ISS 25 (1995).pdf - The International Council of Museums

Magpies on Mount Helicon ?
Peter van Mensch
Nine magpies, birds who can imitate any Idnd of sound, had sealed on the boughs, and were lamenting their
fate. As Minerva showed her surprise, the Muse explained: 'These, too, hove but recently joined the ranks of the
birds, as a result of being defeated in a competition. Their father lVl1S Pierus, a rich landowner of Pella. and
Euippe of Poeonia \VaS their mother. Nine times she called upon powerful Lucina to come to her assistance. for
nine times she found herself with child. Then the foolish band of sisters, swollen with pride in their number,
journeyed through the many cities of Haemonia and Achaeo, till they came to Helicon, where they issued this
challenge to us: "Stop imposing upon uneducated people, pretending 10 be sweet singers: if you have confidence
in your powers, divine daughters of 77zespis. enter into competition wilh us. We are not inferior to you in voice
or skill, we are your eqUllls in number. If you are defeated, you will leave the spring ( ... J; or else we, in our
tum sholl with draw beyond the plains of Macedon ( ... J. Let the nymphs judge our performance". Truly, it
shamed us to compete with them, but it seemed even more shameful to yield without struggle. Nymphs were
chosen, and sworn in by their rivers. Then they took tlreir seats on blocks of living rock. ( ... J The nymphs agreed
unanimously that tire goddesses of Helicon were tire victors. Our defeated opponents replied by hurling abuse at
us, until I exclaimed: "So, it is not enough thot you have deserved punishment by forcing this COnlest, but you
add insuit to in;ury ? Our patience is not unlimited: we shall follow where our anger prompts, and proceed to
punish you". The Macedonian women laughed and scorned my threats, but as they tried to speak, menacing us
with loud cn"es and wanton gestures, they saw feathers sprouting from their nails and plumage covering their
arms. They looked at each other, watching their faces narrow inlo horny beaks, as a flew addition was made to
the birds of the forest. When they tried to beal their breasts, the movement of their arms raised them, to hoVer in
the air. They had become magpies, the scandalmongers of the woods. Even now, as birds, they still retain their
original power of speech. They still chatter horshly and hove an insatinble desire to UJIK.
Describing the development of museological thinking this story as told by Ovid seems to
be an apt metaphor. Established positions are challenged. The ruling elite pretends to hold
the keys of Truth and Beauty. The contenders are put aside and accused of advocating
Untruth and Ugliness.
The purpose of this paper is not to identify the Muses and the magpies. The paper is an
attempt to describe the development of museological thinking - and in particular the
position of New Museology - from a dialectic perspective.
The history of the development of museology as (academic) discipline is very much
connected with the history of professionalization of the museum field'. This interaction
can be analysed from three different perspectives referring to three approaches as to the
purpose of museological understanding. They have been described as: the empirical-theoretical
approach, the praxeological approach, the philosophical-critical approach. These
2
Ovid, Metamorphoses. Book V: The Pieri des transformed (290-678). The English tTanSlation is
taken from Mary M. Innes' edition as published by Penguin Books (1955) 1971, pp. 124-133.
P. van Mensch, 'Museo1ogy, museum training and the challenge of a new century', in: P.Dube &
M.C.Rocher eels., Museum training: practices and theories. Proceedings ICTOP 1992 (Quebec
1992 (1995)) 147-153.
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