Insight into the genius of the medieval worldview

[Vrubel]

The medieval looked onto existence with an innate and deep humility as his consciousness was painfully aware of his insignificant peripheral existence. He served the lord of a manor who in turn was part of a chain of servitude that continues many aloof and unapproachable lords up. He knew that he lived in a middle age, still in the dark as the bright light of sophisticated civilization has not yet shone since Roman times. And maybe most symbolically, the very center of the world was far away in Jerusalem.

But the humility goes way deeper...

The medieval worldview was absolutely non-materialistic. Medieval people saw themselves as living in a "realm" of some sort. Their realm was fragile and surely to end one day, (the end of times/apocalypse). The whole of life was fragile as death and disease was never far away. Life was just an "intermediate station" to test your faith. If you passed you went to heaven, if you didn't pass you went to purgatory, or hell if you were irredeemable. Your material condition is not important, only your spiritual one. 

In medieval times your suffering was given meaning by the suffering of Christ. For example, medieval art pieces such as a Corpus Christi (Christ on the cross) would dignify and give meaning to your suffering as you can identify with the suffering of Christ. While a sculpture of the Mother Mary would comfort your misery and pain. Because of her feminine, compassionate, and nurturing nature, she is approachable to ordinary people. She is also close to God and will soften God's judgment for you. 

The medieval worldview is highly mystical, imaginative, and non-materialistic but it is metaphysically strictly grounded-by and contained within the unquestionable truth of the Christian story. Oh... and It only just so happens that this mix of genuine mysticism and dogma has produced the universe's most optimal tool for feudal social control and order, it's Genius!

Edited April 14, 2023 by Vrubel

[Danioover9000]

@Vrubel

On 14/04/2023 at 10:46 PM, Vrubel said:

The medieval looked onto existence with an innate and deep humility as his consciousness was painfully aware of his insignificant peripheral existence. He served the lord of a manor who in turn was part of a chain of servitude that continues many aloof and unapproachable lords up. He knew that he lived in a middle age, still in the dark as the bright light of sophisticated civilization has not yet shone since Roman times. And maybe most symbolically, the very center of the world was far away in Jerusalem.

But the humility goes way deeper...

The medieval worldview was absolutely non-materialistic. Medieval people saw themselves as living in a "realm" of some sort. Their realm was fragile and surely to end one day, (the end of times/apocalypse). The whole of life was fragile as death and disease was never far away. Life was just an "intermediate station" to test your faith. If you passed you went to heaven, if you didn't pass you went to purgatory, or hell if you were irredeemable. Your material condition is not important, only your spiritual one. 

In medieval times your suffering was given meaning by the suffering of Christ. For example, medieval art pieces such as a Corpus Christi (Christ on the cross) would dignify and give meaning to your suffering as you can identify with the suffering of Christ. While a sculpture of the Mother Mary would comfort your misery and pain. Because of her feminine, compassionate, and nurturing nature, she is approachable to ordinary people. She is also close to God and will soften God's judgment for you. 

The medieval worldview is highly mystical, imaginative, and non-materialistic but it is metaphysically strictly grounded-by and contained within the unquestionable truth of the Christian story. Oh... and It only just so happens that this mix of genuine mysticism and dogma has produced the universe's most optimal tool for feudal social control and order, it's Genius!

   Very nice insight, although medieval life I thought was much more simpler, most didn't even know Rome existed I think, not even they knew of China or the Americas.

[Vrubel]

@Danioover9000
Before the 11th century when majestic cathedrals started to get built, Western Europe had basically no noteworthy buildings. With maybe the Dom in Aachen and some churches in Italy being the only exception. 

They definitely knew about Rome, think Holy Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire which was a continuation of the Roman Empire.

Edited April 20, 2023 by Vrubel

[Vrubel]

 

[Vrubel]

@RebornConsciousness Yeah, modern people even historians can't fathom how incredibly non-material the medieval worldview was. Medieval times were a spiritual North Korea. Your suffering has great meaning so don't bother demanding change, remember if you're bad you go to hell and if you are good you get to be with Christ in heaven. Though the story of Christ is a legit spiritual allegory of the human-God relation.