The Four Zoas

There is an entry in Wikipedia which covers this work so I was not going to repeat the themes here. Originally, I only wanted to point out that Blake creates his names for the Zoas by using the phonetic spelling of familiar words. Such was his myth-making skills.

Urizen (head)

Your reason.

In the complex mythology of William Blake, Urizen is the embodiment of conventional reason and law. He is usually depicted as a bearded old, caucasian man; he sometimes bears architect’s tools, to create and constrain the universe; or nets, with which he ensnares people in webs of law and conventional society. Originally, Urizen represented one half of a two-part system, with him representing reason and Los, his opposition, representing imagination. In Blake’s reworking of his mythical system, Urizen is one of the four Zoas that result from the division of the primordial man, Albion, and he continues to represent reason. He has an Emanation, or paired female equivalent, Ahania, who stands for Pleasure. In Blake’s myth, Urizen is joined by many daughters with three representing aspects of the body. He is also joined by many sons, with four representing the four elements. These sons join in rebellion against their father but are later united in the Last Judgment. In many of Blake’s books, Urizen is seen with four books that represent the various laws that he places upon humanity.

Luvah (heart)

Lover (as pronounced in England).

In the mythological writings of William Blake, Luvah is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents love, passion, and rebellious energy. His Emanation (female counterpart) is Vala; his fallen form is Orc. Throughout Blake’s mythological system, he is opposed to Urizen, the representation of reason. He is also connected to Jesus, who takes upon his form as the being of love after Luvah falls and turns to a being of hate.

Urthona (loins)

Earth song or your (per)sona?

In the mythological writings of William Blake, Urthona is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. Specifically, he is the Zoa of inspiration and creativity, and he is a blacksmith god. His female counterpart is Enitharmon. Urthona usually appears in his “fallen” form, that of Los.

Tharmas (unity of body)

The armies or the armours?

In the mythological writings of William Blake, Tharmas is one of the four Zoas, who were created when Albion, the primordial man, was divided fourfold. He represents sensation, and his female counterpart is Enion, who represents sexual urges. He is connected to the God the Father aspect of the Christian Trinity and is the begetter of Los. Tharmas is mostly peaceful, and flees during most of his fights with Urizen. He is depicted in various ways ranging from a youth with wings to an old bearded man.

Conclusion

As you can tell, I only really recognized the first two Zoas when I spoke their names out loud. The second two are a little more esoteric. Quite possibly, their names stem from writings by other mystics, such as Swedenborg. Whatever their origin, it was obvious Blake was trying to understand his own nature, and that is why the work was unfinished.