But it only appears where the certainty of death exists. Lorca notes its existence among poets, artist, composers, dancers, singers, even bullfighters. And in order to beat the duende, an artist must put aside their training and allow something within to possess them and rob them of reason. Lorca quotes the famous singer, El Lebrijano, as saying, “On days when I sing with duende, no one can touch me.” It is the duende that separates the good artist from the genius. If they win, and training is suspended in favor of raw evocation, they create something insurmountable. If they lose, they create something artistically sound, but not moving. They must fight against their intellectual and artistic training. The artist must actually battle the duende. According to Lorca, “it is a struggle, not a thought”.
It does not visit one with wisdom, like the angel of inspiration. The duende does not sing to one, like the muse. He attempted to explain the unexplainable to those outside the culture of southern Spain. Federico García Lorca encountered it while exploring the deep song. Those who sing the cante jondo discussed yesterday are familiar with this spirit. The idea of a dark spirit – a hobgoblin of sort – exists within certain circles. But what of a darker influence? Where does one figure in? Or does it? Spaniards believe so. We have all heard of the muse and the artistic angel and their light and airy connotations.
Or he is simply gifted with angelic virtue – the God-granted ability to create art. He writes with a rose-robed muse at his side – whispering, murmuring, guiding him toward his genius. What separates a good writer from a great writer? The great writer is not alone in his art. Anyone familiar with art has heard these terms.
The Hallucinogenic Toreador, Salvador Dali
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