One of the most beautiful pieces of art about World War II; often misconstrued as denying or supporting the holocaust by shallow readers and moralists. I am very aware of Douglas P.’s far right sympathies, but this song is not supporting the Third Reich by any means, nor is it a simple symbol of condemnation of the Holocaust (like many ‘art’ is). It is rather an artistic reflection on what happened. My personal take:
Holocaust comes from the ancient Greek language, it means burnt offerings/fire sacrifice. The image of pink clouds rising out from the ovens is beautiful and complex. It contains, from the nazi point of view, the idea that jews are the root of evil, and therefore that sacrificing them with fire, to ‘history’ so to speak, is warranted. However, they eventually find out that it isn't a holocaust (a justified sacrifice), but a lie. It is a reflection on the supporters of Nazism and how they fled reality with their romantic view of history and the fate of the ‘Germanic peoples’, but in a way which is not moralistic or pigeonholing them as metaphysical evil.
But “festivals end, as festivals must” (pagan harvest festivals, taking place at the end of summer, also made use of human sacrifice sometimes. Did they regret what they did after they saw that winter came nonetheless and they didn’t have enough food?). The hooded crows of Rome (fascist Italy), the falcons of Zagreb (the collaborationist Ustase party in Croatia helped murder many people under german rule). I find the solemnity in the phrase ‘but festivals end, as festivals must’ especially beautiful. It is the tragic acknowledgement of someone who realizes that the romantic lie under which he was living has to end, and he has to come to grips with the reality of what has transpired.
One of the most beautiful pieces of art about World War II; often misconstrued as denying or supporting the holocaust by shallow readers and moralists. I am very aware of Douglas P.’s far right sympathies, but this song is not supporting the Third Reich by any means, nor is it a simple symbol of condemnation of the Holocaust (like many ‘art’ is). It is rather an artistic reflection on what happened. My personal take:
Holocaust comes from the ancient Greek language, it means burnt offerings/fire sacrifice. The image of pink clouds rising out from the ovens is beautiful and complex. It contains, from the nazi point of view, the idea that jews are the root of evil, and therefore that sacrificing them with fire, to ‘history’ so to speak, is warranted. However, they eventually find out that it isn't a holocaust (a justified sacrifice), but a lie. It is a reflection on the supporters of Nazism and how they fled reality with their romantic view of history and the fate of the ‘Germanic peoples’, but in a way which is not moralistic or pigeonholing them as metaphysical evil.
But “festivals end, as festivals must” (pagan harvest festivals, taking place at the end of summer, also made use of human sacrifice sometimes. Did they regret what they did after they saw that winter came nonetheless and they didn’t have enough food?). The hooded crows of Rome (fascist Italy), the falcons of Zagreb (the collaborationist Ustase party in Croatia helped murder many people under german rule). I find the solemnity in the phrase ‘but festivals end, as festivals must’ especially beautiful. It is the tragic acknowledgement of someone who realizes that the romantic lie under which he was living has to end, and he has to come to grips with the reality of what has transpired.
[Edit: added punctuation]
@charleskinbote Brilliant explanation. I needed it, I was kinda lost lost with lyrics
@charleskinbote Brilliant explanation. I needed it, I was kinda lost lost with lyrics
@charleskinbote beautiful interpretation
@charleskinbote beautiful interpretation