PHILOSOPHY

This verse text in English consists of 64 + 1024 verses. It was written within two months in the year of the world pandemic, extensively revised in 2024 and polished in 2025.

The original idea came to me while I was finishing my book Haasht (2020). In that work, I set out to completely reimagine how stories and tales have been formed over the millennia – beginning with spoken myth, hearsay, whispers, and fairy tales, moving through prosaic writing, and ultimately culminating in poetic forms. For me, the crowning stage of this journey was to create poems, prophecies, and epics that weave together the themes and motifs of both oral and written traditions – all within the same lore I had created.

The number 64 was adopted from the ancient Chinese book I Ching, which contains exactly 64 hexagrams. To my understanding, these hexagrams were used to describe cosmological and earthly transformations throughout the year. That, I believe, is why the I Ching is called the Book of Changes. Today, we recognize that the contents of I Ching can be seen, by extension, as a precursor to binary code and 8-bit computing.

Here is my version of the 64 hexagrams, arranged using Excel 2003.

During my visit to TEFAF Maastricht (The European Fine Art Fair), I once came across an ancient Chinese device. When I inquired about it, I was told that the Chinese had used it to measure distances between the stars visible to them.

Inspired so deeply by the hexagrams, I created my own drawing of a device – or perhaps a kind of calendar – that I would use to observe cosmological and earthly changes. You can find this image on my other page, Ink for the Unspoken.

CONTENTS

Ágarr Áquadán (The Song of the Glorious Horn; [‚a:garr ˌa:kua’da:n]) is a poem built on the principle of alliteration. Each stanza contains four long lines, with each long line composed of two short lines of five syllables each. Rhyme is used only rarely. The alliteration occurs between the paired short lines, but its pattern varies across sections, resulting in an uneven alliterative texture. The full poem consists of 16 stanzas – totaling 64 long lines, 128 short lines, and 640 syllables.

The poem offers a series of reflections or recommendations for anyone seeking to free themselves from materialism, inherited beliefs, and ancient curses – concluding with a warning of what may come if they fail to follow the voice of their own heart.

Ágarr u Hutrógash Hróldvari (The Last Words of Hróldvar; [‚a:garr u hut’ro:gaʃ ‚hro:ldvari]) is a poetic work grounded in the use of alliteration. Each stanza consists of four long lines, with each long line composed of two short lines of five syllables each. Unlike some companion pieces, rhyme is used fairly frequently throughout.

The family saga is divided into thematic sections, though this structure is only indicated by a brief note to the reader.

The piece originally comprised 80 stanzas – totaling 320 long lines, 640 short lines, and 3,200 syllables. However, one additional stanza was added in 2024, making the final count irregular. I came to realise that strict structural precision can impose limitations, and that slight irregularity can sometimes allow the work to breathe more freely.

The saga explores themes of family bonds, murder, and revenge, with a strong emphasis on uncovering the motivations behind the words and actions of its characters. It also includes an interlude dedicated to the practices of farming and craftsmanship.

Való-nár (The Song of the Powerless; [ˌvalo: ‚na:r]) follows Válah, a chieftainess of the West, as she journeys East to confront her inner shadow. The poem is a versed epic employing alternate rhyme. It consists of a brief Prologue and three major parts: Part I, Part II, and Part III.

The Prologue opens with four distinct lines that blend alliteration and rhyme, setting the tone through sound and rhythm. These are followed by five structured units of twelve verses each, carefully arranged to create a dynamic interplay between long and short lines. A sixth unit was added later, bringing the Prologue to 72 verses. Though this disrupted the initial symmetry, it reflected my growing sense that form must remain responsive to expression.

Parts I through III follow a 6–5–6–5 syllabic pattern. With 20 pages containing 8 stanzas each, the poem includes 160 stanzas, totaling 640 verses and 3,880 syllables. Two stanzas were added during revisions in 2024 and 2025, introducing a deliberate irregularity – a soft fracture in the design that allowed the poem to unfold more organically.