Mois: septembre 2019

Paul du Marchie van Voorthuysen : peculiar encounter.6

/ Zully Salas / Poster un commentaire

TEXTE EN FRANÇAIS ICI

Seldom a translation corresponds to the feelings and meanings of the author. So, I write the article again keeping as close as possible to the French article I wrote. There is a Swiss TV programm that makes interviews to very special people and this time it was with Mr du Marchie, the philosophe. I was really impressed by this personnality so far of our times where most people run after money, profit, superficial things that don’t last. I was enthusiastic to know that such a talented human being was living in a place not too far from mine.

Arrival. I told myself that I had to get in touch with him. I also thought that I better go with my teenager ballet student because it could bring her only good things. Mr du Marchie is 95 with articulations, a physical body and spirit in perfect conditions ! When you look at him, benevolence (it is more than kindness) emanates from him although you notice that his glance is acute ; he knows immediately who you are. You also have the impression that he is telling you : be in harmony and everything will go right for you. Age ? I don’t konw what you mean by that. Every year I go either to the desert, to India, Japan or New York ; I practice different activities, I don’t know what boredom means. He is also the one who says : I practice a philosophy which is of my own and that makes me feel free, independent of any believe, I don’t fear anything and don’t possess valuable things, according to what people believe value means.

Mr du Marchie lives in the countryside with Nicole, his wife and friend, who also practices different activities, in a magnificent place surrounded by mountains next to the Lake Léman in a place called « Le Liboson », next to Haut-de-Caux. We went on December the 15th 2018. There was snow. Hereby some images :

As I was taking the pictures along the way I was telling myself that I was like in a fairy tale where there are temptations to which I yielded instead of going straight to the place where I knew I would meet a being, one of those who seldom come to the Earth. But, at the same time I knew that the landscaping was alike him.

Visit. We were lucky. We were welcomed with open arms by Mr. du Marchie himself and his companion who lives with him since 35 years. He was our ciceronne in his home which was a former farm and that he transformed in 25 years into a medieval kind of kingdom with all the modern amenities. I cannot mention everything, but there is a granite door of 480 kg that closes perfectly matching with the wall thanks to a hydraulic system made by himself ! and that leads to an Egyptian crypt dug and carved also by him in order to put the exact copy of an Egyptian statue that is bathed by light all the time.

Every single part of his house has been carefully studied and arranged. Mr du Marchie showed us also a miniature medieval castle made for a ten years girl who spent a year at his place. He made it in two months ! You can hardly believe it. In fact, the little girl didn’t want a simple dollhouse, she wanted a castle. And Mr du Marchie made the replica of a real castle. Everything works : the fire where you can boil water, the well where it can be drawn, the guards who can get warm at the top of the tower, a Gutenberg press, furniture and so on. On top of that the castle has been constructed on a mechanism that allows it to turn.

As you see, every element is the replica of a real one. We can even see Mr du Marchie playing the organ, which again corresponds to the reality as Mr du Marchie is an organist. You also have at the left hand a stained glass, which is the replica of the one he made for his house !

Here you have the copy of the original statue of « Nefertiti » that is in the Museum of Berlin.
Here we have a tank (?) with a crossbow that fires exactly at 3 m !

Mr du Marchie possesses in his library books that almost nobody has. For instance, he has the only copy of « The Nibelungen Book » (« Das Nibelungen Buch) written by Thea von Harbou; his wife is the only person who has ever translated it into French on parchment paper, also made by him ! This book is used for his philosophical teaching. Hereby you have a page with Gothic writing and illuminations.

Tea. At the end of the visit we were invited to have a cup of tea with this so peculiar couple. I managed to take a picture of them.

A dance. We really enjoyed our visit and it is certainly a turning point for us. Before leaving we interpreted one of our dances  » Les Souffles (Breaths) » on a music of Vivaldi.

It was well apreciated (Mr du Marchie said that the movements were significant and poetic) and he made me a surprise when he gave me the CD « Reflets d’Infini », improvisations by Philippe le Trévou, on the organ of the Liboson.

I underline that Mr du Marchie limits the number of people he receives and that for us is a strong symbol.

Another peculiar moment. I had brought for them bookmarks made by me. Whenever I give such a present I use to take different models so that the person can make his choice. So, I was choosing different models but couldn’t find a second for one of them. I felt I had to have two. And I was right because when our friends saw the bookmarks, both of them, almost at the same time, chose this model. I felt that we were in another dimension !

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