Tannhäuser

From Freepedia

This article is about the legendary figure. For the opera, please see Tannhäuser (Wagner).

According to German legend, Tannhäuser was a knight and poet, who found the Venusburg, or subterranean home of Venus. He spent a year there worshipping Venus.

After leaving the Venusburg, Tannhäuser became filled with remorse. He travelled to Rome asking Pope Urban if it would be possible to be absolved of his sins. Urban replied that it was just as impossible for his papal staff to blossom. Three days after Tannhäuser returned to Vienna, Urban's staff supposedly bloomed with flowers.

Algernon Swinburne's poem Laus Veneris published in 1866 explores the destructive power of Venus' love:

'Her little chambers drip with flower-like red, ...

Her gateways smoke with fume of flowers and fire,

With loves burnt out and unassuaged desires

Between her lips the steam of them is sweet

The languor in her eyes of many lyres... ...

Her beds are full of perfumes and sad sound,

Her doors are made with music, and barred round

With sighing and with laughter and with tears,

With tears whereby strong souls of men are bound.'

The legend was made famous by Richard Wagner's three act opera Tannhäuser.

Other References

The movie Blade Runner contains an off-hand reference to a fictional "Tannhauser Gate" in the Milton-inspired dying words of replicant Roy Batty:

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

In the computer game Homeworld, the player must save the Bentussi from Taiidan forces at a place called Tenhauser Gate.