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 The
Vessel of Abundance |
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Looking up to the arch (ceiling) of the gate leading to the
old (upper) city I suddenly saw a beautiful round mask: a true Green Man.... |
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The Green Man
The Gate to Ancona! |
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 In
the horizontal line another Green Man |
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 At
the end: flowers, symbol of abundance |
On the same gate three more Green Men. Their distorted
faces indicate that they didn't have a good time.... |
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 The
basilica of Ancona |
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 The
frontside |
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 The
backside |
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At the frontside two lions |
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 The
lions from the side |
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Typically, these lions symbolize the "one true
Church" destroying its (pagan, "heretical") enemies. Everyone who did not
submit to the Church was (is) an enemy.....Hence, very big claws are needed to wipe them
out. Ancona must have been the center of much Catholic intolerance e.g. hatred toward
"non-believers"! |
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And then the surprise. In the portal several VERY beautiful
and old Green Men and Green (Wise) Women (Goddesses). The Church used them as "war
rewards", making clear to every follower, that the former is victorious ("at all
times"). The Church and its enemies: they are two sides of the same coin. Christian
faith, despite all talk about "tolerance and reconciliation" is therefore a
permanent state of war. |
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On top a very clear developed Green Man. While the Church
abused Green Man as deterrant, the people had an opposite view. The latter considered
Green Men as their hero's who were never forgotten. |
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A Green Beast: the predecessor of the Green Man.
Originally, men identified themselves with their hunting animals. Both belonged to the
MotherGoddess, though. "The Lady and Her Beasts". Beasts and men were
interchangeable. The Templars introduced many hundreds of Green Beasts to the churches of
Western Europe. LINK: Eunate and many
others. |
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 Green Man |
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 Four
Green Women |
Green Women are a rarity in churches LINK:
Ulm. In Ancona they are particularly fine and elegant. All in all one can
say, that pre-Christian belief was able to hold out here for a considerable amount of
time. In part 2 a very rich decorated house (Chamber of Commerce) can be admired, where
once again Green Men and Women (Goddesses) are represented. Ancona therefore deserves a
special status as "Green Man/Woman City!" |
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 Green
Man |
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 Green
Man |
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What follows is a whole series of "man connected to
nature". Today we would give this a (very) positive connotation. Not in those times.
Here the meaning is: man ruled by its lowest (natural) instincts. Such people were
dangerous. Especially women could be allies of the devil. Nature and devil were synonymus.
Both represented sin, desire, sex, lust and greed. Not surprisingly thus, that these and
similar images (unfortunately) abound in the portals of Gothic churches. It simultaneously
makes clear that a church that demonized nature for 2000 years, cannot suddenly become the
"champion" of saving nature. |
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The notion of a sinful world in Christianity is comparable
to the Buddhist "samsara". Neither can save a world that is in deep need for
true connectedness with nature..... |
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