山田維史の遊卵画廊

■(23)英語エッセイ「Mirror, Oh Mirror (鏡よ鏡)」

by Tadami Yamada

The English word "mirror" is said to originate from the Latin word "mirare" (to look at), which evolved from "mirari" (to marvel; wonder at) or "mirus" (amazing, wonderful). "Miracle" (miracle, amazing thing) shares the same etymology. Similarly, "admire" (to marvel), "marvel" (wonder), and "mirage" (illusion, delusion) also share the same root.

By listing these etymologies and derivative words, a "spiritual element" of the mirror, beyond its physical substance, emerges.

Plato considered the "brilliance" of a polished mirror and its "clarity," which largely includes spiritual connotations, in the same context. This understanding was not limited to ancient Greek civilization but was also present in Japan. In Japan, the ancient characters for "mirror" (赫見) were used, representing the sun. The term "round mirror" (円鏡) is simply a description of its shape. In my opinion, ancient Japanese mirrors were not used for reflection, but rather as vessels for the gods, reflecting light and shining brightly.

Furthermore, if we focus our thought on the non-substance of the image reflected in the mirror, the medieval Christian world acquired a crucial truth mediated by the mirror. This is exemplified by the following words of Jesus as recounted by St. Paul:

"Now we see as with a mirror, and our vision is hazy. But then we shall see face to face. Now I do not know fully, but then I shall know as I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Let's rephrase this in simpler terms.

"We now see everything indistinctly, as we see in a mirror. But when the Kingdom of God comes, we will face God's glory directly. What I know now is only a small part, not complete. But when that time comes, just as my reflection is clear to all, I will know the extent of God's glory."

In 'The Autumn of the Middle Ages', Johan Huizinga states that these words of St. Paul are "the highest truth believed by the medieval spirit." In other words, earthly humans are merely illusions, like a mirror image, compared to the essential presence of God in heaven. This theological truth was later inherited by Neoplatonism, passed through the Renaissance, and blossomed magically as Mannerism. The Mannerist mirror metaphor, 400 years later, has been passed down to modern Surrealism.

Leonardo da Vinci said, "A painter must be like a mirror." It would be interesting to compare this quote from Leonardo da Vinci, a man of observation and science, with the passage from the chapter on Saint Paul. However, there is no space here to delve into the detailed history of European thought. For now, let's simply state that the mirror metaphor is a crucial key word in the history of European thought, and then list some famous paintings of mirrors from the history of art. These are, of course, not merely depictions of mirrors, but are nothing less than illustrations of the history of European thought itself. After that, we will look at literary works, and finally, in a much more casual manner, list some mystery novels featuring mirrors as they come to mind.

Let's begin with paintings.

○ Jan van Eyck, 'The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini' (1434)
○ Petrus Christus, 'Saint Eligius at His Workshop' (1449)
○ Hans Baldung Green, 'Love and Death (Vanity)' (1510)
○ Quentin Massis, 'The Money Changer and His Wife' (1514)
○ Parmigianino (Francesco Mazzola), 'Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror' (1523)
○ Diego Velázquez, 'Venus Before a Mirror' (c. 1610)
○ Diego Velázquez, 'Las Meninas (The Ladies-in-Waiting)' (1656)

The following two examples illustrate how Hans B. Green's 'Love and Death' has been revived in modern times after a long period of time.

○ George Tuker, 'The Mirror' (1975)
○ Audrey Flack, 'The Wheel of Fortune' (1977-78)

Next, literature.

○ Spencer (c. 1552-1599), 'The Fairy Queen'
○ Milton (1608-1674), 'Paradise Lost'. The story of Adam and Eve in Book 4.
○ Hoffmann (1805-1878), 'The Man Who Sold His Shadows'
○ Wilde (1854-1900), 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'
○ Tolstoy (1882-1945), 'War and Peace'
○ Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), 'Honolulu'
○ Pierre de Mandiargues (1909-1991), 'The Cloudy Mirror'

Next, mystery novels

○ Dorothy L. Sayers, 'The Mirror Image'
○ Agatha Christie, 'The Mirror Crack'd Side to Side'
○ Agatha Christie, 'The Dead Man's Mirror'
○ Stanley Ellin, 'Mirror, Mirror'
○ Helen Macloy, 'Into a Dark Mirror'
○ Ellery Queen, 'The Adventures of the Mad Tea Party'
○ Edogawa Ranpo, 'The Mirror Hell'
○ Tsutsui Yasutaka, 'Mirrorman's Time'
○ Fujiwara Shinji, 'The Room of Mirrors'

And finally, Sasazawa Saho's 'Dissolving into the Mist', features a mirror that doesn't reflect anything.

"We can't say for sure that it was murder, that is, that someone directly tampered with it."
"But there must be something."
As if confronting a vast darkness, Inspector Kurata widened his narrow eyes and stared into space.
"For example, this."
At the end of the inspector's outstretched hand was a brocade bag about the size of a box of Peace cigarettes.
"It's an oval-shaped mirror bag. It was found lying next to Emi Ogouchi's bed. But only the bag remains; the mirror inside is missing."

The mirrors in this work don't reflect objects. Without reflecting anything, they reflect the three murders and the relationships surrounding them in a chaotic manner, making the pursuit of the culprit difficult. In that sense, it could be considered an "unusual" mystery novel using mirrors.

Incidentally, another story about mirrors. Some of you may be familiar with "magic mirrors (魔鏡)." Also known as "hidden Christian mirrors," they reveal a hidden image of Christ inside when light is reflected from them. Apparently, they are made by changing the thickness of the back of the mirror during the casting process. The actual mirror is housed in the Faculty of Theology at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka. Another one is owned by the Elizabeth Saunders Home in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture. In fact, these two "magic mirrors" fit together perfectly and have been confirmed to be identical. Even so, in the words of Jesus conveyed by St. Paul, the mirror was supposed to be a symbol of the non-substantiated. Even Jesus himself could not have known that his image would appear in this magic mirror. I would like to point out that because the hidden Christians adopted the Japanese idea of "mirrors as vessels for God," the Christian truth since St. Paul, which symbolized the important principle of denying reality through the non-substantial nature of the mirror's image, has taken on a syncretistic aspect.

（April 9, 2009)

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