Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:40 pm
My username is short for Tannhauser. Most people know that Richard Wagner wrote an opera named Tannhauser but they don't know the story behind it.
Tannhauser was the last great pagan myth. It was written in the area that is now Germany when Christianity was sweeping Europe and eradicating pagan religions. In my opinion, it's right up there with another pagan myth: Beowulf.
It's interesting in that the pagans included the new christian influence into the myth. Tannhauser was a knight. He went on a quest to find mother earth...gaia. He went through several ordeals to find her. Eventually he reached the center of the mountain where she resides and found her. He stayed with her for a time, but began feeling guilty because he had accepted christianity and here he was consorting with pagans. So, he left the mountain even though by this time he has a wife and kid..he leaves them behind because they are pagans.
He first goes to the village priest, tells his story and asks forgiveness. The village priest tells him that living in the pagan society with Gaia was heinous...and he can't forgive him. He tells him he must travel to the Archbishop. So, Tannhauser travels to the archbishop. He tells Tannhauser the same thing..and that he can't forgive him. He must travel to the Pope himself...he's the only one that can forgive him.
So, Tannhauser travels to the Pope. The Pope hears his story and immediately exclaims "I will no sooner forgive you than the walking staff you're carrying sprouts leaves!" Dejected, Tannhauser finds a place on the side of the road to sleep.
As he sleeps, he dreams of a loving vision of Gaia, his beautiful wife, and precious child. When he awakes, he reaches to get his walking staff, only to discover that it has not only sprouted leaves, it has sprouted branches as well as beautiful roses. He returns to the mountain and is never heard from again.
Of course, the idea behind that is that whereas the Christian priests either did not have the power or inclination to accept his request and forgive him, Gaia forgave him without him even having to ask.
An interesting thing to note: In germany in one of the churches, there is a suit of armor on top of a grave. That was common when burying knights, their suit of armor was laid on top. The grave is the grave of Tannhauser. They've used Xrays to scan the grave and there is no body in it...only a suit of armor on top. So, not only is there a grave to the knight in the myth, the body is unaccounted for....off resting in the arms of Gaia.
Tannhauser was the last great pagan myth. It was written in the area that is now Germany when Christianity was sweeping Europe and eradicating pagan religions. In my opinion, it's right up there with another pagan myth: Beowulf.
It's interesting in that the pagans included the new christian influence into the myth. Tannhauser was a knight. He went on a quest to find mother earth...gaia. He went through several ordeals to find her. Eventually he reached the center of the mountain where she resides and found her. He stayed with her for a time, but began feeling guilty because he had accepted christianity and here he was consorting with pagans. So, he left the mountain even though by this time he has a wife and kid..he leaves them behind because they are pagans.
He first goes to the village priest, tells his story and asks forgiveness. The village priest tells him that living in the pagan society with Gaia was heinous...and he can't forgive him. He tells him he must travel to the Archbishop. So, Tannhauser travels to the archbishop. He tells Tannhauser the same thing..and that he can't forgive him. He must travel to the Pope himself...he's the only one that can forgive him.
So, Tannhauser travels to the Pope. The Pope hears his story and immediately exclaims "I will no sooner forgive you than the walking staff you're carrying sprouts leaves!" Dejected, Tannhauser finds a place on the side of the road to sleep.
As he sleeps, he dreams of a loving vision of Gaia, his beautiful wife, and precious child. When he awakes, he reaches to get his walking staff, only to discover that it has not only sprouted leaves, it has sprouted branches as well as beautiful roses. He returns to the mountain and is never heard from again.
Of course, the idea behind that is that whereas the Christian priests either did not have the power or inclination to accept his request and forgive him, Gaia forgave him without him even having to ask.
An interesting thing to note: In germany in one of the churches, there is a suit of armor on top of a grave. That was common when burying knights, their suit of armor was laid on top. The grave is the grave of Tannhauser. They've used Xrays to scan the grave and there is no body in it...only a suit of armor on top. So, not only is there a grave to the knight in the myth, the body is unaccounted for....off resting in the arms of Gaia.
