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Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 2:27 pm
by Jojo
Hello!


Because I am not pagan but Lutheran I'm not celebrating Halloween but Reformation Day. That's the day when we commemorate the start of the so called Reformation that began with Dr. Martin Luther nailing 95 theses against the practice of indulgence to the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg on October 31th anno 1517.
( http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Jojo/ ... uther1.jpg )

After he did that he got some trouble with the Pope in Rome for His Holiness didn't like too much what Luther sermonised against some essential usages to encash money for the church. So Luther was labeled "heretic" and excommunicated unless he recanted his scripts. Also the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V., catholic himself of course and in his capacity as Roman Emperor protector of the Christendom, was not willing to let either the troups of Süleyman the Magnificent nor some monk from Wittenberg to imperil the unity of the Holy Catholic Church. So he aimed to simply impose the Ban of the Empire against Luther. But Luther's own souvereign, Frederic the Wise, Elector of Saxony, persuaded the emperor to give Luther the chance to defend himself before any imperial verdict against him. Frederic even more wanted to obviate the emperor to hand over Luther to the Inquisition because that was a byword for a death sentence and because as a German it was Luther's right to be protected against any tribunal outside of his own country. Furthermore the emperor had to grant safe conduct to and from the trial. So Charles summoned Luther to the Imperial Diet of Worms:

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We are looking at the high hall, on the left we see the Emperor enthroned, gatherd around him in two 1/4 arches are the Electors watching the trial (it should be seven rather than six but that would have lead to unwanted asymmetry), the hall is filled with several dignitaries from aristocracy, church and from the imperial towns, along with some trial observers from reuters and the UN... In the middle of the hall there's a table, laying on it Luther's books and scripts laying that he is asked to recant. In front of the red carpet is standing Johann Eck, the theologian who represents the emperor in the case, on the other end of the desk we see Luther himself. He is declaring that he isn't able to recant his scripts because they are based on God's Word, so recanting them means recanting the Holy Bible. On the other hand, if he was convinced by Scripture or plain reason that he was wrong he would be the first to throuw his flawed scripts into the fire.

Well, nobody was able to disprove his scripts so Luther did not recant. He travelled back to Wittenberg and while he was on his journey the emperor imposed the Ban of the Empire against him and outlawed him. So everybody was allowed to kill him without threat of punishment.

I am Finished!


Bye
Jojo

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Re: Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:29 pm
by JoshWedin
Hey Jojo!

I was actually thinking of your Martin Luther MOC just a few days ago as the 31st was approaching. I am glad to see that you have added to it with the trial scene. The carpet coming down from the Emperor's throne is very cool. The entire MOC is very well done. And as far as Halloween goes, I am not Lutheran but am right there with you. Keep standing, man, you are not alone.

Josh

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:02 pm
by Scnicker
Wow, an excellent moc and a great history lesson :)
I'm Muslim so none of the above applies for me, but Luther had done the right thing. I stand up and applause you :)

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:25 pm
by TwoTonic Knight
Very nice interior work. It isn't overly cluttered, but still richly detailed. Love the chandeliers, carpet, and arm rests and all the historical commentary, though I will point out that All Hallow's Eve (All Hallow's Evening-->Hallow Even-->Hallow e'en-->Halloween) is technically Christian (or at least a Christian attempt to usurp pagan rituals, though it failed miserably). All the folderol is pagan, though. I suppose you have to be Irish to appreciate it (my dull Teutonic side loses out to my Celtic half). 8)

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:30 pm
by Glencaer
An excellent new MOC by Jojo.

A question, could you give us the story/background for the Devil pictures also in that folder?

-Lenny

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:00 pm
by kajo163
Wow, Jojo, these MOCs are really cool. Very well done!
How did tou do the wall piece behind the emperor I wonder?

Oh, and thanks for the history lesson. I did'nt know that much about Luthers life after he nailed up his theses.

And Charles V was one of the Habsburg emperors, right?

joel

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:33 pm
by The Blue Knight
Wow Jojo, great details here, they really bring life to these outstanding MOCs. This is clearly something you are passionate about, and that comes out in the rich details. Great work

Halloween is a complicated "holiday." Holiday is a contraction of Holy Day, so thats not really appropriate either. Jojo, do kids go "trick or treating" in Germany? How about some of our other countries represented here? All Saint's Day (Nov 1st) was a Christian attempt to temper the terror of the Druidic festival of the night before, just as Christmas was chosen to take place on December 25th to blunt the most important day to the adherents of the cult of Mithras (Roman Empire times), though Christ was probably born sometime in April 4 B.C. And where did begging complete strangers for candy come into it all? :wink:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:49 pm
by kor
Great MOC Jojo! Your work always amazes me.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:09 pm
by Jojo
Hello!


Thanks.

As for Halloween: I do not begrudge the fun everybody has on Halloween to anybody. If I was a kid I would probably have fun, too. However, I'm not catholic so I would not even celebrate "Allhallows", and since I'm neither Irish nor American I have no reason to celebrate Halloween, either. And I find no connections between the funny and spooky things that are the core of (modern) Halloween with the catholic red letter day. The spooky aspects are more related to the Celtic origin of this day which can certainly be considered pagan.
About only 5 years ago kids would not do the trick-or-treat thing in Germany because they didn't even know that Halloween existed. Meanwhile the advertising industry needed something new and found Halloween. Now kids here are carving pumkinheads and try to trick-or-treat, too, but they don't even know exactly what they are doing, and the older people who get tricked-or-treated don't know, either.
The whole Halloween-thing seems artificial and unreflecting to me, at least over here where it has null (zero) tradition. It's just another reason to have a party.
So I rather stay with Reformation Day, in that case I know the origins and its meaning. And I certainly had fun, too :-)

Charles V. was from the Habsburg dynasty, right. Like all emperors between 1452 and 1806.

The wallpiece behind the throne is made with many plates rotated 90°.

The background for the devil picture I gave exactly one year ago here: http://news.lugnet.com/castle/?n=18378
That was slightly more related to Halloween because of the presence of Old Nick...


Bye
Jojo

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Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:35 pm
by porschecm2
I love it Jojo, both the history and the MOC! The extensive background you give really lends to the overall feel of the model, and makes it much more impressive than just the MOC alone. As for the MOC, it's very well made. Those oriental pikes fit in perfectly there. I am really impressed with the curved columns on the church doorway. Great work, I love it. :D I also don't celebrate Halloween, and though I'm not Lutheran, I am Protestant, and I deeply appreciate and respect Luther's work.

Cm2

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:33 pm
by Lt. A.J.V.
Wow! :o There is so much detail in that MOC.Great job Jojo! :)
I also don't celebrate Halloween,I am a Born Again Catholic.

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:09 am
by Lt. A.J.V.
TwoTonic Knight wrote:I will point out that All Hallow's Eve (All Hallow's Evening-->Hallow Even-->Hallow e'en-->Halloween) is technically Christian (or at least a Christian attempt to usurp pagan rituals, though it failed miserably). All the folderol is pagan, though.
Halloween is not a Christian Holiday,on the contrary, Halloween was practiced by witchs,celts,and druids.All Saints' Day however is a Catholic Holy day.
Look it up. :wink:

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:58 am
by TwoTonic Knight
Lt. A.J.V. wrote:
TwoTonic Knight wrote:I will point out that All Hallow's Eve (All Hallow's Evening-->Hallow Even-->Hallow e'en-->Halloween) is technically Christian (or at least a Christian attempt to usurp pagan rituals, though it failed miserably). All the folderol is pagan, though.
Halloween is not a Christian Holiday,on the contrary, Halloween was practiced by witchs,celts,and druids.All Saints' Day however is a Catholic Holy day.
Look it up. :wink:
1. I didn't say it was a Christian Holiday, I said its name derived from Christianity. I pointed it out because it is something Jojo might not be aware of, since Halloween traditions generally are derived from the British Isles and don't extend into Germany.
2. Halloween was not practiced by witches, celts, and druids. Samhain was. Look it up. 8)
3. My Irish Grandmother made sure I was exposed to Catholicism and Paganism (simultaneously). :D
4. If anyone has any responses, please make them private - if you want to debate Martin Luther, Samhain, Paganism, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, Abuse of Pagans by Reformers and Counter-Reformers when they weren't abusing each other, Wiccans, animists, or other aspects of comparitive religions, please address me at lugnet.off-topic.debate. This is off-topic for C-C - heck, the Reformation exits the medieval period, for that matter (but I ain't fussing about that).

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:54 am
by Athos
Very cool. I'd forgotten it was Reformation Day until I saw your post. A great creation.

Steve

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:14 am
by doctorsparkles
Nice creation and thanks for the info on the subject. I believe I was baptized Lutheran, but since I've never been much into religion (and I feel much more in touch with my pagan roots than otherwise), I knew nothing about Reformation Day. A history lesson is always a good thing.
Your creation is beautiful. Is it part of a larger creation or a standalone diorama? I especially like the way you did the angled benches, the chandeliers, the borders around the windows and the wall behind the throne. I see that the wall utilizes a SNOT technique... how exactly does it connect to the rest of the wall?
I'm not fond of the kettle helms on the Falcon soldiers. I will only use black helmets for my Falcons, and I've never much liked the shape of the kettle helm (historically accurate or not, I just don't like it). That's just a personal preference though.