 Like a
Shrine: Green Men and Wise Women on the frontside of the famous "Hostal de los
Reyes" |
But there was still a lot
more. Some 38 extraordinary beautiful sculptures of both Green Men as well as Wise
Women.....along the entire frontside of the hotel...
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THE OTHER
SANTIAGO
One of the most beautiful places on the
Camino: the "Hostal de los Reyes" in Santiago. Never before I saw Green Men and
Wise Women to such an extent in balance with each other. Our Tradition thus knows
full-emancipation from early on. Wonder, wonderful. One senses the love with which the
statues have been made. A proof for the fact that the Original Tradition has been alive
until this very day. Initiated by a King! Like in LINK: Paris, Versailles, León
and many other places |
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SOME RESPONSES OF
PILGRIMS
"These Green Men and Wise Women in
Santiago are like Western Bodhisattva's. I have never enough of these faces. So Divine!
they are...."
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| When I was in Santiago, I have
(unnoticed by others) prostrated myself in utter surrender before every statue. Every time
a great joy entered my heart, something I didn't experience before NB. If you also want to do this, do this in such a
way that the guests of the hotel will not be hindered! |
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Through the Green Men and Wise
Women Way and Goal have once again become a Unity for me. I constantly sense the meaning
of why I am walking the Camino |
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Since I know about Green
Man and Wise Women I meet much more interesting fellow pilgrims i.e. I have much deeper
talks with them
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| To discover new Green Men and
Wise Women is real fun. That's why I stay longer in places. Once found I stay with them
for a while in a contemplative way. Because of that the Camino gained in quality a lot. It
is not a Rat Race anymore like it was last time |
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We both are very, very
grateful to Han Marie Stiekema. He has saved the Camino from becoming a kitsch event |
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WORLD VS CHURCH
Countless places (LINK:
Mainz, Konstanz, Hildesheim, Hannover, Bremen, Halle, Soest, Le Mans, Rouen usw) show the same
pattern. Public or private houses opposite to the church, that show in a unmistaken way
Green Men and Wise Women. Undoubtedly that they want to confront the Church i.e.
demonstrate their sympathy for the old religion i.e. the superiority of the latter. Thus
the Original Tradition never disappeared. Like here in Santiago: Foliate heads in front of
a public building with their faces turned toward the Cathedral. The Green Men don't seem
to be too friendly to the Church... |
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Even a bischop's heraldy on the building.
Exceptions prove the rule. Or the masks have been made at a later time, when the building
turned from a seminary to the worldly authorities. I enquired and this seem to be exactly
the case... |
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 What strikes here is that the Green Men
venerate the Cosmic Mother as the Ultimate..... LINK: Versailles |
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 For they all have the Mother Scallop
(and not the Santiago Scallop) as a Halo behind their heads |
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It is a provocation of the first order.... |
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 No shy
boys, these Green Men! |
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