Thamas
17 Jul 2026 - 17 Jul 2026
- Explain who who this Zoa is and what is his function in Blakean cosmology. Ask Claude
Tharmas: The Zoa of the Body and Sensation
Identity
- Tharmas is one of the Four Zoas in William Blake's mythological system, the primordial giant Albion's four fundamental aspects or "living creatures" (Blake borrowed the term Zoas from the Greek of Ezekiel and Revelation). He represents the body, sensation, and instinct — the most material of the four principles.
- His emanation (female counterpart) is Enion.
Function in Blakean Cosmology
- In the unfallen state, Tharmas is the Zoa of unified sensation and touch — the coherent bodily existence of Albion, associated with pastoral waters and innocent physical being.
- After the Fall (Albion's fragmentation), Tharmas becomes:
- The Generative principle — chaotic, oceanic, and formless
- Associated with the sea and chaos, representing sensation divorced from reason and vision
- A figure of confusion and lamentation, particularly in The Four Zoas
- He is often called the "Parent power" — the most primitive and foundational Zoa, associated with the west and the tongue/sense of touch.
His Role in the Fall
- Tharmas collapses first or most fundamentally when Enion separates from him, initiating a chain reaction that drags the other Zoas into conflict and error.
Significance
- He represents what happens when bodily existence loses its spiritual dimension — becoming mere appetite and formless matter.