on where they come from. // It depends on where the movement comes from; you have to take the last movement into account. // You have to pay attention to where the movement originates.

In the case of impulses of will, make the movements “characteristic.”

3.1 Love

Love goes inward // goes backward // the greatest movement goes inward // coming from the outside inward, but not to the body.

The gesture for love is expressed by movements that go from the outside to the inside (but in front of us across the center).

3.2 Hate

Hate outward // from inside to outside // goes outward // goes outward; repel, greatest movement // downward from the zone outside

Shouldn't it also say: Love goes inward and forward? Hate outward and backward?

3.3 Longing

Longing – pushing inward, drawing something that is outside into oneself // no large movements in front (in the zone of the chest and shoulders).

Overview of thoughts, feelings, and impulses of will

synecdoche : , [colon, comma] metaphorical '; [comma, semicolon]
metonymic ; . [semicolon, period]
Thoughts: comprehensive / related / touching
big movements / same gestures / unequal movements
Feelings: joy (behind) / expectation (in front) / tension pain (in front) / fulfillment / relaxation
Intensity
Impulses of will: love / hate
inward / outward

Four and three perspectives

There are all kinds of intersecting [overlapping] classifications. We can see everything from four perspectives // See text from four perspectives:

Perspective of the call ! = turning back with the upper body; angle // When it comes to a call, [it is] necessary to turn back with [the] upper body
Perspective of the question ? = turn to the right // turn something sideways — to the right // turn sideways to the right
Perspective of the message = turn something forward (an angle) // something forward // [it is] necessary to turn something forward
Point of view of knowledge = slightly curved // [it is] necessary to curve something slightly.

Everything occurs from three points of view: past, present, and future.

Perspective of the past = by pushing the body together // by pushing together. “May the gods fear the human race...” [from J. W. Goethe, “Iphigenia”]
Perspective of the present = normal position // The normal position is only for the present
Perspective of the future, for the future = stretched out on tiptoes. // stretched out, on tiptoes // Stretched toe position

Note: For primordial states in Greek mythology, being curled up.

“What's wrong with you?” — Gesture of questioning combined with gesture of pain.

Question? Turn the upper body sideways to the right or left.

Example with applications from the area of feelings and the aspects of past, present, and future

[The summary classification after each stanza can be found in both Marie Steiner and Mieta Waller, the comments on individual lines only in Marie Steiner.]

Fercher von Steinwand: “Girl on the Shore” I stand on the shore [sorrow ahead]
With cold sorrow,
I look across [Expectation in front]
To the little village by the lake.
[Present / The sorrow is expressed] The cheerful one steers [Joy in the present behind]
His house and heart,
The brave man thinks
Of no pain.
[Present / Transition to joy] In the jubilant swarm [Increase in joy, back]
He came by, [Transition to the past]
On her arm
To the church.
[Joy intensified / transition from the present to the past] I couldn't tell him, [transition to quiet pain. Past]
What I felt, [front]
No one was allowed to complain
How it affected me.
[Transition to quiet pain / past]

From shy delusions, [Increasing pain.]
From secret love, [Much further forward. Present]
The torment of tears
Has remained with me.
Intensification of pain

The wave spreads
Around my foot, [Fulfillment backwards [MSt, Nz AK9,3:] Expectation]
The wave only longs
For my kiss. [Fulfillment Intensification in disappointment.]