I haven't posted any Eckhart for a bit:

[tree_and_leaf]

Eckhart is glossing 1 Cor 11:4, in which Paul says that women should cover their heads in church, but menshould uncover them.

Und darumbe: allez, daz sich der sêle niderkêret, daz nimet des selben, in daz ez sich kêret, ein decke, ein houbet-touch; daz sich aber ûftreget der sêle, daz ist blôz gotes bilde, gotes geburt, unbedecket blôz in blôzer sêle. Von dem edeln menschen, wie gotes bilde, gotes sun, sâme götlicher natûre in uns niemer vertilget wirt, aleine er bedecket werde, sprichet künic Davit in dem salter: aleine valle in den menschen manigerleie îtelkeit, lîden und jâmerkeit, nochdenne blîber er in dem bilde gotes und daz bilde in im. Daz gewære lieht liuhtet in der vinsternisse, aleine man des niht gewar enwerde.

And therefore, everything in the soul which turns downwards (i.e. away from God), receives a cloth or headscarf from what it turns to. But what bears the soul up, that is the naked image of God, the birth of God, uncovered and naked in the naked soul. This noble person, which is God's image, God's son, the seed of divine nature is never destroyed in us, though it is covered/ obscured is spoken of by King David in the Psalter: although man* fall into many vanities, suffering and sorrowing pain, he remains in the image of God and the image remains in him. The true light shines in the darkness, even if no one notices it.


* Actually the German is 'mensch', human, but I can't think of a non-gendered way to translate that keeps the ambiguity between individual and humanity.

Comments

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

As a woman who voluntarily covers her head in church I think I would rather stick with Paul's direct remark in the passage that the woman's hair is her glory, and that the woman herself is the glory of man. In that context it makes sense for both those glories (i.e. both man's glory and woman's glory) to be covered during worship so that only God's glory is represented, and yet there's no implication that the woman is spiritually inferior.

Whereas I've read over your translation of the Eckhart passage several times and can't make much sense of it, other than the suggestion that women represent the soul turning downward and away from God. I trust that is not the case or you wouldn't have posted it (at least not without commentary), but I have to admit you've lost me.

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

*doesn't quite get it either*

Actually, I just like hats, and would probably wear them EVERY SUNDAY YAY if it weren't for the fact that I'm in the choir. I'm not sure that's what Paul meant.

And it's not because I consider my hair to be my glory, either, or me to be anybody else's.