20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

580 Simona Galaţchitheory and practice. Aside from these two outstanding musicians, to whomthe name of “Masters of the Sound” would be understandable, Culianuportrays other two characters which are conferred the same attributes:Al-Kindî, whose motto from De radiis (About rays) the writer opens hisstory with, and the occult Imam al-Mahdî. We have all the motives tobelieve that the idea of this story starts from the 16 th -century theory ofal-Kindî, according to which “all terrestrial and super-terrestrial beingsradiate rays which are never identical, since there are no identical things innature. The rays are liable to be manipulated, and the power to manipulatethem may be acquired through the will and concentration of human fantasy(spiritus imaginarius). Fantasy also radiates rays which have an impactover the universal system of rays all over the world. In other worlds,the human wishes expressed in fantasies are, under special conditions,transitory, meaning that they may have an influence upon somebody else’sfantasy and even upon inanimate objects. Magic actually is the knowledgeof such conditions which make possible manipulation through the agencyof spirit. Such special conditions and, therefore, special results may beachieved through appropriate sounds, figures, images and sacrifices”. 4 Thisis exactly what Culianu does in the story discussed. The connectionbetween the four characters is their very identity: from the viewpoint ofpassing from one body to another, the four of them are actually one andthe same person, who is Mahdî, identical to Mohammed, in one wordthe human being at his highest degree of initiation. Moreover, Mahdî,according to Culianu and to the Shiite traditions which inspired him, isbatîn and zahir, meaning that “it was concealed and reappeared in all hisgreatness” (having both an esoteric and exoteric character), that is to say,Mahdî is related to the fabulous image of the 12 th Imam who will reappear,in an eschatological scenario, at the end of the world, bringing a time ofjustice and bounty as never seen before on the earth. 5 Sharing this point ofview, Culianu also speaks to us about the green flag (symbol of Islam),which is going to be forever stuck in the ruins of this world 6 , and the onlyperson responsible with that is this aforementioned character, present in thestory in four hypostases, and whom Culianu also calls Tozgrec in theend. Other mentions include the fourteen Imams who were concealed andthen revealed, referring to a conception typically belonging with Ismailism4Culianu, Ioan Petru, Cult, magie, erezii (Cult, Magic, Heresies), 93.5Mircea Eliade, A History of Religious Ideas. From Muhammad to the Age ofReforms, volume 3, chapter XXXV.6See CULIANU, Ioan Petru 1996, Stăpânul Sunetului (The Master of the Sound), inPergamentul diafan… (The Transparent Parchment…), 43: “Mahdî, the one to gather allthe evil in the world under the Prophet’s green flag, blessed be His name for ever and ever”.