Earthly paradise
In Christianity there is the idea of two paradises: on the one hand the future heavenly Jerusalem according to the book of the Apocalypse, on the other hand the garden of Eden on earth, in which Adam and Eve were created by God, according to the book of Genesis.
Properties of the earthly paradise
The earthly paradise is the Garden of Eden described in Genesis . Although it is localized on earth, it promises eternal life in addition to sensual pleasures and treasures, whereby the restriction applies that eternal life is limited to staying in the garden. Isidore of Seville describes paradise as a garden with trees of all kinds, including the tree of life . There is no cold or heat there, just a temperate climate. A spring rises in the middle and divides into four rivers. The garden is surrounded by a ring of flames and is guarded by a cherub . The earthly paradise is described in almost all sources as inaccessible, the Navigatio Sancti Brendani is an exception . Nevertheless, the search for it was a popular topic, as the various sources show. Jean de Mandeville writes surprisingly honestly that he was not there himself. Then he lists some information from other sources. The search for earthly paradise is always portrayed as exhausting and dangerous.
Location of the earthly paradise
Most of the topographical information in medieval texts or maps is based on the biblical model. Some deviate from it or go beyond it. Until the end of the Middle Ages , it was generally assumed to be in the east of Asia, in line with what the Bible said. The idea is that it is where the Wonder Nations are, more precisely on the edge of ecumenism . It can or must therefore be postponed as research progresses, since it could of course not be found despite multiple searches. With the beginning of the voyages of discovery at the end of the Middle Ages or at the beginning of the early modern period , this happened, even though on these journeys the idea was repeatedly present that paradise might have been found in the newly discovered areas on the equator. Regardless of its geographic location, the earthly paradise was on a higher mountain or surrounded by a wall of mountains, water or fire. It could also be imagined as floating above the earth or as an island.
Attempts were also made to localize Paradise by comparing the four Paradise Rivers with real rivers. Unfortunately, there was no place where the four great rivers come together according to the description of Genesis. However, it was known that some real rivers flow underground and that their place of exit is therefore not identical with the source. From this, among others, Augustine of Hippo concluded that the Paradise Rivers flow underground for parts and then continue to run at the earthly sources of the geographic rivers under their names. So you had z. B. has not yet found the source of the Nile and was able to easily integrate the idea of the Nile as a continuation of one of the rivers of Paradise into the debate. Which paradise river was equated with which real river varies. The Septuagint identifies the Geon as the Nile, since by Cush one understood the upper Nile valley south of Egypt. Likewise, the equation after the master from the Lucidarius reads : Nil = Gehon; Ganges = Phison; Tigris = Tigris; Euphrates = Euphrates.
The earthly paradise in the kingdom of the Priest-King
It is not surprising that paradise is a central motif of the letter of the Priest-King John . The letter was supposed to rekindle the enthusiasm for the crusade and the hope for help from a new Christian ally and to denounce the conditions in Europe at the time of Barbarossa . He combines the longing for paradisiacal conditions with a political utopia . The land of the Priest-King lies in the east and thus near Paradise, so that, according to the ideas of the time, it inevitably had to approach it.
The earthly paradise in art
The representation of inaccessibility was particularly important and just as difficult for medieval cartographers. The literature has much more diverse possibilities here. So you could z. B. not clearly paint the smoke screen mentioned by Brendan. So you drew walls of fire, mountains and walls or used the representation as an island. You can usually only see a thin, winding line around paradise, which z. B. red (fire) or light brown (mountains). The representation of paradise in the Ebstorf world map was probably taken from a Beatus map by Spanish cartographers. It is not known exactly what color the partition was, since the card is only available in a black and white photograph. It is now assumed that the dividing line was light brown, meaning mountains.
Islam
The Islam does not know the idea of earthly paradise. However, a Sufi saint in Shergarh , south of Lahore , tore up his garden so that his followers would not mistake it for paradise.
Hinduism
Vishnu's aspect as resting on the world serpent shesha or ananta , d. H. dreaming or meditating god vaikuntha is often interpreted as a representation of an original paradise that lies before the actual creation. This is located on the slopes of Mount Meru and consists only of gold and precious stones; the river ganga flows right through it.
Some of his followers associate similar ideas with Krishna's place of residence goloka ('cow world').
literature
- Klaus H. Börner : In search of the earthly paradise. On the iconography of geographic utopia. Frankfurt 1984
- J. Engemann: Paradise. In: Lexikon des Mittelalters , Volume 6, 2000, Col. 1697–1699
- A. Graf: Miti e leggende e superstizioni del Medio evo. Torini 1925
- RR Grimm: Paradisus Coelestis Paradisus Terrestris. On the history of interpretation in the West up to around 1200. Munich 1977
- Heinrich Krauss: Paradise. A little cultural history. Munich 2004.
Web links
- John Mandeville: Travels. (Chapter XXXIII)
- Marcello Garzaniti: The Image of the World and the Search for Earthly Paradise in the Rus'.
- Anzulewicz: perspective and spatial conception . 2. Human places of residence - paradisus and mundus.
Individual evidence
- ^ Klaus H. Börner: In search of the earthly paradise. On the iconography of geographic utopia. Frankfurt 1984
- ↑ Travels (Chapter XXXIII) online z. B. under: Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Heinrich Krauss: The paradise. A little cultural history. Munich 2004, p. 87.
- ^ Heinrich Krauss: The paradise. A little cultural history. Munich 2004, p. 88.
- ^ Heinrich Krauss: The paradise. A little cultural history. Munich 2004, pp. 87f.
- ↑ Jürgen Wilke: The Ebstorfer world map. 1. Text volume. Bielefeld 2001.
- ↑ James L. Wescoat Jr. 1995. From the gardens of the Qur'an to the "gardens" of Lahore. Landscape Research 20/1, 24
- ↑ Veronica Ions: Indian Mythology. Hamlyn Publishing, Rushden 1988, ISBN 0-600-34285-9 , p. 46.
- ↑ Goloka . In: Monier Monier-Williams : Sanskrit-English Dictionary . Clarendon Press, Oxford 1899, p. 366, col. 3 .
