The Marmot with the CollarDiary of a Philosopher
Conrad Gessner’s Thierbuch (1563) provides the masthead for our work to restore the Tablets of the Philosophical Marmot to readers of today.
Preface
The Snake’s Head presents a neglected classic of nineteenth century Swiss literature, Eugène Rambert’s La marmotte au collier (1889), together with its German translation by Rambert’s fellow Swiss, Alfred Graber, Das Murmeltier mit dem Halsband (1929). For the first time the Tablets of the Philosophical Marmot appear also in English.
This is a project born of the ongoing pandemic (2020). I encountered Rambert’s little work some twenty years ago aboard a train from Oxford to Chamonix Mont-Blanc. However, it is only the suspension of air travel between Malawi and Europe that has allowed the otium of a Long Vacation to attempt this edition and translation.
The Philosophical Marmot has proved agreeable company as I have reclined on my khonde amidst the twilight of the Eton of Africa, meditating, as he once did too, the increase of all that is base in the world and the dwindling of what is civilised and good. He is, by turns, irascible and cheerful, outrageous and a model of sound reason, intolerably pompous and touching in his temporary defeat, but endearing alway in his irrepressible Marmot-ness and ever a protrepticon to the Consolation of Philosophy. There is within the Tablets, so I like to think, a fine introduction to the characteristic thought of the Presocratics, but also much on the construction of burrows, the importance of friendship and the allurement of mountains and flowers (not only to eat).
Both Titivillus and distance from a French library will have left their mark. However, I think it best to publish this now in draft and to revise over the next few months. The Appendices will increase in number as commitment elsewhere affords leisure for Marmotology.
RLH
Kamuzu Academy, Malawi
Feast of the Assumption (Dry Moon, Fourth Day of the Last Quarter) 2020
Edition
Work in Progress
DRAFT
Last revisions:
2020.12.21 (German)
2020.12.12 (French)
La marmotte au collier
E. RambertLausanne (1889)
Das Murmeltier mit dem Halsband
A. GraberMunich (1929)
The Marmot with the Collar
R. L. HewittMtunthama (2020)
PART I
Partie I / Teil I
FRANÇAIS
Click on "le déjeuner de marmotte" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the First Summer.
The flowers on the menu are ASTER.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
DEUTSCH
Click on "das Murmeltier-frühstück" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the First Summer.
The flowers on the menu are SAXIFRAGE.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
ENGLISH
Click on "the luncheon of a marmot" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the First Summer.
The flowers on the menu are GENTIAN.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
Clover Moon
Lune du trèfle / Kleemond
M.01.04.04.01 / M.001 - M.01.04.04.04 / M.003
Dry Moon
Lune sèche / Trockenmond
M.01.05.01.01 / M.004 - M.01.05.04.07 / M.020
Moon of Fatness
Lune de graisse / Fetter Mond
M.01.06.01.02 / M.021 - M.01.06.04.07 / M.035
Unhappy Moon
Lune triste / Trauermond
M.01.07.01.01 / M.036 - M.01.07.03.04d / M.057
PART II
Partie II / Teil II
FRANÇAIS
Click on "le déjeuner de marmotte" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Second Summer.
The flowers on the menu are ASTER.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
DEUTSCH
Click on "das Murmeltier-frühstück" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Second Summer.
The flowers on the menu are SAXIFRAGE.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
ENGLISH
Click on "the luncheon of a marmot" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Second Summer.
The flowers on the menu are GENTIAN.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
Moon of Avalanches
Lune des avalanches / Lawinenmond
M.02.01.03.07 / M.058 - M.02.01.04.07 / M.062
Moon of Love
Lune d'amour / Liebesmond
M.02.02.01.06 / M.063 - M.02.02.04.07 / M.085
Withered Moon
Lune flétrie / Magerer Mond
M.02.03.01.01 / M.086 - M.02.03.04.07 / M.101
Clover Moon
Lune du trèfle / Kleemond
M.02.04.01.02 / M.102 - M.02.04.04.07 / M.119
Dry Moon
Lune sèche / Trockenmond
M.02.05.01.01 / M.120 - M.02.05.03.04 / M.131
Moon of Fatness
Lune de graisse / Fetter Mond
M.02.06.01.01 / M.132 - M.02.06.03.07 / M.146
[Unhappy Moon]
[Lune triste] / Trauermond
M.02.07.01.01 / M.147 - M.02.07.03.04b / M.163
PART III
Partie III / Teil III
FRANÇAIS
Click on "le déjeuner de marmotte" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Third Summer.
The flowers on the menu are ASTER.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
DEUTSCH
Click on "das Murmeltier-frühstück" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Third Summer.
The flowers on the menu are SAXIFRAGE.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
ENGLISH
Click on "the luncheon of a marmot" (vide infra) to read the Diary of the Third Summer.
The flowers on the menu are GENTIAN.
Once inside the Diary, it is possible to burrow from Moon to Moon and between language and language using the arrows and menus.
In addition, a .pdf version of these Tablets is available here.
Moon of Avalanches
Lune des avalanches / Lawinenmond
M.03.01.03.03 / M.164 - M.03.01.04.07 / M.174
Moon of Love
Lune d'amour / Liebesmond
M.03.02.01.01a / M.175 - M.03.02.04.06 / M.203
Withered Moon
Lune flétrie / Magerer Mond
M.03.03.01.05 / M.204 - M.03.03.04.01 / M.220
Appendices




Thanks
Dr. Stephen Marsh (qd. Kamuzu Academy) and Mr. Tomali Banda (Kamuzu Academy) kindly assisted with details in the French.
Mr. Barnaby Probert (Plymouth) proved an indefatigable collaborator in the search after the identity of the flora known to the Philosophical Marmot.
He also read a draft of the English translation.
The Diary is illustrated from the Wellcome Collection (London), AstroPixels (Arizona) and the Albertina (Vienna).

