Nexus - 0606 - New Times Magazine-pages

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secution that the Renaissance movement was born—an era of Puck is described as a "sprite", and in traditional English wood |: was against the backdrop of this religious fanaticism and per- In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the character rebirth and resurrection, facilitated by an environment of lore Puck is identified with a certain Robin Goodfellow who was democratic free-thinking. This era (with its height in the early said to be a "goblin". His father was Herne the Hunter. Hence, 1500s) was the age when Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Oberon and Herne are one and the same. The name Oberon (a Michelangelo developed the harmony of classical art to its highest variant of Albrey the Elf King, as we have seen) is itself a deriva- form. And it was the age in which the excitement of pagan- tive of the Scythian Oupire (meaning "over") and Ron (meaning oriented scholarship re-emerged in a burst of colour to cross new "reign"). Oberon, therefore, means "Over Reign", which is the frontiers of science, architecture and design. same as High King or Pendragon. During the course of this, in 1614 and 1615, two tracts, entitled The description of "goblin" stems immediately from the The Rosicrucian Manifestos , emerged from Germany. These Germanic word kobelin, and the kobelins were said to be mine- were immediately followed by an associated romance called The workers or those who worked underground. In the context of the Chemical Wedding, written by the Lutheran pastor Johann Ring culture, goblins were, in essence, attendants of the Oupire Valentin Andreae. The publications announced a new Age of Portal Guardians of the Rath—the mound-dwellings of the Tepes Enlightenment and Hermetic liberation in which certain universal gateways to the ancestral Netherworld—and they were just as secrets would be unlocked and made known. human as the Oupires themselves. In view of the advent of Britain's scientific Royal Society and Gnomes, like Goblins, were said to be the guardians of the the inspired work of Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, underground treasures—which is why the word is today associat- Edmund Halley, Christopher Wren and others a few decades later, ed with banking, as in the so-called "Gnomes of Zurich". The the prophecies were correct enough but, at the word root is in the Greek equivalent of gno-, time, they were veiled in allegory and appeared from which we get "gnosis" and "gnoble" to convey an even more pertinent message. ("noble"). The Gnomes were therefore, once The writings centred upon the travels and One of the most again, of the noble race and were referred to as earning of a mysterious character named surprising things "the Wise Ones". Their job was indeed one of Christian Rosenkreutz, a Brother of the Ros . uardianship: they were guardians of the gnosis Cross. His name was plainly designed to have about the Scythian (the Knowledge) and the Sacred Bloodline of the Rosicrucian significance, and he was depicted Ring Lords 1s that Albi-gens. It is by way of the noble (or gnomic) wearing the apparel of the Knights Templars. . distinction that the Fairy Race in general was The action of The Chemical Wedding takes their preserved referred to as the Gentry—particularly the lace in the magical Castle of the Bride and remains from Druidic caste of the Pict-sidhé (the Pixies) who were the ultimate custodians of law and cul- ture. Their female counterparts were the Behn-sidhé (the Banshee), which, in old Irish, simply means "the Wise Women". In life, when presented with a seemingly unsurmountable problem, one can either submit to the stress and pressure that it causes or, alternatively, one can mentally diminish the problem. That does not mean that it goes away, but it can appear less Bridegroom—a palace filled with lion effi- gies, where the courtiers are students of Plato. In a setting worthy of any Grail romance, the Virgin Lamplighter arranges for all present to be weighed on the scales, while a clock tells the motions of the heav- ens and the Golden Fleece is presented to the guests. Music from strings and trumpets is played throughout, and all is cloaked in an atmosphere of chivalry, while Knights in Holy Orders preside. harassing and more controllable. Well, that Beneath the castle stands a mysterious was precisely what the Church did with the sepulchre bearing strange inscriptions, and outside in the harbour Dragon succession—the Ring Lords of the Albi-gens, the Sacred are twelve ships of the Golden Stone, flying their individual flags Bloodline of the Holy Grail. By way of redefining all the original thousands of years ago show their bodies substantially tattooed with ring- tailed lemurs. of the Zodiac. Amid this curious reception, a fantasy play is con- names—Fairies, Elves, Pixies, Gnomes, Goblins, Sprites, or what- ducted to tell the compelling story of an unnamed princess who, ever—they diminished the problem by miniaturising the nominal cast ashore in a wooden chest, is discovered by a prince, whom significance. In so doing, the transcendental race of the Sidhé she marries, thereby causing a usurped royal heritage to be was portrayed as minute little figures and moved into the realm of restored. mythology. The fraudulent Donation of Constantine was then This is another Lost Bride fairy story of the type we have brought into play and, henceforth, only the Church could deter- already seen. But, when combined with the two earlier publica- mine who was and was not a king! tions, The Chemical Wedding's Grail significance was blatantly If this strategy did not work sufficiently on its own, as was obvious, and the Church wasted no time in bringing the full indeed the case in the Renaissance (a period of a more general weight of its condemnation against the Rosicrucian movement. awareness and enlightenment), then part two of the plan was brought into operation. This was more specifically targeted at the aving considered the historical Fairies, Pixies and Elves, key members of the Messianic strain: the ultimate Dragon suc- H: can now take a look at some others of the so-called cession of the Albi-gens—the dynastic Kings and Queens of the Shining Ones: the Sprites, Goblins and Gnomes. Sangréal and their senior Oupires. These people were real, and The definition of "sprite" is no more nor less than a "spirit per- everyone knew that, so they could not be confined to the superfi- son'"—one of the transcendental realm of the Sidhé. The original cial realm of fantasy. They could, however, be portrayed as if Sprites were the ancient Scythian ghost warriors who painted their (being of the Dragon blood) they were of a weird, half-human a aa. janl lila vad tha hattla —EEEE— SSS surprising things about the Scythian Ring Lords is that their preserved remains from tailed lemurs. — we can now take a look at some others of the so-called Shining Ones: the Sprites, Goblins and Gnomes. The definition of "sprite" is no more nor less than a "spirit per- son'"—one of the transcendental realm of the Sidhé. The original Sprites were the ancient Scythian ghost warriors who painted their bodies grey-blue to look like corpses when they entered the battle- field. | | aving considered the historical Fairies, Pixies and Elves, 48 - NEXUS One of the most tattooed with ring- Continued on page 87 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 1999