Leseprobe

12 T he C obbl e r Who D i d Not Sti ck to Hi s Trad e he addressed in his books. By writing on such subjects, Böhme had trespassed the proverbial limits of one’s sphere of competence, expressed by the traditional saying that a cobbler should not go beyond dealing with shoes: “ne sutor ultra crepidam!” (see p. 20, Fig. 5). 2 Böhme himself was conscious of the peculiar- ity of his position. He often stressed that he did not belong to the world of the learned, and especially of university theologians and philosophers. His educa- tion had likely consisted only in the basic formation he had received at the village school of Alt- Seidenberg. He wrote all his books in German, and his occasional use of words in Latin demonstrates that he was not familiar with the language. But at the same time, he emphasized his simplicity, often to the point of exaggeration, in order to draw a parallel between his condition as a writer and that of certain biblical figures, such as the prophets of the Old Testament. Indeed, the genesis of his first book, Aurora , is described by Böhme as the result of a divine inspiration or intuition that he had had twelve years previously, that is to say around 1600. In a letter, Böhme recollects the years that passed before he decided to write down the content of the intuition as an unstoppable process of growth, as if the fruit of the experience had to mature before it could be picked and offered to readers. He also compares the intuition to the opening of a gate that unlocked to him more secrets and knowledge “in a quarter of an hour” than would have been the case if he studied “at distinguished schools” ( Epistles 12.7). The question of the anticipated readership of Böhme’s work is crucial. The confiscation of Aurora was triggered by the fact that the book circulated in manuscript copies, drawing the attention of the authorities. Yet, in his later correspondence, Böhme remarked that he intended the book only as a “Memorial,” or memorandum, of his experience. The fact that in Aurora he addresses his reader as “you” does nevertheless suggest that private and public use of the work were not mutually exclusive. That the manuscript remained incomplete, Böhme main- tained in the correspondence, was ultimately the Devil’s fault. Indeed, the central topic of the book Aurora is the battle between the opposing forces of evil and good, darkness and light, the Devil and God, which Böhme portrays at work in nature, as well as at a cosmic level. Böhme’s own struggle with the city authorities is later drawn into this narration, as Böhme sees himself as attempting to communicate 2 Title page in: Jacob Böhme, Der Weg zu Christo ( The Way to Christ ), 1622 [that is, 1624], Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of the Netherlands, PH 2337