Om-Ka

Maker:

Hargrave, John

ID:

2012.72/25

Production date:

1919

Location:

In Store

The book 'OM KA', written by John Hargrave on his marriage to Ruth Clark in 1919. The first 8 folios carry hand-written lettering and esoteric designs by Hargrave, including a large and striking spread of a skeleton making fire. The frontispiece is inscribed 'OM KA / THE BOOK OF THE / CLAN TRADITIONS / OF THE / "WHITE FOX" TOTEMIC / BLOOD LINE / WRTTEN DOWN BY / JOHN GORDON HARGRAVE / "WHITE FOX" / HEAD MAN AND / FIRST OF THE / KINDRED/ NOVEMBER THE TWENTY-EIGHTH/ NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN YEARS / ANNO DOMINI. Although using the word 'Kindred', Hargrave here means the Hargrave family rather than the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift, which in 1919 was not yet formed. 28 November 1919 was the date of his marriage to Ruth Clark.  < ...Read more

The book 'OM KA', written by John Hargrave on his marriage to Ruth Clark in 1919. The first 8 folios carry hand-written lettering and esoteric designs by Hargrave, including a large and striking spread of a skeleton making fire. The frontispiece is inscribed 'OM KA / THE BOOK OF THE / CLAN TRADITIONS / OF THE / "WHITE FOX" TOTEMIC / BLOOD LINE / WRTTEN DOWN BY / JOHN GORDON HARGRAVE / "WHITE FOX" / HEAD MAN AND / FIRST OF THE / KINDRED/ NOVEMBER THE TWENTY-EIGHTH/ NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN YEARS / ANNO DOMINI. Although using the word 'Kindred', Hargrave here means the Hargrave family rather than the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift, which in 1919 was not yet formed. 28 November 1919 was the date of his marriage to Ruth Clark.

The pages begin with the 'derivations of the signs', citing Sanscrit and Ancient Egyptian symbolism. They continue with rules about 'the keeping of the book', instructing that it was to be handed down from eldest son to eldest son, only using females as caretakers until the next male descendant came of age. Whoever keeps the book 'will see to it that he keeps the Kin Laws, and that his children receive instruction therefrom, and that other members of the blood-line are taught the Kin Traditions'. There are no further illuminated pages, but a number of loose leaf notes indicate Hargrave's intentions (and also that he began planning the book in 1918, before his marriage). The papers list 'the six laws of the Clan',which can be summarised as: keeping body and mind clean, helping others, being brave and keeping up the homour of the clan. Clan customs are listed, including 'NO MARRIAGE WITHIN THE CLAN.... FOX MAY NOT MARRY FOX'.

The loose papers kept with the book include a letter from his father, dated November 8th (possibly 1919, just before Hargrave's wedding) with business and art advice. This includes 'a pedigree paper' about the Hargrave family tree which Hargrave seems to have requested. It includes reference to Hargrave's Jewish ancestory. His mother Babette Bing was the daughter of Louis Bing 'a political refugee from Buda Pest, Hungary, where his father and brother were wealthy Jewish bankers'. On another sheet Hargrave describes his 'male' contribution to the blood line as 'English Blood, Jewish blood and possibly a strain of Magyar-gypsy'. His wife's is described as 'Scotch and English blood, and possibly a strain of Romany Gypsy'. < Hide

Measurements

L 332 mm W 228 mm H 45 mm (closed) W 410 mm (open)

Materials

paper; card; metal

Rights Credit

© The Kibbo Kift Foundation

Last Updated

2024-03-14