Hellenic Mythical References to the Music of DEAD CAN DANCE

 

Some of the references to the myths of the Hellenic antiquity to the music of this legendary band

"Persephone (The Gathering of Flowers)" taken from : Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (1993)

"The Garden of Zephirus" taken from : Aion (1990)

"Ariadne" taken from : Into The Labyrinth (1993)

Adieu Chevalier

There is no solitude greater than that of the samurai unless it be that of a tiger in the jungle... perhaps...

Book of Bushido

Words of Fire

 

9th of August BC, Pharsalus Hellas

GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR pre-battle speech to:

the VI legion (later called Ferrata) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the VII legion (later called Claudia Pia Fidelis) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the VIII legion (later called Augusta) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the IX legion (later called Hispania) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the X legion (Equestris, later called Gemina) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the XI legion (later called Paterna and Claudia Pia Fidelis, the same title as the seventh) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the XII legion (later called Fulminata) veterans of his Gallic Wars

the XIII legion (later also called Gemina, the 'twin' to the tenth) veterans of his Gallic Wars

"My friends, we have already overcome our most formidable enemies, and are now about to encounter not hunger and want, but men. This day will decide everything. Remember what you promised me at Dyrrhachium. Remember how you swore to each other in my presence that you would never leave the field except as conquerors. 

These men, fellow soldiers, are the same that we met at the Pillars of Hercules, the same that we drove out of Italy. They are the same who sought to disband us without honours, without a triumph, without rewards, after the toils and struggles of ten years, after we had finished those great wars, after innumerable victories, and after we had added 400 nations in Spain, Gaul, and Britain to our country's sway. 

I have not been able to prevail upon them by offering fair terms, nor to win them by benefits. You know that I dismissed them unharmed, hoping that we should obtain justice from them. Recall all these facts to your minds to-day, and if you have had any experience of mere call also my care for you, my good faith, and the generosity of my gifts to you. Nor is it difficult for hardy and veteran soldiers to overcome new recruits who are without experience in war, and who, moreover, like boys, spurn the rules of discipline and of obedience to their commander. 

I learned that he [Pompey] was afraid and unwilling to come to an engagement. His star has already passed its zenith; he has become slow and hesitating in all his acts, and no longer commands, but obeys the orders of others. I say these things of his Italian forces only. As for his allies, do not think about them, pay no attention to them, do not fight with them at all. They are Syrian, Phrygian, and Lydian slaves, always ready for flight or servitude. I know very well, and you will presently see, that Pompey himself will not assign them any place in his line of battle. Give your attention to the Italians only, even though these allies are running around you like dogs trying to frighten you. When you have put the enemy to flight let us spare the Italians as being our own kindred, but slaughter the allies in order to strike terror into the others. 

Before all else, in order that I might know that you are mindful of your promise to choose victory or death, throw down the walls of your camp as you go out to battle and fill up the ditch,so that we may have no place of refuge if we do not conquer, and so that the enemy may see that we have no camp and know that we are compelled to occupy theirs."

GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR

Notes on the "Culture" and "Civilization" of Hindus

 

"The Aryans in India were too late in establishing their colour-based caste system, so that today the culture of Hindoo is probably the most thoroughly repulsive on our planet. The more one learns about India, the more one wants to vomit. Aside from a few professional minds, the Indian people represent such an abyss of degeneracy that extirpation & fumigation would seem to be about the only way to make Hindoostan fit for decent people to inhabit"

Howard Phillip Lovecraft

Aristocratic Radicalism & Counter-Enlightenment Tunes

 

"Travel is a good thing; it stimulates the imagination. Everything else is

a snare and a delusion. Our own Journey is entirely imaginative. Therein lies its strength.

It leads from life to death. Men, beasts, cities, everything in it is imaginary. Its a novel, only a made-up story. The dictionary say so and it's never wrong.

Besides, everyone can go and do likewise. Shut your eyes, that's all that is necessary.

There you have life seen from the other side."

Louis-Ferdinand Céline

Beethoven's Hellenic Awakening

 

THE COMPOSERS

The Ruins of Athens (Die Ruinen von Athen) written in 1811 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The music was written to accompany the play of the same name by August von Kotzebue, for the dedication of the new Deutsches Theater Pest [de] in Pest, Hungary.

THE CONCEPT

The goddess Athena, awakening from a thousand year sleep (No. 2), overhears a Greek couple lamenting foreign occupation (Duet, No. 3). She is deeply distressed at the ruined state of her city, a part of the Ottoman Empire (Nos. 4 & 5). Led by the herald Hermes, Athena joins Emperor Franz I at the opening of the theatre in Pest, where they assist at a triumph of the muses Thalia and Melpomene. Between their two busts, Zeus erects another of Franz, and Athena crowns it. The Festspiel ends with a chorus pledging renewed ancient Hungarian loyalty

Source : Wikipedia

The Etruscan Gate

 

"Returning with the Captives" at the Etruscan Gate (4th Century BC); Volterra - Italy. 

Oil on Panel (1884) by Alexander Svedomsky (1848-1911).

Volterra is a village built on a hill between the Era and Cecina valleys. With its double walls, both Etruscan and from the 13th Century, it's a medieval-looking city, where you can still enjoy the atmosphere of a historic village.

Volterra (Veláthri), was one of the main city-states of ancient Etruria and during the Middle Ages, it was the seat of an important episcopal lordship. The village has been known for centuries for the manufacture of alabaster whose artefacts are some of the most important products of Italian craftsmanship. Alabaster is a soft stone, much easier to work than marble, which is far harder. This malleability makes it perfect for carving small sculptures and richly detailed ornamental motifs. Historically, alabaster was used to carve the human face.

More than 2000 years have passed since Etruscans first began carving alabaster, but it is still crafted today in the hilltop town of Volterra. Although it no longer represents a significant part of the local economy, it is nonetheless a fundamental part of the town’s culture. Only a few authentic workshops are left in the old town centre, but these artisans are not only carrying on this old craft; they are also making it popular again.

Porta all’Arco - this remarkable example of architectural abilities of the ancient inhabitants of Volterra has witnessed the city’s history throughout the millennia.

Porta all’Arco gate is one of main Etruscan architectural monuments in Volterra. The gate, opening on the South side of the walls, is characterised by an arch made out of ashlars and decorated by three heads made out of stone. One can immediately notice that it was built with different materials and techniques, which shows that it has been restructured throughout the centuries. The jambs are made out of big blocks of sandstone, locally called “Panchino”. The three heads and the arch are made out of two different types of stone: the blocks of the arch are “tufo di Pignano”, a calcareous rock extracted in a quarry not far from Volterra, whereas the heads are carved into selagite, a rock extracted in area of Montecatini Val di Cecina.

Not only does the gate have an unusual structure, but the meaning behind the three heads on the arch is unknown, which adds an element of mystery to the monument. The most reliable hypothesis is that the heads represent the gods protecting the city of Volterra. An urn in the Guarnacci Museum dating back to 1st Century BC portraying a siege includes an image of the gate with its three heads, which probably makes it the oldest representation that we have of the Porta all’Arco.

SOURCE : Archaeo - Histories