UDK 003.26:76 Diirer A. THE GEMATRICAL NUMBERS IN DIMENSIONS OF THE "MELENCOLIA I" ENGRAVING Tine Kurent The Melancholy engraving by Diirer and Agrippa is hiding its gematrical1 messages not only in the numbers of its magic square but also in the numbers forming its modular dimensions. If the sphere on the lower left side of the composition is 10 modules in diameter, the magic square measures 8 by 8 modules, and the print is 70 by 55 modules large. The circumference of the etching equals 250 and its diagonal 89 modules.2 In the numbers 55, 70, 250 and 89 are hidden gematrical messages, prayers, cursing, the name of the Melancholia itself and the names of its authors. Number 55. IN NOMINE JESU OMNE GENU FLECTATUR, COELESTIUM, TERRESTRIUM ET INFERNALIUM, ET OMNIS LINGUA CONFITEATUR, QUIA DOMINUS JESUS CHRISTUS IN GLORIA EST DEI PATRIS. Gematrically, the prayer equals 1650 = 33 x 55. Number 70. The pious salutation AVE MARIA, or in numbers (1+22+5) + (13+1+18+9+1), is equal to 70. Provided the capital letter R is composed of letters D and A,3 the salutation is the acroym of the incantation AETERNUM VALE EDURA MELANCHOLIA 1 More about gematria in my article: The Gematric Cryptography in the Art, Acta neophilologica, XXIX, 1996. 89-107 2 The print is 24 by 18,6 cm large. The module is 3,408 mm long. Theoretically, the print is 1,44 mm wider and 1,44 mm shorter than the actual measurement. 3 By composing the capital R out of letters P and L, the architect Josef Plečnik's salutation AVE MARIA is the acronym for his proud and militant statement AD VICTORIAM ECCLESIAE MILITANTIS ARCHITECTON PLEČNIK IOSEPHUS ADIUVAT. More about Plečnik: - Pozzetto, M., Jože Plečnik, Alba Editrice, Torino, 1968. - Prelovšek, D„ Josef Plečnik, Edition TUSCH, Wien, 1979. - Pozzetto, M., La scuola di Wagner 1894-1912, Comune di Trieste, 1797. 129 ADEPTI ALBRECHTI DUERERI IPSIUSQUE4 AGRIPPAE, or in gematrical figures (1+5+20+5+18+14+21+13) + (22+1+12+5) + (5+4+21+18+1) + (13+5+12+ 1+14+3+8+15+12+9+1) + (1+4+5+16+20+9) + (1+12+2+18+5+3+8+20+9) + (4+21+5+18+5+18+9) + (1+16+19+9+21+19+17+21+5) + (1+7+18+9+16+16+ 1+5) = 701.Thanks to the rule of kolel,5 the sum of 701 is equal to 700 and, thanks to the rule that zeroes can be omitted, to 70. The name of ALBRECHT DUERER is gematrically equal to (1+12+2+ 18+5+ 3+8+20) + (4+21+5+18+5+18) = 140 = 2 x 70. Number 250 The prayer EXURGE, DOMINE, ADIUVE NOS is equal to gematrical numbers (5+24+21+18+7+5) + (4+15+13+9+14+5) + (1+4+9+21+22+5) + (14+ 15+19)= 250. Number 89. The engraving'a diagonal is practically 89 modules long. It is hiding the name ANGELUS NIGER MELANCHOLICUS, gematrically equal to (1+14+ 7+5+12+21+19) + (14+9+7+5+18) + (13+5+12+1+14+3+8+15+12+9+3+21+19) = 267, that is to 3 x 89. The following quotation, signed with initials of Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Albrecht Duerer and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa Von Nettesheim, NIHIL EST AB OMNI PARTE BEATUM,6 QHF, AD, HCAVN, equals 356, that is to 4 x 89. The number 89 + 10 and - 10 results in numbers 79 and 99. Number 79. The Greek name of the print, MEAArXOAIA is equal to the sum of numbers 40+5+30+1+3+600+70+30+10+1 = 790. The name of AGRIPPA YON NETTESHEIM is equal to (1+7+18+ 9+16+16+1) + (22+15+14) + (14+5+20+20+5+19+8+5+9+13) = 237 = 3 x 79.7 The question WAS HAST DU GEMACHT, ISRAEL8, is equal to (23+1+19) + (8+1+19+20) + (4+21) + (7+5+13+1+3+8+20) + (9+19+18+1+5+12) = 237 = 3 x 79. - Kurent, T., Plečnikov napis AVE MARIA v Bogojini. - Dva tisoč, 64-66, 1992. - idem, Pregljev Epitaf: gematrična kompozicija. - Borec., 555-556, 1997. 4 'Ipse' is a higher rank than 'adeptus'. cf: 'Ipse dixit.' ' Ipse' autem erat Pythagoras. (Cicero, De natura deorum, I. V. 10.) 5 One unit, or kolel in Hebrew, may be added or subtracted from the value of a word without affecting its symbolic meaning. See Michell, J., The Dimensions of Paradise, Thames and Hudson, 1988, p. 60. 6 Horace, odes, XVI, 27. 7 In the article Kurent, T., The polyhedron on Durer's "MELENCOLIA I". - Acta neophilologica, XXVII, 1994 are explained other gematrical equivalents of the number 79. 8 German translation of the key sentence in the Easter sermon by Melito, bishop of Sardis, late 2nd Century. 130 The reaction to the question, PAREANT PERFIDIOSI IUDEI is hidden in the same gematrical number: (16+5+18+5+1+14+20) + (16+5+18+6+9+4+9+ 15+19+9) + (9+21+4+5+9) = 237 = 3 x 79. Number 99. The gematrical value of pious thanks DEO GRATIAS is equal to (4+5+15) + (7+18+1+20+9+1+19) = 99. Number 4895 = 55 x 89 The product of numbers in the smallest and the largest dimansion of the composition, the width and the diagonal, is 55 x 89 = 4895. The Greek statement by Plato,9 that melancholy is disease of the soul, signed by the three wise men, is hidden in the number 4895. Together with the Latin initials of Albrecht Duerer and Heinrich Cornelius Yon Nettesheim: MEAANXOAIA NOEHMA ^FYXHX EXTI. ITAATQN , AD, HCVN = (40+5+ 30+1+3+600+70+10+1) + (50+70+200+8+40+1) + (700+400+6008+200) + (5+ 200+300+10) + (80+30+1+300+800+50) (1+4) + (8+3+22+14) = 4895 = 55 X 89. 9 Plato, Timaeus, 78 a. 131 132