Monday, 27 January 2020, Pages 604 - 606

The reading stopped at "Ah, fairypair!" (606.23)

These passages have to do with Kevin, of increate God the servant, . . .  a filial fearer . . . It describes in quite the circuitous manner typical of Finnegans Wake how he arose in celibate matrimony (the meaning of celibate matrimony beats me!) at matin chime and with a portable altare cum balneo (altar with a bathtub) reached/rowed to a lakelet where he built a small hut (honeybeehivehut) in which he dug a pit of the size of a seventh part of one full fathom and sat in the water meditating about baptism.

You can decipher more of these passages by reading this!

Monday, 20 January 2020, Pages 603 - 604

We stopped at ". . . what's that, what." (604.21)

How do you interpret the sentence, Bring us this days our maily bag? Apart from its biblical allusion, is it simply a way of asking Kevin, who is actually Shaun the postman, to bring us our mail/daily news/juicy news? Because we soon read, for instance, that hardworking straight walking . . . officials [are] butting their heads to the pillow . . . with the alter girl . . . and that the man was giddy on letties (ladies) . . .

The question is, amongst all these happenings, what is Coemghem (Kevin) doing? The vine has borne fruits but the public hatches (a hatch is an opening) are not yet open. The would be drinkers (besoakers) loiter on because they cannot yet enter. Irrespective of that the greek Sideral Reulthway (Railway) will soon be starting. None of this explains what Kevin is up to. Hopefully we shall find out about it in the next reading session.

Monday, 13 January 2020, Pages 601 - 603

Today's reading stopped at "... egglips of the sunsoonshine." (603.2)

Much of these pages have to do with Keavn (Kevin aka Shaun the post man) and the 29 biddies to whom he had once earlier given a moral talk.

[Joseph Campbell describes the coming of Kevin as follows:

"We now come to the first form that is to issue pristine from the life-fertile waters. It will be fair with the perfection of an as yet unbroken harmony. Luminous, first fruit of the womb of night, it will sit like Brahma on the golden lotus that blossoms from the navel of Vishnu*, the cosmic dreamer. Pure, with the innocence of sainthood, balanced in all virtues, the first child of the new aeon will be radiant with the dew of the dawn. . . . Who is he but saintly Kevin?"**

* See the photograph of the painting posted on 23 December 2019.
** A Skeleton Kex to Finnegans Wake, P. 281-2]

The idea is that  in the new order of things, in the new aeon of the universe, the father (HCE) will make place for the son (Kevin) to take over his place. As the dawn breaks, he is to establish a new land, near the Great Lakes (greyt lack), on the banks of Lake Erie (under wasseres of Erie). The 29 girls (innocent dirly dirls) sing a song that he should come forth (He. Only he.) The 29 churches of Dublin ring their bells: Prayfulness! Prayfulness!  (Note that 3 names are missing in the list given in the book.)

This moment is interrupted by the news reported by "Mike" Portland, an independent reporter: Pipe in Dream Cause, Uncovers Pub History. The Outrage, at Length. . . . and so on.

Monday, 6 January 2020, Pages 599 - 601

The reading stopped at "Pfaf!" (601.3)

Apologies for not being able to post any summary of what was read. Hope to make it up next week!