The ORIS Scroll
A Different Book Form
The ORIS scroll is the abode of a poem i wrote.
— STOPAN
ORIS tells the tale of a tortured soul who is ordered to kill his own king. The hero wanders in a torturous timelessness around the mournful event and is seen both before the act and after its fatal end. The king, anticipating his death, destroys his entire domain, and his assassin with a guilty conscience ends his own life the moment his king dies. The fact that he tells this story after his death suggests that the prediction of the hero comes true, namely that he is doomed to torment beyond life.
“ORIS”
ГОНЕН ПАК ОТ БЕСЕН ЗВЯР,
БЕЗСИЛЕН НОСЯ ЛОШ ТОВАР.
ЩЕ ИМА ЛИ ЗА МЕН ЗОРА?
КОПНЕЯ ЗА БОЖЕСТВЕН ЦЯР,
НО РОБ НА ГРЕШЕН ГОСПОДАР
ВО АДСКИ МЪКИ ЩЕ ГОРЯ.
КЛЕЧА СЛАБ НО ВЪОРАЖЕН,
СО СВЕТЛИ АНГЕЛИ ДО МЕН.
ЗЛАТЕН ЖЕЗЪЛ У ДЕСНИЦА.
САМ НАСРЕД ГОРЯЩ ТЕРЕН,
ПРОКАЖЕН, ГНИЛ И НАРАНЕН,
ГРОЗНА БИЯ СИ ПЛЕСНИЦА.
СЪХНЕ КРЪВ НА РОД ВЕКОВЕН,
СТЕНЕ ПОД КАЛТА ЗАРОВЕН,
ПРЕКЪРШЕН СВЕТЛИЯ НИ ЦАР.
БИТ, ПРЕДАДЕН И ОТРОВЕН,
ГЛУХО ШЕПНЕ МИ ВИНОВЕН,
ЧЕ САМ Е ПЛАМНАЛ ТОЗ ПОЖАР.
ЦАРЯТ ОМАЛЯ, ИЗДЪХНА.
МИГОМ МУ ПЛЪТТА ИЗСЪХНА.
ВИК НЕЧОВЕШКИ ИЗРЕВАХ.
ПОСТОЙ, НОВ ЖИВОТ ЩЕ ВДЪХНА,
АЛА МИ ГЛАСЪТ ЗАГЛЪХНА
И ТЪЙ ДО НЕГО АЗ УМРЯХ…
CHASED AGAIN BY A WILD BEAST
POWERLESS, I HANDLE AN EVIL BURDEN
WILL THERE BE DAWN FOR ME?
LONGING FOR A DIVINE CURE
BUT A SLAVE TO A SINFUL MASTER
I’LL BURN IN HELLISH FLAMES
KNEELING WEAK BUT ARMED
WITH BEAMING ANGELS BY ME
A GOLDEN SCEPTER IN MY HAND
ALONE IN THE BURNING LANDSCAPE
LEPROUS, ROTTEN AND WOUNDED
AN UGLY STRIKE I INFLICT UPON MYSELF
AN ANCIENT BLOODLINE IS DRYING UP
WAILING BENEATH THE MUD
OUR BRIGHT KING LIES BROKEN
BEATEN, BETRAYED AND POISONED
WHISPERS TO ME GUILTY
THAT HE STARTED THE BLAZE
THE KING WEAKENED, GAVE HIS LAST BREATH
HIS FLESH TURNING DRY
I LET OUT AN UNEARTHLY SCREAM
STAY, I’LL BREATH NEW LIFE
BUT MY VOICE WAVERED
AND I DIED BY HIS SIDE…
The scroll was the most appropriate book form to store such a short but meaningful text. My father Ivo Daskalov took on the complex task of finding an engineering solution for making the body of this creation. I, on the other hand, took care of the writing and decoration of the poem. This was done on both sides on my handmade “Serdika” paper with 50% cotton content and enriched with mineral waters from the Sofia Central Springs.
The body of the scroll is made of mahogany base, storing the silver rotating mechanism and is covered with lids made of 925 silver. The total dimensions of the body are 8x2x2 cm, and the scroll itself 28×3.5 cm.
The Box
A Video Showcase of the Work
The book is currently housed in a private collection