Tempus Fugit

Tempus Fugit, “Time Flys”. These words of the ancient Roman writer Virgil hold a universal and eternal significance for man.

JRR Tolkien writes in his magnum opus “The Lord of the Rings” that of all the creatures of Middle Earth, the “World of Men” has the “gift” of mortality. It is this mortality that gives Man’s life urgency and meaning.

One day we will depart from this world and travel on to the next, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. However, for the meantime our task in life is to use our time the best we can, aiming to fulfill the purpose for which each of us was created.

There exists no better occasion to consider questions of time and mortality than the month of January. January is a time for starting again. This will to start over is manifested in idealistic New Year’s resolutions, fresh diaries, glossy planners and blank calendars.

This year, rather than a paying top dollar for a generic puppy calendar, one could consider a masterpiece from 120 years ago. To mark the turn of the 20th century Heinrich Lefler and Joseph Urban produced one of the best calendars ever made, the “Österreichische Monatsbilder”.

Designed in the Austrian Jugendstil (Art Nouveau), each month is richly decorated in appropriate motifs ranging from historical figures to regional heraldry of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

January, here subtitled the “Eismonat” (month of ice), is associated bleak ravens watching over an otherwise lifeless snow swept landscape from the safety of an ever-green tree.

The recto illustration to accompany the verso January month title image, is that of the three wise men on their way to pay homage to the newborn Christ-child. The subtitle explaining that the Magi bring gifts of myrrh, gold and frankincense.

After January comes the shortest month of the year February. The verso page for this month is the most humble of all contained within the calendar. We see catfish beneath a frozen winter lake on the left and imperial heraldry on the right. The text underneath warns that a warm February often brings with it a cold March.

The accompanying recto image for the month of February is one of the best works of the calendar. Here we see the Austrian Imperial crown, the Kaiserkrone, displayed in beatific splendour overhead the personification of Victory. Below her one can read the inscription of the title and chorus of the Imperial Anthem, invoking God’s protection for the Emperor: “God save, God protect, our Emperor, our Land”.

The subject matter pertains to February as the anniversary of the Kaiserlied, over 100 years before in 1796, occurs in February.

Flanking Victoria are the warrior and scholar, left and right respectively. Above them we read: “Was des Bürger fleißig Geschaffen schütze treu des Kriegers Kraft mit des Geistes Heitren Waffen Siege Kunst und Wissenschaft” (“What the citizen has diligently created, the warriors strength faithfully protects with the noble weapons of victories in Art and Science”).

Here we seen how a romantic picture of an idealised medieval age was forwarded to make sense of an ever increasingly chaotic modernity. The knightly warrior and scholar exist in perfect complementarily, as are art and science, both endeavouring to pursue truth.

The scientist provides the warrior with weapons to fight with, and the artist provides him with reasons to fight. In return the warrior, armed with both the material and spiritual means to defend civilisation, the warrior embodies the highest values of society, sacrifice, courage and loyalty.

March is traditionally represented by a ram. We also see angels holding an organ and the latin inscription “me spiritus implet” (“The Holy Spirit fills me”). To the right one can see the heraldic shields (“Wappen”) of various Austrian Archduchies, duchies and Crown-lands.

The recto image for March is an image of a young Christ with St Joseph, taking a break from their daily humble work of carpentry. The image is surround by lilies (a symbol of Saint Joseph in traditional Christian iconography).

Saint Joseph here is portrayed as an older man (presumably a respectful subtly reference to Our Lady’s perpetual virginity), but in reality would have been a younger man in the prime of his youth.

Mary is not given the centre foreground of this image but rather humbly appear in the faint top background of the page, depicted in the moment of the annunciation.

With April comes spring and new life. We see a stork attend to her chicks in a treetop nest and the inscription underneath “in morte vita” (“in death, life”). Out of the depths of winter new life springs forth. This is reinforced by the floral imagery to right of the verso page.

Saint George, whose feast day occurs in April, is the main subject of the recto page. St. George, the warrior saint is also the patron saint not only of England but Krain. Krain, in English, the Duchy of Carniola, makes up the majority of modern-day Slovenia and its heraldic eagle can be seen to the right of St George.

Angels to the left ring bells proclaiming St George’s victory over the dragon, celebrating his noble defence of the realm as the warrior stands over his vanquished foe in prayer of thanksgiving to God.

May is celebrated by bright sunflowers and devotion to Saint Florian, who along with Saint Leopold is the patron saint of Upper-Austria. Florian, a Roman solider and governor, was martyred during the early 4th century diocletian persecution for refusing to persecute his fellow Christians and make an offering to the Roman gods.

The recto page for May features the contrast of cheerful maidens enjoying the pleasant late spring early summer weather and an image of eagles morning the death of martyred bishop Saint Stanislaus of Kraków (modern day Poland).

June is described as the “Rosenmonat” (“Month of Roses”) and we see an ideal image of blossoming roses and a young lady collecting the fruitful produce of her orchid.

The motif of summer roses is continued on the recto page with a midsummer floral procession. The rose is traditionally associated with youth, purity and beauty, virtues that are superimposed onto the feminine ideal.

The main subject matter of the July’s verso page is that of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius the patrons of Moravia (modern-day eastern Czechia).

In contrast to the stern mosaic of 9th century Moravian saints, the verso page paints a lighthearted folk scene of Imperial subjects on their way home from reaping the year’s harvest.

August bears the title “Erntemonat” (“The harvest month”). We see finished product of freshly baled hay. The sickle resting on the hay serves as a reminder of the arduous work, done by hand, in the midst of the summer heat.

The most artistically sophisticated and iconographically rich artwork is reserved for the 70th birthday of the Emperor Franz Joseph. We see personifications of various virtues present the Imperial throne with numerous gifts.

Wide-winged fair haired angels bestow the throne with its Kaiserkrone, a not so subtle hint at the Emperor’s divine right to rule, dispensing temporal justice in the name of God.

Justitia presents a sword, Victoria brings laurels leafs, and Ecclesia a model of the 1879 completed Votivkirche, built in thanksgiving for the Emperors survival against a failed assassination attempt by a Hungarian nationalist in 1853 (saved by Austro-Irishman Maximilian O'Donnell).

September is dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel as the dispenser of divine justice. Above his head the scales of justice (as a reference to the need to balance the common good) and beneath his feet the demonic dragon can be seen.

Saint Wenceslaus, the 10th century the fist duke of Bohemia, is the subject matter of the recto page of the month of September. Wenceslaus, invited to a feast in bad faith was betrayed and murdered by his brother, the appropriately named Boleslaus the Cruel.

October takes a darker tone with black and brown colours. Saint Hedwig of Silesia, whose feast day is in mid-October, is found on the left wandering through a cold dark forest. The 13th century saint entered a convent after the death of her husband Heinrich der Bärtige (Henry the Bearded), rejecting a life of luxury for austere monastic asceticism.

13th century saint, Elizabeth of Hungary/Thuringia, is one of the most important saints in Austrian devotional life and can be seen on the right of the verso page for November. Like saint Hedwig she too rejected a life of luxury in favour dedicating all her efforts to the corporal works of mercy.

November also continues the transition from Summer to Winter darkness. The month is traditional associated with death. The feast of all Soul’s Day, a major event in the liturgical calendar occurs at the start of the month and novenas are said for the holy souls in purgatory.

The death motif is also reinforced by the subtitle of the verso page, “Nebelmonat” (“Month of Fog”). The recto page goes further, its main subject being the large “Zentralfriedhof” (“Vienna Central Cemetery”).

Overhead Saint Leopold, the 12th century ruler and the patron saint of Lower-Austria lives in rest, flanked by the “Wappen” (“coats fo arms”) of Lower Austria and the Babenberg red-white-red shield of Austria.

While albeit colder, the month of December brings with it the cheer of Christmas. The “Schneemonat” (“month of snow”) has Saint Nicolaus as its main protagonist on the verso page.

The recto page opposite is dominated by an impressive nativity scene. The newborn Christ-child, at peace in his mothers arms, is flanked by angels, shepherds and Saint Joseph. The overhead title states in an almost redundant way “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”, Glory be to God in the highest.

Tempus Fugit. Time is the great equaliser. King or peasant, saint or sinner, time does not discriminate. Time is a gift, one that ought not be taken for granted. A calendar can help remind us of that.

Niall Buckley,

January 2021.