The Art of W. M. Hyperborea

The Prophet

Artist Statement:
For more than twelve years now, the Dutch couple, Willem and Madeleine, have been working together in different fields of the arts.

They chose Hyperborea, (“New Found Land”), as their professional name. Being sculptors by trade, they’ve created a substantial collection of stone sculptures in addition to translating these into bronze works.

Several years ago they discovered the realm of computer graphics. This resulted in a large number of 3D renderings, featuring their unique style: Alien landscapes inhabited by graceful life forms.

Most recently they have been working together on various projects in which they combine their sculptures, 3D artworks and original electronic music into multi-media presentations.

The Art of W M Hyperborea

They also compose electronic ambient music to provide the sculptures and 3D artwork with audio soundscapes. Compilations of these audio/video projects are available on their website and on the Hyperborea's YouTube Channel. You'll find total 23 clips, such as Alien Architecture, Another Utopia, Ancient Dreams ...

The Museum Of Lost Wonder

Jeff Hoke, curator of the Museum of Lost Wonder and author of the book bearing the same title (also senior exhibition designer at California's Monterey Bay Aquarium), had a mission: To illuminate life's mysteries.

He writes that the eclectic museums and curiosity cabinets of the 1600s inspired him, and that he wants to return us to a time before "science became a belief system unto itself," a time when artist-alchemist-scientists were able to search for inner truth via mystical experiences and experiments without being ridiculed.

The museum is arranged with 7 halls (representing the seven stages of alchemical process) in which the questions of the universe unfold. It begins with The Calcinatio Hall where the featured exhibit is The Beginning of Everything and leads us into halls like The Sublimatio Hall, with the exhibit How To Have Visions. In The Separatio Hall the exhibit Where Are You Going challenges us in our own journey. Through each hall we are led into an exhibit that questions our own understanding of life and urges us into new ways of thinking.

There is more information about the book on his website. Once there, you can also take an interactive tour of the Museum of Lost Wonder. Just click on the 'Tour' tab.

Step inside and discover your lost wonder!
The Museum Of Lost Wonder by Jeff Hoke.

Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

Astrology and theology
The religious feasts are the main contents of the Calendars of Psalters or Books of Hours. Its illustration shows the typical activities of the seasons of the year in the Labours of the Month and the passing of astronomical time in the Signs of the Zodiac.


Ever since man recognized some kind of regularity in the movement of stars and planets, he has believed that the celestial bodies influenced earthly events. Ideas, ultimately dating back to Babylonian times, persisted in the Middle Ages, and even today horoscopes continue to be drawn. In some regions of the world hardly a marriage is concluded without a serious look at the constellations.

Christian theologians were of course most familiar with the astrological ideas of the Graeco-Roman world.

These presented a challenge to their own ideas about the omnipotence of God, and they wrote many pages to reject what was unacceptable in their eyes.

Natural history and bestiaries
Bestiaries and other texts on natural history are populated with animals both actual and fabulous. It is as if they illustrate the story of the fifth and sixth day of the Creation: living creatures each after its kind. The properties ascribed to certain animals made them suitable as metaphors of vices or Christian virtues. As modern books and movies demonstrate, both real and phantasy animals continue to challenge our imagination.

Griffin: Part eagle, part lion, the griffin fuses the two mightiest animals into one. Ruling heaven and earth, immortal and of a double nature, it can symbolize Christ. When a griffin mates with a mare, they produce a Hippogriff: the eagle part of a griffin, hind legs and tail of a horse. The Hippogriff still lives: it is the pet of Hagrid, one of the main characters of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter saga.

Griffin

St. Petronilla holding the devil by a leading-string
Forms of evil
As is shown here, the devil may take on different guises in the illuminations we find in these manuscripts, but there are three basic ingredients: man, animal, and pure phantasy. When he tries to tempt Christ in the desert, or when he fools a nobleman, he looks almost human. But the miniaturist makes sure he does not fool us: his feet are that of an animal, or his eyes are burning coals.

The pictures tell us, that he may turn himself into a cat. He may also be a pale, threatening creature taking souls to hell. The colourful monsters pestering saint Pachomius could have been designed by Bosch. Finally, the devil that seduces Theophilus to sell his soul, looks like one of the more malicious Muppets designed by Jim Henson.

Holy helpers: male saints and female saints
The veneration of saints is as old as the Christian church itself. Christians believed that saints could intercede for them with God. Of couse many still do. Where saints were buried, people gathered to celebrate the anniversary of their death. On this foundation an elaborate system developed during the Middle Ages. For specific complaints or dangers people would ask help from a specific saint.
Apollonia: A deaconess in Alexandria. She refused to renounce Christ and her teeth were broken during torture. They threatened to burn her if she persisted. She didn't wait, but jumped into the fire herself. She protects against toothaches and is patroness of dentists.

Apollonia

Creation of Sun, Moon and Stars
The Creation of the World
The beginning of Genesis, the first book of the bible, has always given rise to reflection and debate. In the Middle Ages this debate remained of course within the boundaries of the Christian faith. The created universe was an accepted fact, not an opinion to be discussed. Since Darwin and the rise of evolutionary theory, the debate has received an added dimension, and it certainly has not lost its topicality. One only has to search the internet with the combined keywords 'evolution' and 'creation' to get an impression of the occasional intensity of the discussion. This gallery, obviously, is not a contribution to the debate. It merely serves to show how the creation was visualized in the Middle Ages.

Prehistoric Antiquity Pyramids

The great pyramid of the Atlanteans.

The age when the pyramids were built had its origins deep in prehistoric antiquity. We need therefore to return to the past as far as our imagination and minds armed with the study of history will permit us. If we set ourselves the goal of discovering the causes of the pyramid phenomenon, our only chance of success lies in the possibility of seeing it all with our own eyes.

Key signposts on our journey will definitely be the ancient works of architecture and writing that will help us get closer to our goal without losing our orientation in time and space. The difference between what is known and what you will find out will come to you as an insight, as the result of your own researches. There is but one truth, we just need to see its course with our own eyes. Be prepared – sometimes you will have to make jumps in space and time to compare what you have seen in the past with what is known according to modern science. This will help you to better grasp the symbolism and ideas of the ancients.

Now, mentally viewing our beautiful blue planet from space, let us draw closer and turn our mind’s eye to Egypt. This is a natural choice as more monuments preserving traces of ancient knowledge have survived there relatively intact than anywhere else. The forms and language in which the Ancient Egyptian texts are expressed allow us to see things that can barely be made out in the writings of other peoples. Such an advantage is important when considering fundamental ideological doctrines that determined not only the imagery of presentation, but also the fate of this or that civilization. We lose nothing in giving preference to Egypt, as the “Source” of knowledge for the Egyptian, Sumerian and Mayan civilizations was one and the same. We too shall touch upon that “Source”. The texts of ancient civilizations lead us almost unerringly to it.

At the base of the entire Ancient Egyptian state and religious system lay ideas and knowledge obtained from some even more ancient, highly developed civilization. Tracks leading back to it run through all stages of Ancient Egyptian history to the place where we find the first historical mention of a pyramid – to the times of the legendary Atlantis that was later swallowed by a terrible flood. Before that, however, Atlantis was an archipelago of islands located 600 kilometers west of the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as a number of islands and part of the coast of the Mediterranean, which the Atlanteans called “The Internal Lake”.

The coastline of the islands, seas and oceans of that period differed from what we see today.

Let us go back 15,000 years, to the historical period that the Ancient Egyptian texts call “the First Time” (Zep Tepi) or the era of the Neferu, “when the Neferu lived on the Earth and talked with people”. The word Neferu (Netheru), translated as “gods”, has a complex internal structure2. The descriptions of the Neferu in the texts indicate that they were human beings with god-like abilities. It was these beings who gave people knowledge of mathematics, architecture, astronomy and medicine, of the structure of the Solar System, of cyclical processes and the principles lying at the foundation of the universe. All that made Egypt great was received in its time from the Neferu. The significance of the knowledge, affecting all spheres of life, which had been received from the Neferu was so great that all subsequent civilizations and generations acknowledged the continuity of power and the legitimate existence of something only if it was justified or explained by or connected with the “First Time” – the era of the Neferu.

On one of the southern islands of Atlantis stood a gigantic pyramid topped by a quartz pyramidion. From it straight canals radiated out in different directions, joining into a single system other canals that encircled the pyramid in a series of rings. All this complex irrigation system flowed directly into the waters of the ocean.

Before we start to examine the purpose of the pyramid, let us move across to the Mesopotamian region, to the land of the Sumerians (the territory of present-day Iraq and Syria). This is not a random move – there too people built pyramidal edifices: the stepped ziggurats. The surviving written texts and legends of the ancient Sumerians also contain many mentions of some highly developed civilization that “descended to Earth from the heavens” and collaborated closely with the elite of Sumer. The interaction between “gods” and humans became so close that a number of ancient texts speak openly of the “gods” having sexual relations with “earthly maidens”. The result was the birth of children with unusual genetic abilities described in legends as “half-gods” that went on to become rulers of the land of Sumer.

There is no counting the scientific achievements and technical innovations of the Sumerians who devoted particular attention to the study of the sky and heavenly bodies – and of the Nephilim – the gods that “descended to Earth from the heavens”. Zecharia Sitchin, a leading specialist in the translation of the Sumerian language, pointing out inexactitudes in the rendering of ancient texts, wrote:
“We shall immediately state that neither the Akkadians nor the Sumerians called these beings from the sky ‘god’. Only much later, in the era of paganism, did the concept of divine beings or gods penetrate into the thinking, and also into the language of the ancient peoples.
“The Akkadians called those from the sky ‘Ilu’ – ‘the High Ones’. The Canaanites and Phoenicians called them ‘Baal’ – ‘Lords’ or ‘Wanderers beyond the Clouds’.”
You probably have a strange feeling – this conjecture does not accord with common sense. If that is what is worrying you, you are on the brink of an important revelation. It would seem that the Neferu of the Ancient Egyptians and the Nephilim of the Sumerians are travelers from another planet…

Is such a thing possible? It’s hard to believe; harder still to draw the logical consequences. After all, in school and in higher education our teachers gave and are still giving a completely different version of history. But if it is so, where exactly did these Neferu or Baal come from? Do the Egyptian writings contain at least some mention, some hint that would throw light on this? – Yes, there is something!

In the heyday of Atlantis and later when the Atlanteans who survived the catastrophe arrived in northern Africa, the pyramids were used as a means of communication and a tool for gaining understanding. With the aid of the pyramids it became possible to do more than just improve the energy, and consequently psychic, capacities of the human being. The pyramids provided a unique opportunity to make “contact” with energy-based forms of life and to interact with representatives of extra-terrestrial civilizations. The knowledge obtained in this way raised the capabilities of the Atlanteans who, in the eyes of the primitive peoples around them were like gods.

In the process of degradation evoked by the breach of fundamental moral and ethical standards, partially preserved teachings passed down a somewhat distorted picture of how the ancient gods had lived and what they did.

The Egyptian Nobleman

A noble's estate, like this one at Tell el Amarna, far more than a family dwelling. It was built around workshops, stables, shrines and banquet rooms. Servants were constantly busy—baking bread in the kitchens, bottling beer in the household brewery, storing grain in silos. There were scribes, vintners, was carpenters and herdsmen. The whole establishment was managed with the Egyptian passion for order, Although the household was run by the noble's steward, there is evidence that his wife also had a free hand—-"You should not supervise . . . your wife in her house," one father admonished his son.

The nobleman who controlled the land that the peasant worked often lived in considerable luxury. If he was a high-ranking official, his town or country house—made of the sun-baked brick the Egyptians used for all domestic architecture, from hovels to palaces—was usually set in a landscaped garden enclosed by a high wall. Its whitewashed elegance and columned veranda were reflected in a large pool stocked with fish and scattered with lotus blossoms. Visitors were greeted in a central reception hall about which were clustered smaller public rooms, guest rooms and the family's private chambers. Comfortable furnishings—couches, tables, chairs, beds, chests and colourful wall-hangings —attested to the competence of Egypt's craftsmen.

Those who dwelt within the royal palace itself enjoyed a life of splendour. Through broad courts, frescoed halls and corridors with friezes of faience tiles flowed a constant stream of imperial business. Shaven-headed priests, high dignitaries and army officers came and went on matters of domestic, foreign and religious concern. Subject princes from Syria and Palestine arrived, often accompanied by dazzling retinues. Upon a dais in a lofty, colonnaded audience hall the god-king sat enthroned, flanked by a bodyguard and attended by ranks of courtiers. Here he received ambassadors from the courts of Babylonia, Crete, the Hittites and other nations; here he accepted rich tribute brought by newly conquered chieftains in exotic dress.

Set apart from the pageantry of state were the pharaoh's private apartments—his robing chamber, bedroom and bath, and the adjoining quarters of the royal harem. Opening off the apartments was the Balcony of Appearances. From this vantage point, on festive or solemn occasions, the monarch displayed himself to crowds in a court below, and from it he bestowed gifts and decorations upon deserving retainers.

Though extremely remote in time, the civilization of ancient Egypt is in some respects more intimately known today than that of any other nation of antiquity. The Old Testament is rich in references to Egypt. In addition, history and literature written by the Egyptians themselves have endured in the stone of temples, monuments and tombs, and on papyrus scrolls.

The fundamental conservatism of the ancient Egyptians also helped to preserve the evidences of their civilization. Although they were subjected to alien rulers in their latter days and assaulted on every hand by foreign influences, they clung tenaciously to the customs and beliefs of their past. Thus many remains of their culture lasted virtually intact almost until modern times, to be observed first-hand and recorded by writers of the rising Western world.

The Egyptians themselves were responsible for the preservation of many artifacts of their civilization because of their distinctive attitude towards death. Since they viewed death as an extension of life, they prepared for it elaborately. Any man who could afford a proper tomb spared neither energy nor expense to furnish it with the many things thought indispensable for living in the hereafter. Geography and climate assisted in the preservation process. Most of the land bordering the Nile is desert, receiving little or no rainfall. The remains of the past, blanketed by dry sand, rested undisturbed through the millennia. Even the most perishable materials—delicate fabrics, articles of fragile wood, papyrus—survived relatively unscathed.

As a result of these two factors—religion and climate— Egypt remained a huge and unique storehouse of antiquity. Its artifacts span all the periods from primitive prehistory to the sophisticated and magnificent age of the pharaohs. Scenes painted on the walls of tombs from dynastic days onwards faithfully depict many details of Egyptian life. Their subjects range from the lowly tasks of farmers and servants and the happy games of children to the pomp and ceremony that attended gods and kings. Small wooden models reproduce dwellings, ships, soldiers in battle gear; butchers, bakers and brewers in their shops. Although the tomb furnishings— clothing, musical instruments, furniture, cosmetics, tools and weapons—were for the use of the dead, all shed light on the ways of the living.

EGYPT - THE ENDURING LAND

Modern man knows of many ancient and wonderful civilizations, some of them of misty origin and impressive accomplishments. What sets Egypt apart from the others? For one thing, Egypt was one of the earliest of the ancient lands to weave the threads of civilization into a truly impressive culture. More to the point, it sustained its achievements unabated for more than two and a half millennia—a span of accomplishment with few equals in the saga of humanity.

Nature favoured Egypt. The early civilizations of Mesopotamia stood on an open plain, and they spent much of their vitality in defending themselves from one another. Palestine, farther west, was largely unprotected, a prey to invaders. In Egypt it was different. Desert barriers bordered the Valley of the Nile and discouraged invasion; the people lived in relative security. The scattered tribes that shared the river merged into villages instead of fighting among themselves; the villages learned to co-operate in controlling the river's annual flood so that all might reap abundant harvest.

Co-operation meant organization. And it was the gift for organization, perhaps more than any other single factor, that enabled Egypt to erect a dominant, enduring state.

The first important move in this direction occurred around 3100 B.C. At that time the Egyptian people, hitherto divided into two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt, found themselves under a single monarch—the first of 30 dynasties of pharaohs. They thereby became the world's first united nation and took a decisive step towards establishing a stable civilization. With the first two dynasties, which covered some 400 years, Egypt emerged from prehistoric obscurity into the full light of history. From that point on are numbered its greatest centuries. They are divided into three main eras—the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom, separated by two intermediate periods when the country's fortunes were temporarily at low ebb.

Each of the three Kingdoms was characterized by accomplishments of its own. The Old Kingdom, from about 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C., was the period during which the great pyramids were built. With the Middle Kingdom, about 2000 B.C. to 1800 B.C., Egypt enjoyed an expanding political strength and broader economic horizons. The New Kingdom, beginning about 1600 B.C., saw the nation's zenith as a political power and its acquisition of an empire mostly in Asia. When the New Kingdom came to a close around 1100 B.C., Egypt's days as a great nation were over, although pharaohs, interspersed with foreign conquerors, continued to occupy the throne until the fourth century B.C.

The unique quality of Egyptian civilization began to emerge even under the earliest pharaohs. Political and social structure quickly crystallized into the form it was to maintain, with few interruptions, from then on. All power, in theory and to a great extent in fact, lay in the hands of the ruler. Cast in the double role of king and god, he sat enthroned at the pinnacle of society. Supporting him were the high officers to whom he delegated authority. Below them, the ranks of a vast bureaucracy rested upon the broad shoulders of workers and peasants.

The awakening of Egypt was accompanied by the introduction of writing, an all-important pre-requisite to successful centralized rule. Records could now be kept, instructions issued, history written down. The creators of poems, stories, essays and narratives could now entrust their works to papyrus rather than memory, and Egypt's literature was born. Methods of calculating kept pace with writing. It became possible to compute taxes with precision, to survey land, measure weights and distances, and reckon time.

Medical science may be said to have begun in Egypt. Though their knowledge was at times tainted with magic, the Egyptian doctors and surgeons of antiquity achieved international renown, and with some cause. Hippocrates of Cos, who fathered modern medicine in the fifth century B.C., and the famous Roman anatomist Galen, about 700 years later, both admitted a debt to Egypt.

With all power emanating from a single fountainhead, manpower could be amassed to tame the Nile. Under the first pharaohs, irrigation projects were launched on a grand scale; a spreading network of canals carried water to the fields, and dike systems held the river at bay and reclaimed thousands of arable acres.

As the Nile's green fringe of agriculture grew ever greater, so did the material wealth of its civilization. By 2600 B.C., Egyptian trading vessels bearing cargoes of lentils, textiles, papyrus and other native products were venturing regularly into the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. Overland traders penetrated deep into Ntibia's hinterland to the south. Cities flourished beside the Nile, enriched by the treasures of Africa and the ancient East—copper, bronze, gold and silver, ivory and rare woods, lapis lazuli and turquoise, myrrh and spices, exotic animal skins and ostrich plumage.