Review: The Silent Listener

Geplaatst op 29 juli, 2018 door Morgana

The Silent Listener: The Life and Works of J.H.W. Eldermans
Wilmar Taal
Troy Books
413 p., ISBN 9781909602281
To order in NL: https://wilmartaal.nl/shop/

“The Silent Listener”

Deluxe version

On June 10, 2018, Wilmar presented his latest book “The Silent Listener” at the PFI Summer Symposium in The Hague. During his talk he showed many photographs of J.W. Eldermans – many of which are in the book. This is – as far as I know – the first time anyone has attempted to research the life of this remarkable man.

I first became acquainted with the “Richel Collection” in the early 2000’s when we from “Silver Circle” were approached by the then curators of the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic, Boscastle to see if we could help them with the Dutch inscriptions on the drawings. We were of course also interested to know how the collection of J.W. Eldermans’ works ended up in England. We learnt quite a lot and even had contact with Jeanett Richel for a short while.

However, it wasn’t until I heard that Wilmar Taal was writing a biography that I found out more. I was curious to find out more about the man Eldermans. Who was he? In 2017 Wilmar and I met in Nunspeet to have a chat. He chose Nunspeet because of the connection the Eldermans family had there. He showed me the “holiday home” the family had there and also the forest where the “Rondehuis” was. We discussed the forthcoming book “The Silent Listener” of course and agreed to keep in touch.

And so in June I finally saw it. At 413 pages it is quite a read – for contents see below.

Was Eldermans an Occultist? Did he take part in rituals in secret societies? What drove him to make all the drawings, the artefacts …? Who was he??

Many of these questions are amply answered in this well-researched biography. For the Dutch audience, it is a gem. It is perhaps a pity that the collection didn’t remain in the Netherlands, but luckily Bob Richel had the courage to approach the MWM … and the rest is history.

Thanks to Wilmar too for all the work he has done to make visible the work – and life – of Eldermans in the Netherlands.

Highly recommended.

 

Contents:
Preface by Jeannet Richel

Introduction

PART ONE: LIFE

CHAPTER ONE: A MILITARY FAMILY

  • Johannes Eldermans
  • Hendrik Willem Eldermans
  • The National Railways
  • The Rotterdam years
  • The Great War

CHAPTER TWO: ADOLESCENCE AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD

  • A Vacation Home in Nunspeet
  • More Schooling, Engagement, Marriage, Children and Probation
  • The First The Hague Period

CHAPTER THREE: THE ALMELO YEARS 1936-1949

  • A Public Figure 1938-1940
  • World War II
  • The Prelude to Liberation 1944-1945
  • Liberation
  • The Almelo Tribunal
  • Wartime Myths about J.H.W. Eldermans

CHAPTER FOUR: THE SECOND THE HAGUE PERIOD 1949-1985

  • Eldermans’ Professional Career in the 1950s and 1960s
  • Personal Life
  • Retired
  • Involvement in the Round House Mystery
  • Double Tragedy

CHAPTER FIVE: THE LEGACY OF J.H.W. ELDERMANS

  • His Name Must be Heard!
  • The Collection Disperses
  • The Destroyed Parts
  • The Richel-Eldermans Collection

PART TWO: WORKS

CHAPTER SIX: THE MAGIC OF J.H.W. ELDERMANS

  • A Life Filled with Magic
  • Sources of J.H.W. Eldermans
  • Believer, Investigator or Mythmaker?

CHAPTER SEVEN: NOTEBOOKS, HANDWRITINGS AND THE MANUSCRIPT

  • The Blue and Red Notebook
  • Methode Rueff M2547
  • The Rite of Egypt (Dressage by candlelight)
  • Ritus Ruthenicus
  • The Manuscript (1970-1984)

CHAPTER EIGHT: CONTENTS OF THE MANUSCRIPT

  • Persons
  • Literary and Other References
  • Magical Symbols
  • Secret and Magical Societies
  • Objects and their Purpose
  • Folklore, Mythology and Folklore Tales
  • More Gnomes
  • Mandrakes

CHAPTER NINE: SKETCHES AND DRAWINGS

  • Technique
  • Cataloguing
  • Drawings in the Richel-Eldermans Collection
  • Collection Cees Stam
  • Collection Dr. H.T. Hakl
  • Collection Martine Richel
  • Collection Jeannet Richel
  • Collection Theo Eldermans
  • Collection Wilmar Taal

CHAPTER TEN: OBJECTS

  • Objects in the Richel-Eldermans Collection
  • Collection Martine Richel
  • Collection Willem Bosman
  • Collection Erik Hille
  • Collection Jeannet Richel

PART THREE: LEGACY

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE MYTH OF J.H.W. ELDERMANS

  • Mythmaking on the Internet
  • Round in Circles: Myths concerning J.H.W. Eldermans and the Round House
  • Who Caused the Myths?

CHAPTER TWELVE: MAGIC IS NEVER SUITABLE FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE

  • A Product of His Upbringing
  • A Peculiar Sexual Preference?
  • A Practicing Magician?
  • Was the Family Aware?
  • An Embittered Man
  • J.H.W. Eldermans: A Final Word

Acknowledgments

Consulted Archives

Consulted Museums

Consulted Libraries

Digitally Consulted Libraries

Illustrations

Bibliography

Notes

More links:

The Silent Listener. The Life and Works of J.H.W. Eldermans book trailer!

Review of “The Occult Reliquary” WROnline, 2011

Hidden Light By Karagan Griffith: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-light/id1403175265

 

Over Morgana

"Morgana is Anglo/Dutch and lives in the Netherlands. She is a practising Gardnerian HPS. Over the years, she has facilitated a variety of Wiccan groups. She is co-editor of the international and bilingual "Wiccan Rede" magazine, which was launched in 1980 and is coordinator of Silver Circle, a Wiccan network in the Netherlands. As International Coordinator for PFI she travels extensively giving talks and workshops about Wicca and Paganism."
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