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Welcome to this serial: Ancient Mysteries in the most impressive German stage plays!
As the name suggests and as some may already have enjoyed and heard some information in
trailers and intros, this serial is devoted to the ancient mysteries
on the one hand; and, on the other hand, to the German theatre
culture.
So, more precisely, this serial wants to explore the ancient mysteries
to recognize and understand their influence, function and meaning in the German culture,
which has in the end, an influence all over the world.
– And even still in our days –
Therefore, the focus is on the mysteries, namely, first and foremost
of the ancient Egyptians – and of the ancient Greeks and Romans –
whereby the latter are maybe in fact largely adoptions and further developments of the
Egyptian mysteries by the Greco-Roman world.
But these are the three mystery cultures, that have a great influence to the later modern
mystery reception and to the modern mystery cults.
Whereby, of course, there are a lot complex mixtures; however, after all, the Egyptian
images have proved to be fairly weighty archetypes and primal images.
Indeed, like Mozart and Schikaneder have discussed "The Magic Flute" under the working title
"The Egyptian Mysteries"; and like Goethe has served for the Illuminati Order
under the Grecian name Abaris; – the Egyptian and Greco-Roman mysteries
appear as a factor of great influence to the German culture!
– And here, we are at the second focus of this
serial, which is: the German theatre culture; More precisely, the German theatre culture
of the 18ths and 19ths century, the time of great German poets and thinkers,
like Goethe and Schiller; the time of an extraordinary great number
of stage works, that stand out of their time and stand the
test of time till our days.
Well, this should be almost enough introducing information about the serial;
I only want to add, that I will work at own handmade subtitles
for a better understanding; the subtitles will help against my German
and wrong mispronunciation, but not against my German and wrong syntax,
grammar and idioms.
Nevertheless, despite all language problems, and all other deficiencies;
I hope, you'll find some entertaining and interesting
contents here, to your joy and pleasure.
- Sometimes, you should maybe pause the video, if you want to read the sources thoughtfully
and peacefully in your own time. (and ye, maybe you should skip some talking too much
of me)
Okay, let's start with the first episode, which is dedicated to the character of Mephisto
in Goethe's "Faust".
First and foremost, this episode wants to explore the enigmatic character Mephisto;
and thereby it wants to focus on an alternative approach beyond the popular and established
images about Mephisto as the evil devil known from the Roman Catholic Church.
For this purpose, we will consult the ancient mysteries and so we will try to approach from
this side to the enigma of Mephisto.
And, how I guess, for the interest and pleasure of some, we will touch already at this episode
the topic of the "Magic Flute" as not only a very popular opera but also a very influential
stage work, that had a character of a role model for many artists,
just like Goethe.
Goethe expressed in the Conversations with Eckermann his wish, that his Faustian poetry
should work and have the same effect like the "Magic Flute".
Whereby he is talking about a secretly hidden important meaning, which is only recognized
by the "initiated".
And thus, I hope, exploring the "Magic Flute" will help us to approach to an understanding
of the "Faust" and its probably most enigmatic character: Mephisto!
So, by exploring the ancient mysteries, the "Magic Flute" and – of course – the Faustian
poetry; we will try to approach more and more to the
enigma of Mephisto.
Certainly, sometimes I will wander off the subject, which should be still Mephisto;
but I hope, all ways that feels like going astray will help to understand and complete
more and more the character of Mephisto and the spirit behind.
So, let's jump now in my material, which begins with a short repetition about the zeitgeist
and the background of Goethe; – and Mozart and Schikaneder, who created
one role model for the Faustian poetry – before we then raise the "Faust" and the question
of a Christian reading:
Well, the time of Goethe was a time of contrasts, even troubled times, where the conflict between
the ideas of – the old monarchic and aristocratic systems
on the one hand; – – and, on the other hand, the liberal and
civil society – escalated into violence and war.
But also the world of artists was in a conflict, for example
classicists versus romantics, intellectuality and rationalism versus emotionalism
and sentimentalism, clarity and enlightenment versus fogs, darkness
and night, ancient times versus middle ages,
law and limits versus limitlessness, phantasy and spirituality;
According to that, we can add our contrast: a Christian reading of Faust versus a reading
in the context of ancient mysteries.
Even though revolutions bring new ideas and values, the problem is, that not only the
old values are questioned and have become fragile,
but also the new values and new systems are questionable and not completely trustworthy,
too.
They cannot replace the old values from one day to another completely;
like the civil revolutions have shown – in France: with their Reign of Terror,
that devours its children.
– – in America: with it's oppression of blacks
and the mass murder against the Native Americans.
– -> distrust of the new systems was very necessary!
Thereby, the old and the new system with theirs values
weren't both trustworthy completely and as a whole!
Consequently, the people were in a crisis of meaning, values and ideologies.
So, while Germany and Austria was both under a monarchic control,
which felt both threatened by the French revolutionary movement
– and especially in Austria the monarchic regime was extreme hostile against the new
arising ideas, – -> secret societies established and created
a place, where people full of ideas was able to discuss freely and in peace their thoughts.
And this is also a contrast of this time: enlightenment, which wants to inform the public;
and secret societies, which deal with the ideas of enlightenment in secrecy.
Looking now at Goethe, Mozart and Schikaneder, we see three members of Freemasons' lodges;
even though, Schikaneder, who wrote the text of the "Magic Flute",
wasn't lucky in the lodge for a long time and left it soon;
His bad luck with the Freemasonry, Schikaneder is maybe sharing with the character of Papageno
in the "Magic Flute", who don't feel and don't understand the rules of the brotherly order
in the "Magic Flute".
Significantly, in his own theatre, Schikaneder himself has played the role of Papageno;
in this way, he personified really literally the character of Papageno.
So we can assume, that Schikaneder has processed here his experiences with the Freemasonry
to the character of Papageno.
Well, as far as they all three were members of Freemasons' lodges
so they were part of circles, that were associated with the ancient mysteries;
circles, that respect and try to fathom the secret knowledge of the old cultures.
And this interaction with these circles and the mystical rites, they are cultivating,
influences their artistic work, and grows up there like a seed.
During the creation process, Mozart and Schikaneder have discussed "The Magic Flute" under the
working title "The Egyptian Mysteries".
And Goethe, beside the Freemasons, has joined an order of the Illuminati;
another society, that appreciated the myths.
There, Goethe has served under the monastic name Abaris.
Abaris was a legendary healer; And – priest of Apollo – known to the Ancient Greeks.
By this name Goethe expressed his adoration of Apollo.
Well, now, let's nose around to find out whether this experiences with the ancient mysteries
were also processed by Goethe into the Faustian poetry and the character of Mephisto.
So that in addition to conventional Christian images, elements of the ancient mysteries
assisted to construct the enigma of Mephisto.
For this purpose, let's approach to Mephisto by having a closer look at Goethe's "Faust"
as a whole; what could be the purpose?
what could be the sense? and at all, what is Goethe's "Faust" about?
what is at issue?
Therefore, it seems to be helpful, a view on the eponymous hero of Goethe's "Faust",
who is, of course, Faust, more precisely Doctor Faust.
In Goethe's "Faust", – which is by the way,
considered to be "most cited work" and "the greatest work" of German literature;
and in fact, it's the most successful drama with the largest audience numbers on German-language
stages,– Well, in Goethe's "Faust":
The main character, Doctor Faust, is introduced in his/the first scene alone at Easter Eve.
And so in the night before Easter we see Faust having a death experience; as he is attracted
by the poison phial.
Noticeable here is the reference to the Descent into Hell.
But then, the Easter Morning with his "Bells chime and choral singing" recalls Faust to
life.
While the Choir of Angels sings: "Christ has arisen!
His trial is won."
Faust signifies his own resurrection: "And I'm recalled to life once more.
O, sing on you sweet songs of Heaven!
My tears flow, Earth claims me again!
Thus we see Doctor Faust in his first scene
is set on the analogy of Jesus Christ.
This scene shows and sets a major theme of the whole Faustian poetry, which is constantly
recurring; And continues till the end of "Faust, Part Two", where Faust has his own "Burial
or Entombment"; And after that, Faust ascends to heaven.
Indeed we can see Faust in Christian images and symbols.
This constituted a Christian reading of Faust, that values only Christian elements
or ranks Christian elements as the Top priority.
But next to this Christian images, we see Faust in the Night before Easter, how he proclaims
his search for knowledge, for Enlightenment: He searches for secrets, for mysteries.
Faust wants to understand, what (as he said): "Binds the world's innermost core together,
See all its workings, and its seeds, Deal no more in words' empty reeds."
And in the end, in heaven, Faust meets the Mater Gloriosa, whose mystery he wants to know.
In addition to her roles as Virgin, Mother and Queen, which fit to the Christian Mary;
the Mater Gloriosa is presented rather unchristian as Goddess.
But this fits to another Queen of Heaven, the mother goddess Isis, who is known as THE
ABSOLUTELY WHOLENESS.
And Isis, an embodiment of motherliness and womanliness, keeps the mysteries of life off
the mortals.
Like in the ages of Goethe, there were well-known words based on a statue of Isis in the Egyptian
city of Sais.
Immanuel Kant was assuming, that perhaps nothing more sublime has ever been said than in that
inscription.
There, Isis says: "I am all that is, that has been, and that
shall be, and no mortal has ever raised my veil."
Faust's search for the truth of life or the mysteries of life
his path through the two parts of the drama is accompanied by Mephisto.
Mephisto is maybe the most incomprehensible and enigmatic character.
Like he is considered to be the most impressive character of Goethe's Faustian Poetry.
At first sight, Mephisto, or in his long form actually called Mephistopheles, seems to be
the devil, as everybody knows him from the Christian theology.
His name, Mephistopheles, is a title of the devil.
And Faust associates Mephisto with the Lord of the Flies, also called Beelzebub – that
is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for the devil.
So Mephisto appears as a Christian symbol of evil incarnate, as an enemy of god, Faust
and the whole humankind – short: the absolute evil!
Even Mephisto himself substantiates a Christian interpretation of his character,
as he wants to illustrate his nature by this self-portrait:
"So all that you call Sin, you see, Destruction, in short, what you've meant
By Evil is my true element."
Consequently, this also constituted the Christian reading of Faust;
initiated (in the sense of starting/started) to understand the Faustian poetry as a discourse
about Christianity; and strengthened the exegetes of the Christian
interpretations to concentrate their focus completely on the
Christian elements.
And of course, as one can see, Mephisto's character is composed of Christian components!
And there is a discourse, which deals with Christian issues!
But can Christian components describe Mephisto's character completely?
Is Mephisto really just an absolutely evil devil?
And is the discourse, which is posed by Goethe in his Faustian poetry, only limited to Christianity?
Let's start to approach answers to Mephisto's enigmatic character and to these questions
– by taking a closer look at Mephisto's self-portrait in Goethe's Faustian Poetry.
Shortly after his words about his so called sinful and evil nature,
Mephisto associates himself with the darkness and the night,
or rather mother night:
"Part of the Part am I, once All, in primal Night,—
Part of the Darkness which brought forth the Light,
The haughty Light, which now disputes the space,
And claims of Mother Night her ancient place."
And again, at first sight, one can see here an illustration of the familiar pattern of
thinking about the old conflict between good and evil; light and darkness; or perhaps white
and black.
–By the way, it is quite interesting, that the words: god and good on the one side; and
devil and evil on the other side, seem to inherit and represent this Christian imagination
of a good god and an evil devil.– However, Mephisto is reproducing this old
conflict between light and darkness; and one is reminded perhaps of the good god
and the evil devil.
Mephisto also states a rather unfamiliar and perhaps bold claim;
according to which: the darkness has given birth to the light;
and thus: the darkness and the night is actually even the mother of the light.
The imagination of a mother night, who gave birth to the light,
sounds not like a biblical narrative.
Indeed, in the bible, it does not even appear as a lie of the devil.
But, in another religious and spiritual context, the narration of a mother night, who gives
birth to the light, is a very well known and highly appreciated
central affair with a long tradition.
A tradition, that reaches back at least to the ancient Egyptians and their mysteries;
additionally acknowledged by the Greeks and Romans; And numerous other nations from every
corner of the ancient world; Finally, this tradition continues until the
time of Goethe or even today; In form of modern mystery cults, that are
reproducing and cultivating the ancient mysteries.
Likewise the Freemasons and the Illuminati.
In addition, the ideas of the ancient mysteries influence the German art scene in the time
of Goethe.
A time, in which today's most played and viewed plays on German language stages were created:
– Goethe's "Faust" as most played and viewed drama.
– – And: "the Magic Flute" by Mozart and Schikaneder
as most successful play overall.
– The latter is even one of the most popular
operas worldwide!
So, the artistic and idealistic concepts of that time reaches until our time,
where these works exert an extraordinary and unrivalled fascination, somehow.
Interestingly, in a conversation with Eckermann, Goethe compares his dramaturgical intention
of his Faustian poetry with "The Magic Flute" by Mozart and Schikaneder.
There, Goethe is mentioning:
"I hope, that the crowd of spectators take pleasure in the spectacle; at the same time,
the higher import will not escape the initiated, as has been the case with the "Magic Flute",
and other things beside."
So, knowing that Goethe – and by the way as well as Mozart and Schikaneder – was
an initiated Freemason; one can understand this "initiated", who sees
and recognizes the higher important, -> as an "initiated" in the sense of mystery cults.
Now, let's have a short look at "The Magic Flute" to get a slight feeling,
what perhaps Goethe could have seen in this much discussed opera.
There, it seems, we have on the one side, the Queen of the Night, sometimes also called
Luna, with her three ladies.
They look darkish in the shades of the night.
And on the other side, there appears Sarastro, the mighty sun ruler, with his Brotherhood
or Circle of Initiates.
This site looks brightly lit, like the sun or like the term of the En*light*enment suggest
it.
This both sides are shown in a conflict, in which one can see a confrontation of sexes,
or the old and long-known conflict between Darkness and Light, Night and Day, or even
Moon and Sun.
Here, I don't want to take a closer look or to check it.
I just want to show: An important point is here, that at the foreground,
at the surface – or how Goethe said as "spectacle" (using the German word "Erscheinung") –, we
see a play or a battle of simple contrasts: Black versus White, Good versus Evil.
But would it be also possible in a quick way to get another impression of "The Magic Flute"?
-> I think, one can get a different view of the conflicting parties by this illustration.
Goethe made – as theater director in Weimar for his stage production of "The Magic Flute" –
this drawing of a stage scenery.
In the middle, it shows the Queen of the Night.
So we see here, how Goethe wanted to see the Queen of the Night.
Consistent with her sphere: the night; we see the queen flying on the moon, more specifically
the crescent moon.
But next to this, we can also see, that the queen of the night is appearing in a glory
or aureole; like the halo, we know from Christian Saints.
And, as if this wasn't surprisingly enough, beyond this Christian halo, one can see in
that aureole another symbol.
In fact: even an older one.
If we think away the actress of the Queen from the stage design,
the aureole becomes visible as a big star, or rather – a sun!
So we see the crescent moon, who is not anymore carrying the queen of the night, but the sun.
By now, you maybe get a first feeling, that breaks through the image of an absolutely
black and evil queen; as well as it breaks through the image of
a battle between irreconcilable differences.
If it should be a battle of clearly separated and incompatible antagonisms;
of antagonisms, that are incapable of living or existing together in peace or harmony;
why is the Queen of Night in her appearance supported by a sun?
why should Goethe set in the middle of such a battle, a decoration, which shows the moon
carrying the sun? by carrying the sun, it's feels like the moon
is somehow helping the sun; we feel a harmony, and see a living together,
a peace, and maybe more...
The moon carrying – or you can even say the moon bearing the sun, is an old symbol,
with an origin older than Christian Saints.
Namely: the Egyptian barque of the sun!
A due and excellent symbol for the opera, which Mozart and Schikaneder have also discussed
under the working title "The Egyptian Mysteries".
In the ancient narratives of the Egyptian mysteries, the barque of the sun sails the
sun across the sky over the day.
In the evening the barque immerses into the earth with the sun,
and sails the sun through the earth over the night.
In the morning the barque emerges from the earth with the sun, and so the new day starts
and the same journey begins again.
Likewise the spirit of the narrative tradition made the moon to a ship;
the sun is also imagined as hawkish god, called Horus or Re.
Over the years different narrative versions flowed together and blurred among.
So the crescent moon was not only synonymously imagined as ship, but also as horns; likewise
the horns of a cow.
And for the sun's personification, Horus or Re, the people imagined a woman as mother
goddess of the sun god.
This goddess was usually portrayed as woman with horns; or she was even shown bearing
the sun between her horns, as symbol for her motherhood, where she was bearing the sun god
in her body.
By name they called the mother of the sun Hathor or Isis.
Later, other nations, like the Greeks and Romans, adopt this imaginations about the
course of the sun; which is maybe also a course of events – a course of the world.
As well as nature, life and death.
Over other nations, languages and with time, the narratives about the sun god's path have
changed with their narrators.
If we jump once more into Goethe's conversations with Eckermann,
it emerges, that even Goethe respected the sun
and acknowledged the sun as revelation.
Besides Goethe combines Jesus and the sun and calls both a manifestation or revelation
of the highest Being.
With this, he maybe makes references to the idea,
that Jesus is the Christian narrative version of the Egyptian sun god;
or at least, that the narrative of Jesus was mixed with the narratives of the ancient sun gods.
So, as "a manifestation of the highest Being, and
indeed the most powerful which we children of earth are allowed to behold."
the sun is regarded with high importance by Goethe.
If we look back on the first scene of Goethe's "Faust",
we see Faust not only in the analogy to Jesus, but also associated with the fiery chariot:
"A fiery chariot sweeps nearer On light wings!
I feel ready, free To cut a new path through the ether
And reach new spheres of pure activity."
The fiery chariot, (in German: Feuerwagen), is another narrative of the sun barque.
So, Goethe sets his protagonist Faust in a mixture of Jesus and solar deities;
for which the night before Easter, or also called the Easter vigil, is in any case an
excellent setup; since it seems, the traditions of sun deities
can not be overlooked in the Easter festival, which is the most important feast day of the
Christian year.
Like the word "EASTer" reminds to the place, where the sun arises: the East.
And the Easter SUNday, appears as well as a day, devoted to the sun: SUN DAY.
Well, then, the night before Easter, the Easter vigil, is a waiting and hoping for the SUN
rise, which heralds and starts the Easter festival
with its sun light.
Then we have the sunrise services.
And ye, still worth mentioning, that the Resurrection of Jesus is related
to the sunrise by the Christians.
Well, this should be enough at this point; it should reach to have a feeling for the
character Faust, who is set in this complex mixture of analogies, which can be referred
to Jesus and solar deities, whereby even Jesus himself can be referred to a sun god!
Now, we have often picked up the mysteries and especially the mysteries of the sun,
which seem to be of particular importance for Goethe and also the Faustian Poetry.
While I don't want to pursue the Christian narrative at this point;
So I think it's time, to discover the ancient narratives of the mysteries,
which are probably closer to the origins.
Therefore let's have a look on: – the Myths of the Birth of the Sun –
Let's try to explore and to understand, which imaginations underlie these myths.
There, let's start with the personification of the sun, -> the sun god, which Goethe - namely
- revered as member of the Illuminati by his religious name "Abaris".
Within this narrative framework, we pursue the imagination, that
Night or Darkness brings the sun or light forth.
The birth of the sun/god Apollo starts – by a Greek narration – with Leto, the Romans
called her Latona.
Besides she was also known as "the hidden one"; but our Greek narration knows her as
"Goddess of the Night" or just "the Night"!
So Leto veiled in the shades of the Night gives birth to Artemis, Goddess of the Moon,
or just the moon; And then while Artemis, the moon, helps her mother as midwife; Leto,
the night, gives birth to Apollo, god of the sun, or just the sun.
Thusly, in the ancient times, one narrates, how the night gives birth to the moon, and
how they together gives birth to the sun as mother and midwife.
Maybe like the observation of nature, the view at the night, convey the image, that
the moon emerges out of the night, as well as the sun emerges out of the night.
Or one can likewise see and say, the darkness brings out the moon and the sun.
Recognizable for everyone, they are usually visual illustrated with their symbols as a
sign for their union with the celestial bodies.
So Artemis, the goddess of the moon, wears a crescent moon on her head.
And Apollo, the god of the sun, is capped by a sun, solar rays or a halo.
Of course, all three symbols refer to the sun; and probably it has been the case, that
the Christians adopt the solar disks and radiant halos of solar deities, and used it for the
decoration of Jesus and their Saints.
Now, looking back at "the Magic Flute" and Goethe's drawing of the
Queen of the Night, we also can interpret the Queen of the Night
as the Night with her both children: the moon and the sun.
In any case, we see the Queen of the Night decorated with a symbol, that illustrates
the harmony between the moon and the sun; as well as the night and the day.
Besides it is a symbol, which is associated with the genesis and the essence of Goethe's
highly revered sun god Apollo.
The Greeks have already recognized their sun god Apollo in the Egyptian sun god Horus;
and equated those both deities.
So, like Artemis, as midwife, delivers Apollo; the crescent moon, as ship, delivers the sun
from the earth to the sky.
Thus, the barque of the sun applies also to the Grecian Apollo.
While we see in "the Magic Flute" this impressive action-packed battle of flamboyantly colourful
antagonisms – what is really a !spectacle! –;
we see in this discreet symbol of harmony, maybe a hint of this "higher import" – as
Goethe said.
Shouldn't both conflict parties strive to more humility!?!
Especially it has to be mentioned for the bright side, because Sarastro, the ruler of
the sun realm and the brothers of Initiates, is considered to represent the good side.
But, *something is rotten in the state of* the sun!
And I would say, that it is not only one thing!
But here, we could mention to limit it to the point, that Sarastro and his brothers
are dismissively and directed against women.
Like the Priests say, that it is the first duty of their circle to beware of women.
And if the Priests say, that woman does little, –
then this is condescension and arrogance, that is forgetting,
how the women brings men into life(!); as well as the realm of their circle, is a
realm of the sun; and the sun is brought into life by the moon(!).
One more thing, I want to mention; with this I want to try, to approach one more
important step, to the "higher important" (in German: den
höheren Sinn), which the "initiated" receives:
"The Magic Flute" shows an initiation!
In the end of this opera, Tamino and Pamina, are initiated!
On the one side, while the whole stage setting is fulfilled by a sun and the sun ruler Sarastro
appears and it is announced, the victory of the strength!
Ye, you heard right, the strength!
And not love or humanity.
-> They stay as hope, ideal or utopia.
This closing words are glorifying violence; and by this they fit to a despot,
what Sarastro is, if you look closer.
Besides, this closing words fit to a realistic end, what it is as well.
–Ah, Sorry for my digressing, back to the starting point:–
On the one side, the end shows – in the background of this realistic victory of Sarastro
– a little, closet victory of femininity; as a consequence of Pamina's initiation, who
is a woman and the daughter of the Queen of the Night.
By her initiation in the circle of brotherhood, she breaks through the rules of the brotherhood,
that states the exclusion of women.
Besides you maybe can say, that Pamina imports a part of the Night into the circle of initiated.
–Well, sorry, maybe I digress a lot again, but please, excuse me my fun at this point:–
So maybe you like to follow the thought, that Pamina, a child of the night, is leading Tamino
through the trial of initiation.
So, she is maybe not carrying him on her arms, but she is leading him with her physical and
especially with her mental power; So, she is taking his hand to lead him through
the path of trial.
In the end, the path leads over the dreads of death and night, finally to the light of
Isis' consecration.
Consequently, finally, with regard to Tamino, who is considered to be the hero of "The Magic
Flute", or maybe protagonist or main character is more suitable, (you can think about this
problem at yourself; but, ye, in this context, I almost forgot this, but it's maybe interesting
to compare Tamino's introducing in the opera, his first appearance: as a caricature of Apollo
and his fight versus Python) ––– in any case, we see him passing
the dreads of death and night to pass a trial of initiation.
This is a theme, which I will try to make very conspicuously soon;
and then, I guess at the latest then, you can draw your own conclusions and make some
connections.
On the other side, *as a second and last point, that I want to mention here in this digression*,
on the other side, there is the connection to the main character of Goethe's "Faust":
Doctor Faust, who we see in the first scene, called night;
how he is restless (in German: unruhig), disquiet, his mind is not at ease,
and so he is struggling through the night.
By taking the poison phial, he is even accepting the death;
–Even if he is maybe more like hoping for a higher level of consciousness, a higher
level of thinking;– He knows the danger of death and faces the
death, because he would favor the death more than his actual level of thinking or being.
But Faust passes the night and the danger of death;
and he reaches the light and the sun of the Easter morning, which illuminates him – only
visual as we see it in the illustration on the right – question mark?
Well, as said before, this first scene set a major theme for the whole Faustian poetry,
which not only repeats but also extends.
Additionally, in Freemasonry and other mystery cults, there are several levels of initiation.
Interestingly, in the analogy of Jesus' and Faust's Resurrection – you remember Faust's
words "Earth claims me again" – the Choir of Angel's is not only calling the resurrection
"a passed trial" (in German: it's the well done rhyme: "Christ ist erstanden / Prüfung
bestanden!"), but also talking about a "master" (in German: Meister);
a word, which is very uncommon in the Christian context – not really fitting to Jesus or
god –, but it fits very well to the context of mystery cults;
likewise the master degree is the highest degree in a Freemasons' lodge.
So, as seen from the quoted examples of "the Magic Flute",
there we have the THEME (!) of penetrating the night, being unafraid to night and death,
on - a path of trial, to - consecration !
Here one new example, where the theme is repeated for the figure of Papageno.
Interestingly, here we can see the THEME of a trial in the face of death
connected with the point, to get a wife.
Then, in Goethe's "Faust", we see in the first scene the main character struggling through
the night on his painful path of searching for knowledge.
Then, by taking a poison phial, he is fearless face to face with the death;
And finally, he reaches the morning and is illuminated by the sun rays of the Easter
Sunday, which is equated with a resurrection and a
passed trial.
In conclusion of this comparison, we can see some PATTERNS; explicitly to mention are:
TRIAL, NIGHT, DEATH and in the end ILLUMINATION or INITIATION.
Remembering Goethe's comparison of his artistic intention for the Faustian poetry with the
artistic conception of "The Magic Flute" – In this way, I hope, we have come a little
closer to the "higher important meaning", which is
– in the background of the spectacle for the masses –
caught by the "initiated".
Now that we have gotten a feeling for the spirit of Goethe's Faustian poetry
and the artistic philosophy of his time; let's come back again, to the origins, the
role models from the ancient times; from which this artistic philosophy originated,
proceeded and developed new guises, new narrative forms.
This means, let's come back again to the Birth Myths of the sun;
*Moreover, I want to highlight, that thereby we will meet even Mephisto once again.*
All right, here we go: Myths of the birth of the sun
To get a slight feeling of the ancient imaginations, we could try to put ourselves into the view
of the early humans.
So peeking out into the darkness of the night, the rising of the sun looks as the sun comes
out of the darkness, originates from the darkness of the night.
Furthermore, the rising sun signifies hope, which brings to you light – to better see
your enemies, harmful animals of prey and other dangers, which was concealed in the
night, *which is full of darkness and terrors* Nonetheless, in your eyes, in your view, the
night gives you that wonderful sun, that lights you, warms you and makes your
corn grow.
By keeping in the view of the early humans, it seems, not only night and darkness bring
the sun forth.
You can also see, how the earth gives birth to the sun,
you just have to follow the path of the sun with your eyes.
Then it appears, that the sun originates from the earth, from the mountains,
or – as you may say today – the sun emerges on the Eastern horizon.
Born in the morning, then over the day, the sun travels on the
sky from the Eastern to the Western horizon; to die on the Eastern horizon in the evening,
to be swallowed up by the earth, to get devoured by the earth.
After her death, the sun travels through the earth over night;
the sun is consequently in the body or stomach of the earth,
or perhaps in the realm of the Earth, some call it also the realm of the death, and still
others the underworld, and there are many more names...
But in the end, the sun passes this darkish, nightly and deathful path,
and is reborn by the earth, at the next morning.
As for the earth, it appears in the exact manner also for the night and the darkness:
So, in the evening, it seems that the sun is getting eaten by earth, night or darkness
– or ye, maybe even all three of them.
But for all three of them also apply, that they are the donor or the mother of the sun.
Thus, they are characterized by an ambivalence and a bipolarity,
while they are granting and representing both poles of being: life and death.
While we still see the ancient imagination of the sun run in the background,
let's have a short look at Goethe's "Faust" again:
There, still in the first scene, –this introducing in the theme and theme
setting scene– we see Faust speaking about observation of
nature and stars to gain knowledge:
"When I know the starry road And Nature, you instruct me"
And here one more example, where Faust is talking in the German version about gaining
knowledge from nature, which he connects with the solar red light in the morning.
Moreover, very well and very revealing against this background are these words:
"How each to the Whole its selfhood gives, One in another works and lives!
How Heavenly forces fall and rise, Golden vessels pass each other by!
Blessings from their wings disperse: They penetrate from Heaven to Earth,
Sounding a harmony through the Universe!"
I'm not sure about this English translation, but in German, the words:
"They penetrate from Heaven to Earth" -> are unambiguous;
and mean, that the heavenly forces –which I interpret as heavenly bodies, how they fall
and rise– So, but then it's unambiguous, that they penetrate
through the earth.
There we see an image, that is very unrealistic and unscientific,
but it fits very well to the ancient imaginations.
And as Faust summons the Spirit, which is a Spirit of the Earth,
in their conversation, the spirit reveals the ancient imaginations as well:
by talking from himself and his function as birth and tomb.
At this point, maybe, you are wondering, why those unrealistic and unscientific imaginations
are so respected.
I guess, it's caused in their connection with the ancient mysteries and the ancient wisdom;
and even though already in ancient times the view of the early humans about a sun, that
travels through the earth, was outpaced and pointless in the scientific sense;
not outpaced and not pointless were the general principles and imaginations, which where associated
with.
Like already the ancient Egyptians knew and adored the lotus flower, which rises out off
the water with the first sun rays in the morning to open their blossom for the sun.
Over the day they (the lotus flowers) turn their blossom towards and with the sun.
Finally in the evening, when the sun goes down, the lotus flower also goes down with
sun and submerges back into the water.
Often the lotus flowers sink so deep at night, that you hardly reach them with your hands.
Thus, in a small natural image the lotus flower still illustrates the ancient image and principle
about life and death.
Moreover, even in our life today, you can rediscover the imagination of the sun run
and the influence of the sun.
Most people even in our days fell at night into a deathlike status, which you know as
sleep.
And in the morning, they rise again, have a resurrection, and stand up with new strength
and life in their bodies.
Well, while we still see here the course of the sun,
in the ancient view, with the imagination of a sun, travelling
through the earth, through the ground, which give birth to the sun in the morning;–
I would like to remind you of the Egyptian imaginations of the birth of the sun:
so the barque of the sun; and especially the mother goddesses Hathor
and Isis, which bore the sun.
Even if Isis has various manifestations, which differs depending on the story teller;
Plutarch recorded and transmitted a tradition, which significantly influenced the view and
the mysteries of the Greco-Roman world; and thus the modern mystery cults of Goethe's
19th century, too.
According to Plutarch's tradition, Isis is connected with the earth and she is even regarded
as the body of the earth.
Of course, this tradition is fitting and corresponding to the imagination of the earth as the mother
of the sun; according to which, it's only logical, that
the *natural mother of the sun* –the earth–, and it's ~metaphorical personification~ ~the
mother goddess of the sun god Horus~ –Isis–, merge with each other and form one unity.
So, remembering the Egyptian cowlike mother goddesses Hathor and Isis, which are related
to the earth, which are – according to Plutarch – regarded
as the body of the Earth; Besides, in addition, they give birth to the
sun, and bear the sun through their realm of Earth to life;
Explicitly notable: They are mother goddesses, connected with the crescent moon,
and in their cowlike manifestations they are characterized with horns and hooves!
So, keeping this images in mind, we should have a look now
at the popular and well-known religious traditions of our days.
If we follow the running sun into the earth, we maybe find – instead of Isis as embodiment
or ruler of the Earth realm – a manifestation or character, who fits to this sphere or assumes
this role in our today's narrations.
According to our today's narrations, by which I'm here primarily thinking of the Christian
narrations, the sun could meet in the deepest depths of the earth a character, who is also
characterized by –hooves– and –horns–!
Yea!
Right!
It's the devil!
With hooves, and horns!
According to the descent of Christ into hell, where Jesus descended into hell,
or descended into the lower parts of the earth
into the lower regions, the earth into the deepest depth
to the dead to the realm of the dead
descended to the underworld even, some bible translations call it Hades;
– there, in this place, deep under the ground surface, Jesus met
the devil; who has the power of death;
and he is known as the ruler of the hell and the hellfire,
prince of darkness or like we say in German: "Herr der Hölle"
or "Höllenfürst", that means both lord or ruler of the hell.
Summarizing this, the Christian images of the character, who should represent the earth
sphere, show some interesting visual and topical commonalities with the Egyptian traditions.
And according to the Egyptian imagination of the sun run, the Christian illustrations
of Jesus' descent into hell, allows one to see the sun travelling through the earth realm;
like this illustration shows Jesus in a sunlike aureole travelling through the underworld.
In this way, the image invites to see Jesus as sun.
And here are following two illustrations, that shows the earth as a devilish embodiment;
– the entrance to the realm of the earth is a devilish mouth.
But while the devil is most popular and most of all known for representing the evil;
the Egyptian elements of the earth as mother, that is life-giving and bearing the sun light;
those elements of life and light, that are considered as positive and good,
are not known for the devil of the Catholic tradition.
Trying to see this devil in a positive light – nevertheless –
maybe, we could say, that Jesus gained his resurrection by travelling into the realm
of the dead and facing the devil.
Thus, Jesus' resurrection, that opens the resurrection of all human, (maybe in parentheses:
those who belong to Christ) well, this great achievement and this (great)
Christian mystery – Jesus' resurrection –
is attained by contacting the sphere of the devil, and the devil himself!
So, it's maybe possible to see, how Jesus as sun and light comes forth from the devil's
sphere, which is the earth.
Like a rising sun in the morning, that ends the darkish night.
After all, Jesus is symbol and hope of an eternal life;
like the sun!
And both symbols are born from the earth, from death experiences,
which are all part of the devil's sphere.
Even though the positive aspects of the devil are mostly lost in the Christian adoptions;
even though the positive side of the devil is hardly or only very difficult to surmise;
because this side is overlaid by the image of a devil as evil incarnate,
and maybe, probably, a positive view was never intended by the Church fathers at all;
– despite this – I would like to follow the thought, that the
devil plays a Christian version of a role, which is an adopted part from the cultish
birth myth of the sun.
And in this way, he originally played an essential role for the genesis of the sun god and his
deification, his rise, his attaining the mysteries.
For this, I want consult some Grecians further developments and imaginations about the birth
of the sun.
So let's go on, and let's try to reconstruct the spirit of the ancient mysteries more and
more; afterwards, maybe some commonalities can be
recognized, and maybe even some lost or only as shadows perceptible elements will be in
the looming.
And ye, maybe some lost aspects are rather shunned and disdained by the Church fathers...
But now, let's turn to the ancient myths of the birth of the sun,
precisely the idea: Sea / Water brings Sun / Light forth.
Consequently, where the early people looked out at the sea, had ocean view;
there it wasn't the earth, from which the sun rises and in which the sun sinks;
but it was the sea, that bears the sun in the morning and swallows the sun in the evening.
So, the early people regarded also the sea as the mother of the sun.
*And by the way!* You can rediscover this imagination in the Christian tradition, too.
Namely in the Christian Baptism, which symbols the DEATH -> of the old sinful human -> by
diving under the water; like the Baptism was traditionally a completely
submarining of the whole body.
And the Christian Baptism symbols the BIRTH -> of the new Christian human -> rising out
of the water.
In this way the Christian Baptism symbols death and birth;
and this in an image, that remarkable reminds and corresponds to the ancient view of the
sun path.
But, well, let's focus now at the Greek mythology; there we can find at first, the old sea gods;
like Thalassa and Pontos, that have hornlike crab-claws on their head.
And then, especially worth to mention, there is Oceanos,
who has not only horns but also a well-known connection to the sun.
As noted by Homer, the sun or its personification Helios, the old sun god, rises from Oceanos
and then later on plunges back into him.
Besides one could think of Phorcys, an old of the sea; And the father of the three Grey
Sisters, also called Phorcides; which Mephisto visits in Goethe's "Faust" to transform himself
into a Phorkyad/Phorcide.
Afterwards Mephisto is called Phorkyas.
While we can see how the sun or Helios falls into Oceanos,
we can, once again, turn to the birth myth of the sun god, which Goethe literally, verbally
honored and worshiped in the name of Abaris as member of the Illuminati.
Back to the Greek myth of Leto and to the Antecedents of Apollo's Birth.
When Leto's hidden beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus, the King of Gods fell in
love with her.
From their union Leto got pregnant with the divine twins, Artemis and Apollo.
As Hera, the wife of Zeus, discovered that Leto was pregnant and that Zeus was the father,
she got jealous and enraged.
Hera hunted Leto with the greatest fervour.
As a first measure, she sicked Python, a monstrous serpent-dragon, on Leto.
Then she hurried more servants and allies on.
Depending on the particular tradition of the myth, Hera's group of allies differs a little.
Some variants for example tell, that Hera convinced the earth or the earth spirits to
prevent Leto from giving birth on their element.
But especially interesting versions are maybe those, in which Hera seems to be a representative
and defender of an old order.
As the Goddess of the Earth and the Moon, she formed an alliance with Helios, the God
of the Sun, to prevent the birth of the new Lunar and Solar deities, Artemis and Apollo.
At Hera's request, the sun, Helios, assisted to throw a curse on Leto, that Leto was unable
to deliver a child under the sun and at every place where the sun or the moon has ever shone
on and besides as Hera was the goddess of the Earth, even the whole earth refused Leto
the childbirth.
This situation seemed to be very hopeless for Leto.
There seemed to be no place for her on the whole earth to give birth to her children.
Regardless of the slightly differences, here is the important point of all versions, that
Leto is in a very hopeless situation.
Hera and her henchmen are close on her heels and threaten not only her life but also her
unborn children.
In this hour of darkness and misery an unexpected savior comes to the rescue of Leto.
A trident signifies him on his arrival from afar.
However the owner of this trident doesn't wield power over the hellfire.
But over the ocean water.
The God of the Sea, at this point of narrative tradition generally Poseidon, hastens to Leto's
rescue to be her white knight in her hour of need.
Poseidon saves her from some approaching henchmen, and takes her along, out to sea.
At sea, Poseidon uses his trident to let arise the floating island Delos
from the bottom of the deepest depths of the sea.
So this island is lifted from there, where no light, neither sun, nor moon, has ever
reached impact.
Furthermore Delos is attributed to Poseidon's sphere of influence and the water element.
Or its even said, that yet the bottom of the floating island only consisted of corals and
linked vegetation like plant roots and other vegetal detritus.
Thus the island was out of Hera's earth curse, too.
After all Leto finds refuge in the shadows of the island's vegetation, where she was
able to give birth to her both children, Artemis and Apollo.
Besides, in the following time, the mobility of the floating island was a great help to
save the young mother with her children from Hera and her henchmen.
Well, this was the birth myth of the great sun and light god Apollo, who is essentially
in need of the darkness to his birth and genesis.
On the one hand against the curse of Hera, that causes Leto to find a place where no
light of Helios' sun or Hera's moon has ever shone.
On the other hand his mother Leto incarnates the darkness of the night.
One can find this experiences again acknowledged and appreciated in the Apollonian
Wisdom: "nothing in excess"
Well, Apollo was also god of knowledge; and humility and respect for balance were
his main principles.
Last but not least, Apollo is brought to the light by an assistant with a trident and at
times this assistant has even horns.
Whereby, maybe, this light is not only considered to be the light of the world or the day;
maybe this scene, which also starts the genesis of the god of knowledge, is also an image
of attaining the light of understanding and knowledge;
according to "the Enlightenment", "Le Siècle des Lumières",
or the light of revelation according to mystery cults.
This could give us food for thought at Faust's search for the secrets and mysteries
of life.
As well as Faust's hope for the revelation and epiphany of the Mater Gloriosa and the
eternal feminine, which incarnate and veil the mysteries of life.
And also the "Magic Flute" becomes even more clear.
Sarastro's so called circle of "Enlightenment" or his "Mysteries of Isis and Osiris" seem
to be less an idealization of Enlightenment and Freemasonry but rather a realistic criticism
as for example Sarastro's hatred of women find
a counterpart in reality in the form of the woman excluding constitutions
of the Freemasons.
Besides, as well as Sarastro betrays the ideals of Enlightenment and Freemasonry in his role
as slaveholder; in reality the Freemason George Washington
and the Enlightenment philosopher Thomas Jefferson betray their high ideals of freedom, equality
and humanity as slaveholders too.
So as shown, contrary to Sarastro's hatred of the night and womanhood, and against the
hubris, the claim to absoluteness of Sarastro's realm of light;
– the birth myth of Apollo, the god of knowledge and the sun, teaches a different story;
besides, as well as the other ancient myths, as the story of Isis and the birth of her
child Horus, the Egyptian sun god, who is born on the floating island Chemmis.
Up until the day on which Horus is grown to the falcon-headed sky and sun god, who is
flying in the sky; Isis has to hide Horus during his time as
incomplete child, from their haunters and enemies.
The darkish undergrowth at the ground of the floating island hides and saves Horus and
paves the way for the later Egyptian light and sky god.
Well, to come back to the questions about Mephisto in Goethe's Faust;
one last mystical imagination seems to be extraordinary noteworthy.
As ancient people peeked out into the darkness of the night,
hopeful looking forward to the sunrise, the rise of the Morning Star brought them
a first gleam of light and hope, the light of the Morning star was a bearer
of hope, a comforting, joyful sign, which announced the approaching new day.
The morning star is the brightest luminary rising before the rise of the sun.
And it was called "Phosphoros" by the Greeks, which means light bearer, or bringer, or carrier.
The Romans used the Latin words "lux" – which means light – and "ferre" – which means
to bring or to carry – to form their name for the morning star, which
they called "Lucifer",
that one who brings the light.
So, for example, Lucifer is considered as the outrider of the
sun god, or the provider of the sunhorses and the solar
chariot of the sun god.
Roman writers knew about Lucifer, that he sends the day and the warming sun,
– as well as the wheels of Lucifer's solar chariot calls up the day.
Thus, originally, Lucifer had a very positive connotation,
connected with the brightest luminary before the sunrise;
he proclaimed the approaching day including the light and the warmth of the sun.
Only by a Christian dogmatic view Lucifer turned to a personification of the devil and
with that to an incarnation of the absolutely evil.
Although even the bible –against the giving meaning by the Church fathers– Although
the bible shows not only a bad image of Lucifer.
Especially the New Testament refers to Lucifer's originally positive role as herald of the
new day and offers a connection to Jesus, which fits very well to the theory of Jesus
as sun god.
Like this passage shows the ancient image of Lucifer as herald of a new day, which starts
with Jesus.
But in spite of everything the dogmatic perception of the Church fathers preferred to focus on
the image of the fallen star Lucifer.
Apparently, mainly motivated and based on a satirical song, which compares the Babylonian
King – the enemy of the people of Israel – with Lucifer.
However it seems to be more about the megalomania of the King, who in his arrogance wanted to
be like the Morning Star in all its grandeur.
The Early Church Fathers then connected this satirical song of the Old Testament with a
passage of the New Testament, where Jesus says
"I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
Afterwards the Church Fathers promoted and established their own interpretation of Lucifer
in their works.
This weird reading of the bible and especially this strange view of Lucifer,
which reverses his meaning, as light bringer and sign of hope,
– into its opposite; exemplify maybe at its best the perversion
of the primal myths by a dogmatic transfer into a newer religious
cult.
Also because on the one hand, even the Roman Catholic bible
in its canonically selected form inherits primal elements of the ancient myths and shows
Lucifer as sign of hope.
Whereas on the other side the focus upon the image of the devilish fallen star ignores
the own holy writ.
But if we come back now to Goethe's Faust, and the image of the devil in there;
it's maybe possible to appreciate Mephisto's role at an additional level beyond the Christian
imagination of the incarnation of the absolutely evil.
Remembering that immediately the introduction of Doctor Faust has started and established
the figuratively correlation between Faust and Jesus.
As the first scene of Doctor Faust has shown the Doctor's death experience by poison and
his revival equated with the resurrection of Jesus.
And Jesus, in Goethe's perception alike the Freemasons or other circles of mysteries enthusiasts,
was a manifestation of the sun in the tradition of sun gods like Apollo.
And maybe like the divine creatures of the sea, with horns and tridents, helped the sun
god to reach the light; and not to forget the roles of the night and
the moon as mother and midwife; Mephisto, who is related to horns and trident
as devil and to the darkness of mother night likewise
the moon, carries Faust to the light
by being the companion and leader at Faust's journey through the both parts of the tragedy;
that ends with Faust's resurgence in heaven, where he comes close to the epiphany of the
Mater Gloriosa; that is at last the greatest symbol of knowledge and verity.
The Mater Gloriosa is THE personification and manifestation of everything.
She keeps the mysteries of life under her veil.
And ye, don't forget the convergence of horns and the crescent moon in the Egyptian imagination
about the path of the sun.
And according to the Roman imagination, Mephisto carries Faust – like Lucifer is
the carrior of the sun, And even one can see, Mephisto provides the
horses, or is the outrider.
And remembering that the Mater gloriosa and the eternal feminine incarnate and veil the
mysteries of life; one can say, that Mephisto brings Faust already
in Part One to Gretchen, who is also a representation of femininity.
Later, in the end of Part Two, as Faust meets Gretchen in heaven again;
Gretchen wishes to instruct Faust and asks the Mater gloriosa for permission.
And in Part Two, Mephisto brings Faust to Helen;
not less a representation of femininity and furthermore Helen appears godlike.
In the middle of act three, – this act is also called Helen-Act and
it is also the centre of the whole Second Part of Goethe's Faust –
at this central point is placed the sexual union of Doctor Faust and Helen.
It is this point in the Faustian poetry, where Faust for the first time is able to acquire
a taste for the MOMENT; the moment, which is so much fraught with
meaning in this story.
Remember Faust's pact with the devil at the beginning of Part One,
by which Mephisto do Faust's bidding on earth, and Faust will do the same for him in hell
if, as Faust adds in the important side clause, Mephisto can get him to be satisfied and to
want a MOMENT to last forever.
But the moment while Faust unites with Helen is very impressive.
The mortal Faust penetrates into the immortal Helen of the Greek mythology.
The masculine advances into the inscrutable feminine.
This union shakes both worlds; as one can see how Faust do NOT want to seek
something or think about something like fate.
In contrast to that, even the Duden, a German dictionary, defines "Faustian", the adjective
form of Faust, as
ALWAYS striving and searching for new knowledge and experience; aspiring for more and more
as well as deeper and deeper insights and understandings and NEVER being satisfied.
But towards all, in the union of Faust and Helen, the Faustian Being, the masculine Being,
finds rest by and in the feminine Being.
The union of manhood and womanhood also appears in Goethe's "Römische Elegien" as THE mystery
of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
According to that, the centre of the Eleusinian mysteries is, that
the goddess Demeter granted Jason, who was a hero and king of the Cretans, her immortal
body and withal her wonderful concealment and hiddenness of her godlike body.
As said, in relation to, in the centre of the second part of Goethe's Faust is the union
of the hero Faust and the immortal and godlike
Helen.
It's a very interesting text passage and it would be very insightful to analyse it more,
but at this point, I very much fear, that we would wander off the subject, which was
the character of Mephisto.
Here it's enough to have shown and explained, that Mephisto leads Faust to the femininity,
and that this femininity has central and even essential importance for the mysteries.
And that especially Helen represents in an exemplary manner the classical concept of
mysteries; like its shown in the comparison of
Faust's union with Helen and Jason's union with Demeter.
But one must remember, that despite all, it's Mephisto, who leads Faust to Helen and makes
the union possible for him.
Besides Gretchen, Helen and the Mater Gloriosa; the "realm of the mothers" is another important
epitome of femininity.
And of course it's Mephisto again, who leads Faust to the realm of mothers and delivers
him the key; the key, that allows Faust to enter the realm
and helps him to find the mothers.
But let's have a closer look at the dialogue of Faust and Mephisto, before the entering.
Indeed striking words are spoken there.
Faust calls Mephisto a mystagogue; and that way Faust evokes the image of a Mystery
Cult; in which Faust himself is the pupil, also
called neophyte; and Mephisto is the teacher, also called mystagogue,
the person, who tries to introduce, to consecrate and to initiate his pupil into The Mysteries.
Besides Faust shows a play of contrasts, as he is saying:
"And in thy Nought I hope 'the All to find."
Maybe this reminds of the similar imagination of
finding the light or the sun, in the darkness of the night.
Then in this dialogue, Mephisto declares, that Faust knows the devil.
And following the dialogue, one can see, what this means.
Mephisto motivates and encourages Faust to transcend his familiar boundaries.
Thus Faust faces his scare and concludes: "A shudder is the best part of humanity."
Shortly after, Faust sinks down into the earth, into the realm of the mothers.
So the realm of the mothers appears also as an epitome of death;
likewise the death of the sun is imagined as sinking into the earth,
or Jesus' Death is called Descent into Hell, "he descended to the dead" or "he descended
into the deepest depth".
Or maybe even ordinary people's death is connected with entering the earth, like some German
idioms show.
Anyway, Faust has here an experience of shudder and death;
like it's established and described in the ancient texts about the great mysteries.
Plutarch was an initiated priest of the Apollonian temple of Delphi.
He knew what he is talking about as he described the way of knowledge and initiation:
Here on earth the soul is without knowledge except at the moment of death.
Then it suffers an experience similar to those who celebrate the Greater Mysteries.
For this reason both the word 'to die' and the action which it denotes are the same as
the word 'to be initiated' and the action denoted.
The first stage is wandering astray, tiresome walking in circles, some frightening paths
in darkness that lead nowhere.
Then, immediately, before the end, one is seized by every kind of terror, all is horror,
shudder, trembling, sweat and amazement.
At the end, however, a wonderful divine light comes to meet you; pure regions and blossoming
meadows are there to greet you with sounds and dances and solemn sacred words and holy
views.
And there, the initiate, perfect by now, set free and loose from all bondage, walks about,
crowned with a wreath, celebrating the festival together with the other sacred and pure people.
Well, now, maybe just remember Faust's situation at the begin of the story as he is sitting
in his dark study chamber at night; and especially remember his first and famous
words:
"Ah!
Now I've done Philosophy, I've finished Law and Medicine,
And sadly even Theology: Taken fierce pains, from end to end.
Now here I am, a fool for sure!
No wiser than I was before."
But while Faust is tiresome walking in circles in the darkness of the night
on his desperate search for true knowledge soon Mephisto appears
and shortly after, Mephisto is speaking (inter alia) this interesting words:
"I say to you that scholarly fellows Are like the cattle on an arid heath:
Some evil spirit leads them round in circles, While sweet green meadows lie beneath."
On this follows Faust's question:
"How shall we begin then?"
Shortly afterwards, Faust takes seat on Mephisto's widespread cloak, on which they both fly into
the sky.
– And Faust's journey under the guidance of Mephisto begins.
As this video wanted to show, one can consider this journey as
a path of initiation like it's known from the ancient mystery cults.
Faust wants to find true knowledge like a neophyte.
And Mephisto takes the role of a mystagogue, who leads his pupil Faust and tries to initiate
him to the great mysteries, the true knowledge.
Mephisto leads Faust to shudder and death experiences.
In this way Mephisto follows the descriptions of the ancient texts about the initiation
of the great mysteries.
Even Faust's experiences with the femininity are caused by Mephisto and this just as well
corresponds to the imaginations of the ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek mystery cults.
Maybe just Mephisto's direct words before starting the air journey,
"My friend, just give yourself completely to it:
When you find yourself, you'll soon know how to live it.",
allows one to see a reference to the Apollonian wisdom:
– "know thyself" –
There are much more points of reference, which allows to interpret and to understand the
Faustian poetry as a portrayal of the cultic path of initiation.
In any case, it's possible to search and find additional references, which wasn`t find or
just able to show in this not even really short video.
I hope, it was able to motivate one, to approach to the Faustian poetry with a new view, or
just have given some food for thought.
And especially I hope, it was able to show a new – or at least – a closer view of
Mephisto.
Mephisto has a very ambivalent role like he is primarily a part of the sphere of night
and darkness.
And in the imaginations of the ancient cults the night takes away life,
but on the other hand the night also gives birth and the night is the mother of the life
and the light.
Like the cultish imagination of the path of the sun established,
that the darkish night bears the sun in the morning,
then devours the sun at eve, just to bear the sun again the next morning.
But even if we would find all such cultish aspects of Mephisto,
all those imaginations wouldn't be able to describe him complete.
As the cultish mysteries convey the idea of a supplement, a harmony, ye a productive interaction
between alleged incompatible contrasts: Just remembering the Egyptian barque of the
sun, which shows the crescent moon carrying the sun;
or remembering the birth of the sun and light god Apollo, who was born in the darkish earth
and vegetation of Delos by his mother Leto, also so called the hidden one or even the
night; – and not to forget, his sister Artemis as midwife and Goddess of the Moon.
And ye, here is so remarkable eye-catching the similar image in the story of Horus, the
Egyptian god of the sun and the sky, who finds with his mother refuge in the darkish undergrowth
and is enclosed in the darkness of the lotus.
Well, mentioning this and other images about the combination of apparently incompatible
contrasts in the ancient myths; I want to refer that even Goethe declared,
that he wrote the Faustian poetry,
"that the impassioned dispute between classicists and romantics should finally be reconciled."
Goethe uses here the German word "Zwiespalt", that means more a dichotomy or contrast between
the classicists and the romantics.
At the end of this quotation, Goethe talks about the appreciation of everything, of the
oldest and the newest.
What Goethe here explicit states for the dichotomy between the arts of the classicists and romantics;
can potentially transferred to other conflicts like the religious and spiritual dispute.
So we can assume for Mephisto, that not only the old images of the ancient mystery cults
construct him, but also the new Christian imaginations completes
the Mephisto of the Faustian poetry.
Likewise Goethe adored the sun and also respected Jesus as the truth and revelation in Christian
guise.
So, in many respects, Mephisto appears as an extremely ambivalent character.
But, in any case, he is not only limited to the Christian role of an incarnation of the
absolutely evil.
Remembering Goethe`s comparison of his Faustian poetry and the "Magic Flute",
it seems, that the transfer of Goethe`s message,
"that we can learn to appreciate everything in its true physical and aesthetic value,
both what is oldest and what is newest",
is desired and fits very well to transfer
this message about harmony, toleration and even conflation of contrasts
to other discords; like the big conflict in Goethe`s time
between the NEW values of the enlightenment along with the American and French revolutions,
––– and on the other side, the Ancien Régime along with its OLD monarchic, aristocratic,
social and political system and religious ideas.
It`s possible to see this conflict discussed in the "Magic Flute" and its battle between
the monarchic Queen of the Night and the enlightened circle of brothers.
But against the play of colors, which seem to show the battle between black and white,
between evil and good; Against this easy stereotype thinking; Both
realms have bad sides to refuse; And good sides to respect.
So respecting both sides, maybe would have the biggest potential, the most knowledge
for a better future.
In our culture, we are accustomed to think too fast in black and white thinking.
So maybe don't fear the night too much, but also don't trust the light too much.
The strange, the foreign, the unknown dark, the night offer new knowledge.
To refuse the opposing side absolutely or even to try to annihilate it absolutely,
will also destroy knowledge and the chance to approach to the omniscience, or the true
knowledge.
Well, "nothing in excess",
shall also apply to me.
I hope, some impulses, motivations or at least some productive irritations
have been started by watching this video.
Bye for now.
Keep thinking.
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