Variations upon a theme: Pelagius(es) versus the Moors

Pelayo of Asturias unifies sky and earth....

You will recall in our survey of Virgin Martyrs that their martyrdom often resulted from a refusal to marry what these young Christians would have considered heathens.  Saint Quiteria, Liberata, Saturnina, Pelagia....each one slain for their chastity before the pagans.

The Saintes Puelles were likewise martyred for refusing to bow before pagans.  Saint Sernin was murdered for his refusal to offer sacrifices at the pagan temples.  Defying the pagan authorities, the Puelles gathered his remains and gave him a Christian burial; for this they were beaten and exiled.  The abbé Rous makes much of the fact that the word "puelle" signifies "virgin".

This resistance of "puelles" to heathen approaches is also illustrated in the the tale of nunnery of Sant Pere de les Puel·les.  According to the legend, the nuns there were daughters of noble families who retreated to the convent to avoid arranged marriages.  One version has it that the puelles, the nuns, disfigured themselved in order to avoid being violated by Moorish invaders under Al-Mansur in 986 CE.

In this case then, the resistance is to Islam.  Certainly the diffusion of these tales not only recalls Chritianity's era of weakness and vulnerabilty under the Roman persecutions, but under the later Saracen occupation of the Iberian peninsula.  It would necessarily bring to mind the (then) more current struggles with the Muslims in the Holy Land.  (It would be interesting to see if their cults are undergoing a resurgance given the current climate of anxiety and hostility towards Islam in the face of terrorism, immigration etc.)

There is a whole genre of religious lore constructed around the crusades against the Moors in Spain.  Saint James appeared at one particularly pitched battle, leading the Christians to victory, thus earning him the epithet Santiago Matamoros (Moor-Slayer).  Notre Dame de Sabart, a Black Virgin, appeared to no less a personage as Charlemagne, preventing him from entering a death-trap set by his Muslim foes in the valley of Vicdessos.  La Virgen de Montserrat was hidden from the Moors at its current location for protection.

Let's cut over to Asturias.  The Moors had defeated the Wisigothic King Roderic in 711 at the Battle of Guadalete.  Subsequent Moorish conquest of the Iberian peninsula was both fast and thorough.  In the years following 711 a Wisigoth by the name of Pelayo came to lead the resistance.  Traditions states that in 722 Pelayo made his stand at Covadonga, where a hermit had hidden a statue of the Virgin (Our Lady of Covadonga) to protect it from the Moors, like at Montserrat.  Pelayo prayed in this cave for the help of the Virgin; in the battle that ensued, miraculous intercession is described.  The Christians were victorious and this event is cited as the beginning of the reconquista; indeed, the Kingdom of Asturias was able to maintain its autonomy for the duration of the Moorish occupation.

The first monastery and chapel at Covadonga date from the reign of King Alfonso I (739-757) and to this day the place remains an important destination for pilgrims.  What we find interesting is that in some legends associated with Pelayo, his uprising was sparked by the forced marriage of his sister to the Moorish governor Mununza:

Tradition has it that he fell in love with Pelayo's sister, Ormesinda, and that, together with Kazim, kidnapped and married her. The chronicle of Alfonsio III speaks of a "compulsory marriage", the failure of which compelled Pelayo into rebellion.

Historians speculate that this was a move on Pelayo's part to create an alliance with the new power structure and secure a preferential place among the defeated Wisigothic nobles.  Others, however, claim that Pelayo opposed the wedding and imply his armed resistance was a result of protecting his sister's virtue.  It would be useful to point out that Pelayo is the Spanish name; in English he is know as....Pelagius.  One cannot help but recall the many tales of fearless resistance to heathen advances by a young virgin named....Pelagia (please see our earlier post  for details).

Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga

The name Covadonga comes from Latin, Cova Dominica, or "Cavern of the Lady".  So this Pelagius starts the reconquest of Spain to protect a woman's virtue, winning a battle by successfully defending a place known as the lady's cavern.  Paging Dr. Freud....

The shrine sits in a cave perched above a sheer rock face from which water pours at different spots, forming a large pool at the base.  This impressive sight of living water pouring forth from the rock seems strikingly akin to a metaphor for the miracle of life itself, like the child emerging from the mother's womb.

Living Water

It also recalls Jesus as the Water of Life and brings the following verse to mind; John 19:34:

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Easy to see how this could be associated with childbirth, involving as it does water and blood.  This post-crucifixion/childbirth link is intriguing.  Jesus, after all, was about to be reborn.  His crucifixion, the sacrifice, expiates us from original sin and pain in childbirth is explicitly mentioned in the Bible as punishment for Adam and Eve's sin.  Jesus and the Virgin Mary were both paths to override this malediction.  It also strikes us that Pelayo's entrance and victorious emergence from the cave in a way echoes Jesus's own resurrection; the reborn Christ becoming a handy and inspirational metaphor for the eventual rebirth of Christian Spain.

This could be developed quite a bit but somehow we figure in some ways it's already been done, more nimbly by people much more clever than we.

Finally, we'd like to venture that yet another Pelayo, Pelagius of Cordova, represents a type of masculine Virgin Martyr.  The story here is that Pelagius (c. 912-926) was left with the Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III as a trade for another captive...a trade that never occurred.  After three years, he was offered his freedom on the condition he convert to Islam; his refusal led to his torture and susequent execution.

Yet some versions of this story aren't about his refusal to convert but his refusal to bend over.  The physical beauty of the boy and the homosexual desire of the Caliph is emphasized.  Details differ according to some versions, but in each, the boy refuses to submit, his chastity is preserved.

According to Wikipedia, "The cult of Saint Pelagius is thought to have provided spiritual energy for centuries to the Iberian Reconquista...."  This is certainly true of our Asturian Pelagius!  Pelagius of Cordova's feast day is on June 26, which doesn't necessarily correspond to those of our female Virgin Martyrs, but it is interesting that the major shrine of this Pelagius, despite the Andalusian setting of his tale, is to be found in Oviedo, capital of Asturias.  Asturias is a northern province just next to Galicia, origin of the Liberata/Quiteria cult....and where of Pelagius, instigator of the reconquest, first defeated the Moors....

Of course this tale demonizes the Moors and upholds Christian virtue, but at least one author thinks that on some levels it is a warning about same sex desire, a cautionary tale of sorts.

Whatever the sexual overtones of this story, it's not unsurprsing as a bit of propaganda that works on many levels.

Not having a snappy ending, we'll admit to not knowing where to go next and can only state our wish that you visitors, apparently numerous, would leave some comments and give your thoughts....

Wine, ass and song

Aparently, it's pretty good stuff, but wine from a chateau called the Lord of Ass may give you pause at the wine tasting....maybe Le Seigneur d'Arse is a long-lost member of  The Upper Crust.

Which is just as good an excuse as any to pop in a video of one of the best rock n' roll songs of all time:

Debloke Ayiti

I seem to remember reading some time ago that American Christians were roughly divided into equal parts Catholic, mainline Protestant and "other", this meaning evangelicals and charismatics.  Seeing as I can't find that article anymore, it's probably not worth bringing up, especially as it appears to contradict the Pew Report on America's Religious Landscape.

In any event, this kind of survey seems fraught with pitfalls and I wonder about the figures.  Can there really only be 1.6 American who consider themselves atheists, for example?

Anyway, I read an article today which makes easy categorization difficult.  Moreover, it relates to posts we made a while ago about the earhtquake in Haïti.  Both Catholic and charismatic, with elements of Voudon thrown in, this brand of Catholicism defies many preconceptions; there are hundreds of Catholic charismatic groups with  followers estimated to number in the millions worldwide.  Popes themselves have embraced it.

Interesting read:  Suffering, Haitians Turn to Charismatic Prayer.

BTW, anyone else see the pun in a report on religion being conducted by a place named pew?

Logos a-go-go

If you grew up in the eighties you may recall the rumour that the Proctor and Gamble logo was a satanic message.  After these rumours gained steam, P&G dropped the logo; back in 2008 one could still find a press release on their website specifically denying any unwholesome connection.  In 1995, a lawsuit by P&G  claimed that rival Amway used a voicemail system to inform customers that some PG profit went to satanic cults.  PG won this suit in 1997 to the tune of 19.25 million dollars.  Moral of the story:  Don't fuck with the Devil.

And then there's DARPA.  As we posted back in July, the IAO discontinued the use of their logo because it had "...become a lightning rod and is needlessly diverting time and attention from the critical tasks of executing that office's mission effectively and openly..."  This was due to the belief that the logo was a symbol of the Illuminati.

Of course, people see the Illuminati in everything from suns to torches to chevrons.  Illuminati-spotting is an ubiquitous game.  In that spirit, we present you with a few logos which have caught our eye over the past year.  We don't ascribe any sinister intent to these, to be honest.  But our minds are primed for this sort of thing and we just can't help associating these images with more esoteric symbolism.

 

Thales was a Greek philosopher. I suppose if there is a pantheon of Illuminist saints, he would in there:

Thales attempted to explain natural phenomena without reference to mythology and was tremendously influential in this respect. Almost all of the other pre-Socratic philosophers follow him in attempting to provide an explanation of ultimate substance, change, and the existence of the world—without reference to mythology. Those philosophers were also influential, and eventually Thales' rejection of mythological explanations became an essential idea for the scientific revolution. He was also the first to define general principles and set forth hypotheses, and as a result has been dubbed the "Father of Science".

 

In mathematics, Thales used geometry to solve problems such as calculating the height of pyramids and the distance of ships from the shore. He is credited with the first use of deductive reasoning applied to geometry, by deriving four corollaries to Thales' Theorem. As a result, he has been hailed as the first true mathematician and is the first known individual to whom a mathematical discovery has been attributed.

This Thales, however is a French electronic company with most of its profit coming from military contracts.  The "A" in the logo certainly evokes a stylized eye in the pyramid, ne c'est pas?  That the company is also involved in commercial satellite technology certainly adds credence to the theory that it represents an all-seeing eye in the sky.  Note to self: be on guard against the Alan Parsons Project....

Elboma Koma is a company that manufactures, installs and maintains professional refrigeration appliances.  I don't what the name means but it wouldn't sound out of place in some kind of magickal language, no?  But really, wtf?  A delta with a rerigerator in glory?  The Illuminati has gotten into the refrigeration business?  Hey, why not.  There is after all, a French company that manufactures heating appliances called Weishaupt....talk about your reconciliation of opposites, hey hey!

Freemasons:  Purveyors of fine wines and ferns.

 

The Gruet winery is located near Truth or Consequences New Mexico.  Founded by a Frenchman from the Champagne area, they've succeeded in making award-winning and respected wines for a good price.  But when we look at their coat of arms we can't help ourselves.

While the Gruet winery coat of arms may only suggest the Square and Compasses, the town of Apopka's logo features them outright.  This is due to the Masonic history of the town, as explained by its website

The Armed Occupation Act of 1842 brought white settlers to the Apopka area. They received 160 acres if they would settle them.

These Pioneers and those that followed the Civil War from states to the north began converting the area into what it is today.

The settlement grew, attracting developers and settlers because of  the climate and the agricultural opportunities and becoming an important trading center in the 1850s. The Masons were particularly active. Orange Lodge #36 was organized in 1857, and The Lodge building, still standing on its original site at Alabama Avenue and Highway 441, was completed in 1859.

It was around this building that the town grew in the 1860s and 1870s and ultimately became the Town of Apopka City incorporated in 1882.

Furthermore:

The City limits were measured one mile in all directions from the Masonic Lodge. The "Lodge"....is the oldest lodge room in continuous use in the State of Florida.

So. Make of all that what you will.  We'll keep doing double takes of infinite persistent amusement.

Patti Smith: Just Kids

The National Book Awards have an intriguing nonfiction pick for their 2010 awards: Patti Smith's "Just Kids".

Anyone read it?