A House With Soul
Victor Hugo's message to us on the walls of his house.
« The first inscriptions can be read straight away in the central part of the sculptures. They are a brief statement of religious and philosophical faith: Love and Believe. ».
Hauteville House is not only a writer’s house; it is also a house of books. Victor Hugo engraved a number of inscriptions on the walls: philosophical statements, mottos about hygiene, political proclamations, and souvenirs of his work. They were written in Latin, French and English. The quotations are listed below, room by room:
Vestibule
AMA CREDE Love. Believe
EGO HUGO I Hugo
EDE I ORA Eat, go, pray
AVE Greetings
Tapestry Room
BON ROY Good king ROY QUI S'EN VA King who leaves
CROSSE D'OR ÉVÊQUE DE BOIS Golden staff, wooden bishop CROSSE DE BOIS ÉVÊQUE D'OR Wooden staff, golden bishop
IN LIBRO In the book
AD COELUM To heaven
JOB, ISAIAH, HOMER, AESCHYLUS, LUCRECE, DANTE, SHASPEARE (sic), MOLIÈRE, MOSES, SOCRATES, CHRIST, COLOMBUS, LUTHER, WASHINGTON
LAETUS HOMO RIDET, FLET BESTIA TRISTIS Man is happy and laughs, the beast is sad and cries
YOU ARE A ROUGE VH
15 MARS 1858 ÉCLIPSE V.H. (Hidden behind a mirror)
“Workshop”
AD AUGUSTA PER ANGUSTA Towards high goals by narrow ways (Hernani)
Dining Room
EXILIUM VITA EST Life is an exile or/and exile is life
LEVER A VI DINER A X SOUPER A VI COUCHER A X FAICT VIVRE L’HOMME X FOIS X
Rise at 6, dine at 10, supper at 6, bed at 10, Makes a man live 10 x 10
POST CAENAM STABU SEU PASSUS MILLE MEABIS VALE After meals, you will stand up or walk a thousand steps. Take care of yourself.
POPULUS The people
PATRIA Homeland
HOMO Man
DEUS God
Under the paintings on the stalls:
LA FIN DU SEIGNEUR End of the Lord
LA FIN DU PRESTRE End of the prestre (priest)
LA FIN DU SOLDAT End of the soldier
Above the fireplace:
LE PEUPLE EST PETIT The People are small MAIS IL SERA GRAND but they will be great
DANS TES BRAS SACRES In your sacred arms O MERE FECONDE O fertile Mother
O LIBERTE SAINTE O holy freedom AU PAS CONQUERANT with conquering step
TU PORTES L’ENFANT You carry the Child QUI PORTE LE MONDE who carries the world
On the Ancestor’s Chair:
CELLA PATRUM DEFUNCTORUM* sanctuary of the dead ancestors
ABSENTES ADSUNT* the absent are present
HIC NIHIL* here nothing
ALIAS ALIQUID elsewhere something
PULVIS ES* you are dust
CINIS SUM I am ashes
TU QUI TRANSIS PER DOMOS PERITURAS SIS MEMOR DOMUS AETERNAE you who pass through perishable dwellings remember the eternal dwelling
SEDEO SED PROGREDIO I sit but I progress
L’ESPOIR EST MA FORCE* Hope is my strength*
* not inscribed by Victor Hugo but appearing on an object
Oak Gallery
PERGE / SURGE Go ahead / Get up
SUM NON SEQUOR I am not a follower
STO SED FLEO I stand but weep
FILIUS / AMATUS AMAT Son / Beloved, he loves
PATER Father
MATER Mother
JUPITER AURATI PACASSET IURGA POMI POMI QUI LITEM SEDET SED PARIS ELIGITUR TUR* : Jupiter the apple would have appeased the war but Paris is chosen to settle the matter
LES DIEUX SONT AU VAINQUEUR CATON RESTE AUX VAINCUS The gods are to the victor Cato remains to the vanquished.
A DEO AD DEUM From God, to God
LAETITIA Joy
TRISTITIA Sadness
GLORIA VICTIS / VAE NEMINI Glory to the defeated / Woe to none
L’ESPRIT SOUFFLE OU IL VEUT / L’HONNEUR VA OU IL DOIT The spirit blows where it wills / honour goes where it must
ERRORTERROR
Stairway
DEUS DIES God is the day or The day is God
Library Landing
TOUTES LAISSENT LEUR TRACE AU CORPS COMME A L’ESPRIT. All leave their mark on the body and mind. TOUTES BLESSENT HELAS – LA DERNIERE GUERIT. All hurt, alas - the last one heals.
Garden
On the base of the Snake Fountain:
UBI SPES / IBI PAX Where there is hope / There is peace
On the stone bench:
IMMENSITE DIT L’ETRE ETERNITE DIT L’AME Immensity says the being Eternity says the soul
