Then and now

The Harz Mountains.
North Germany.
14. November 2015
21. Century

The Harz Mountain is a cuddly forest. Long time ago, in the 18. Century the Brother Grimm’s were inspired by exactly those mountains for writing their fairy-tales.
“Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Snow White”.

Brocken,
… a little mountain which caries plenty of the mythological, historical, meteorological and other stories. If you find yourself on this 1.141m high Summit when the sun is low, you will experience yourself as a huge shadow as a game of light and little watery foggy particles. Brockengespenst-und-Glorie_TdT_2014-10-03 This natural phenomena in German is called “Brockengespenst”, well, it means Brocken Ghost and it has been very scary for people of the 18. Century in a Brother Grimm’s Land which is situated in the vicinity of the Harz Mountains.

I have not seen neither my 3D giant me, A,  or the B variation. The C we all know and like, and I wish that the Sea is and will not be a fairy-tale with a sad ending for the whole humanity, today and tomorrow.

But let’s walk some steps down the Brocken Summit, to the paths which many people walked on and one of them was Goethe, in 1777.

Some impressions from the path from a little town Schierke up to the Summit…

 

Faust and Mephisto, the two characters from the Goethe’s story about Faust, were also climbing the Brocken to take part in a party called Walpurgis Night. Faust is a smart fellow who read many books but can’t find the meaning of life and Mephisto doesn’t like life so much.

Faust 1 route

“Devil’s Steps”

Walpurga was a catholic saint and Walpurgis Night is a Witches’ night which was celebrated on the night between 30. April and 1. May in several countries of Northern and Central Europe.
It is the night when witches from all over the World meet on the Brocken Summit where they make sum of the acts they did in past and make plans for the future, just like some people today meet to make plan for the future of our society, our freedom, our rights.

The “Devil’s Steps” are snaky and mossy and kind of mystical.
You need anti-slip-boots, thats all. Ok, and loads of belief and positive thoughts too. If you search for the meaning of life, it is good to mix time and good will and pass by this path.

Somewhere around this place, walking the path Faust felt the spring all over and Mephisto felt only cold.

Me myself I enjoyed the mossy, mystical path. It is a really wonderful forest. I try to do my best. Whatsoever.

Harz         Harz

Brocken SummitThe vegetation stops right under the summit. The extreme weather condition will give you a feeling that you are standing on a over 2.000m high mountain or in some place on Island.

It is extremely windy high up, the peak stands alone in an open space and the messages coming from its isolation are not to be underestimated at all. You never know what the giants intend, especially the isolated ones.

300 foggy days per year.

 

A sweet steam train’s sound is merging with the extreme weather conditions…

Steamy      Steamy

Each moment is different up there and while taking those couple of photos without gloves my fingers were almost frozen. I could not stop thinking of the climbers, the mountains and the recently seen movie  “Everest”, about people who are paying 65.000$ more or less and torture themsleves very often to death… on this planet, our planet, here and now, when every 15 seconds a child dies of hunger. Right HERE and right NOW.
Mister Ego… the dark one, which lives only for himself and for himself only. A worshiped hungry creator of the fog which kills human hearts, the most valuable thing in the Universe.
The good thing is that the mirror (read: the Ego) has always two sides. One is dark and the other is light. The light one is able to notice a illusion. This is the road which guides somewhere.

 

Brocken Summit, 14. November 2015. Temperature -1,9C, wind is blowing 67,0 km/h

On my visit the Brocken, on November 14Th, 21. Century, where the human brain is the most developed thing on the Earth, I was also thinking of the issue of the Faust’s story. A man, as a unique creature with his dubble existence, his limited mind and unlimited soul, his frustrated passion and noble optimism, and the merging of all this with the Universe.

 

 

18. Century?
No. 21. Century, why?
Goethe, then and now…

“Hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture.”

***

Brocken

***

“What lies beyond doesn’t worry me.
Suppose you break this world to bits, another may arise.
My joy springs from this earth,
this sun shines on my sorrows.
When I leave here, let come what must.
What do I care about it now, if hereafter
men hate or love, or if in those other spheres
there be an Above or a Below?”
Faust, Part I

***

          “Those who hope for no other life are dead even for this.”          

         ***         

Brocken    

“I love those who yearn for the impossible.”

Goethe, Faust 

***

Good night.

Good morning.

Good luck.

***

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