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Post by Moe on May 10, 2008 10:28:45 GMT -5
There was/is a discussion elsewhere of what Enya songs are "evil" - my answer is "none." But I think the Latin in some songs may spook some listeners, whereas I find it a wonderful addition to the Enya/Roma collaboration.
Pax Deorum reminds me in general of ancient Rome and its religious traditions. Its tone reflects the Roman concept that the anger of the gods is to be feared, yet the singer calls on god to come and receive the expected sacrifice. It is not a "sweet" melody but a demanding one, as appropriate to the context.
The final statement - believe each day to be your last - is right out of the Roman poet Horace. And I love the way it flows into Athair Ar Neamh, which continues the "calling on god" theme.
In short, these two songs create an astounding "duet" for me, and I hope Roma will pen some Latin lyrics for the next album; after all, the city of Roma was named after her. ;D
And the only song on this CD that I don't like much is La Sonadora, but maybe that's another thread.
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Post by Treecat on May 10, 2008 10:56:23 GMT -5
Pax is like a tremendous, frightening thunderstorm--the buildup, the crescendo. The fall into Athair Ar Neamh is the prayer as the storm clouds break and the sun shines through again. As Roma said, "the music's very visual." The Latin-Gaelic pairings on TMOT and ADWR are amongst my favorites. My feeling about Tempus Vernum to Deora ar mo Chroí is the same. The Latin represents something undeniable, that can't be fought; the Gaelic is the breath of prayer when it passes.
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Post by Moe on May 10, 2008 14:34:32 GMT -5
The Latin represents something undeniable, that can't be fought; the Gaelic is the breath of prayer when it passes. Beautifully put! I wish I had said something so apt, as I feel a sense of relief once the Gaelic begins.
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Post by skyscape on May 12, 2008 7:34:08 GMT -5
When I first heard Pax Deorum I was spooked. I heard a voice of Boadicea or Badhbh or some warlike warrior-woman hunting down the prey...I would go as far as to say it DID sound demonic to me then!!! But I'm not scared of it any more like I was when I was younger....it's technically well-crafted but spooky for sure.
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Post by Moe on May 12, 2008 12:12:35 GMT -5
When I first heard Pax Deorum I was spooked. I heard a voice of Boadicea or Badhbh or some warlike warrior-woman hunting down the prey...I would go as far as to say it DID sound demonic to me then!!! But I'm not scared of it any more like I was when I was younger....it's technically well-crafted but spooky for sure. Interesting comment - as many of those who see "evil" in Pax Deorum do seem to be young. Maybe as we get older, we get the skills/wisdom to better handle what is strange and different. Not to fear it. I know that little kids like things to "stay the way they are" until they get a bit older and can handle change.
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Post by marie on May 14, 2008 15:36:37 GMT -5
I can see why young people might think Pax is evil or dark. I guess I was old enough to handle it because it's one of my favorites. I love the language and the way it was done.
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Afer
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by Afer on Jan 6, 2024 15:53:49 GMT -5
I see Pax Deorum as dark but not evil. When I first heard it I wrote down a warscape scenario that it conjured up for me, heavily influenced by Greco-Roman imagery, presenting their idea of the process of dying and the subsequent journey to Elysium or Tartarus.
Domineo eniteo sacramentum eodeo Wind moaning, incantation chanting, oracle warning, grim foreboding, black smoke billowing, sacrifice sizzling, battle coming, Mars avenging, death looming, flesh creeping, war horns blaring, harshly menacing, Erinyes singing, Eumenides keening, heart pounding, skin dripping, nerves jangling, clenched teeth chattering, stomach churning, body shuddering, steel glinting, leather chaffing, dust choking, sweat reeking….
Believe it, this day your last…
Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Elysium? In light radiating, suffusing, incandescing, shining, reflecting, brightening. With loved ones meeting, embracing, resting, laughing, remembering. Fleeting, fleeting…
Domineo eniteo sacramentum eodeo Or Tartarus? Darkness returning, Ares storming, Furies following, snakes hissing, Hades beckoning, Cerberus slavering, Styx swirling, darkly sucking, Ixion turning, wheel tormenting, Tantalus thirsting, hungering, grasping, reaching, Sisyphus labouring, ever sweating, his boulder straining, to the plain returning.
Swords slashing, stabbing, slaying. Blood spilling, seeping, streaming. Fates snipping, severing, sundering. Light flickering . . . fading . . . fleeing. . . Life lingering. . . lamenting. . . leaving.
Notes Mars - Roman god of war.
Erinyes - the Furies - implacable female avengers of crime, especially murder. Sometimes depicted with snakes about them.
Eumenides - a placatory euphemism for the Furies - the ‘Kindly Ones’.
Elysium - after death, where those favoured by the gods went to enjoy a full and pleasant life.
Tartarus - part of the underworld, where the wicked suffered punishment for their misdeeds on earth
Ares - Greek name for Mars.
Hades - God of the Underworld.
Cerberus - 3-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld.
Styx - the river of the Underworld, which souls had to cross on arrival.
Ixion - was bound on a wheel that turned for ever.
Tantalus - for serving his son’s flesh to the gods, was set in a pool of water, which receded when he tried to drink it, with branches of fruit above his head, which blew out of his reach when he grasped for them.
Sisyphus - his punishment was to roll a large boulder to the top of a hill. Whenever he neared the top, the boulder would slip from his grasp and roll back downhill.
Fates - 3 female deities who determined the lifespan of mortals, cutting the thread of their lives at death.
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Post by phantas on Jan 9, 2024 14:06:33 GMT -5
When I was younger I loved darker stuff (and still do), so this song was an instant favourite. I love how it's brooding, foreboding at first, but gradually becomes more epic as the story unfolds. Once I learned what the song as essentially about, it elevated it, but to me as well it reminds me of a storm brooding on the horizon, clouds building in the sky until it is near-to-black, then a lightning crash and thunder rolling. The gaelic interlude is the breath of relief as the storm passes by but still rolls on in the distance, which is the part after the interlude.
Not only do the two songs work together on a musical scale (PD and AaN) but on a thematic level as well. Pax Deorum literally means "Peace of the Gods" and Athair ar Neamh literally means "Father in Heaven". One could even argue that the songs counteract eachother: one, a dark, thematic song of ancient times and darker skies; the other, a song of singularity and a more modern view of religion.
For me, Pax Deorum also relates to The Celts - an ancient people with their own Gods, seeking their approval and appeal. When their Gods were at Peace, their world was safe.
Thematically for me it also ties in with the opening instrumental, affirming the connection to the Celts. Since Trees were a place of worship, both The Memory of Trees and Pax Deorum go well together and with the sense of heritage Enya evokes with them.
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Post by 🪷aestas🪷 on Jan 9, 2024 14:23:41 GMT -5
Who thinks that the song is demonic? It's not!
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Post by イ𝑜ⳏⲁ𝑧 𝑅𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒 on Jan 9, 2024 18:10:45 GMT -5
Nice to see a discussion from almost 16 years ago re-awakened 😄 I do find Pax Deorum (Peace of the Gods) powerful, like most Enya songs. The feel of this song is kind of similar to the song Another One Bites The Dust by Queen 👑🎶 (combined here). Although I'm not particularly into 'dark and gory' things or themes, but they can draw my attention if they reflect on some sorts of injustice (or simply if it's a song is thought-provoking and catchy without being too annoying, haha). The 'demonic' thing is something I see people mention Enya songs in general, not just the Latin ones. I think it's partly related to religious beliefs, like monotheism (Enya mentions many gods) but not just that. I suppose Enya has rather similar things to express as, say, Sinéad O'Connor and Dolores O'Riordan, but she does so in a very subtle way, not really through actions or directly mentioning personal struggles. For some, the vagueness is uncomfortable, and while many connect to the music, the lyrics are rather tricky to get our heads around. (Or some, like myself, are undecided, and envision multiple meanings intended each Enya song.) In relation to the album, The Memory of Trees, there's quite a 'dark' story behind the character Enya portrays in the album cover, about 'The Young King of the Black Isles', in the 1001 Arabian Nights stories, about how he was tortured. Surely Enya knew of the story, perhaps Roma told her about it, and agreed to pose as this, without it being immediately obvious what she is alluding to.💭 Thinking of it this way is a bit spooky, but kind of powerful, adding to the stunning pose itself. 😌 🌠
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