The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-02-11
'PARSiFAl" AND ITS CHRISTIAN
SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS.

country ana winch is 10 b. presented
in the Grand opera house Monday,
February Is. We have Richard Wag-
ner's MASTERPIECES. From a religious
point Of view, u play wherein each
and every character, incident and &C.
cessory is more or less symbolical of
some Christian teaching, philosophical
thought or problem of humanity.
In the holy temple, with its noble
knights. We are interested to see in
its grandeur and beauty that state
of the human mind and thought that
is most acceptable to God. Only the
knights who have reached that stan
dard are admitted within the walls
OF the holy temple. The Holy Grail
il here intended to represent the actual
grace of God When uncovered. the
Grail sheds its lustrous gifts on all
present. With this divine s~ubstonancc
life within the holy temple is mbear-
able. Faith without works OF charity
does not find favor in His presence.
In Titurel. the faithful guardian of
the Holy Grail, the author intends to
represent 4 perfect type OF the spirit
ual Utopia, the coalition that was
and that is 20 be. As long as tho
grace OF God was received by the I'M
covering Of TIC Holy Grail. Titurcl
and al within the s: cred portals of
the holy temple lived the lite OF faith,
lcyo and charity. When Titurel gave
the Holy Grail TO the safekeeping of
his son. Amtcltas, who fell a victim
10 temptation and in consequence was
unworthy to uncover the Grail. the
old king Titucvl died, the knights lost
THEN spiritual power, and Amfortas
was a constaL. SuXerrr in body, mind
al conscience Such wsS the result
of sin and weakness when in the
very prcSeAo- ~ IN" gr&c" OF God
merely WaliH-I or the asking.
In tn" suN'j5ns figure OF Amforta&
We are led - zee a picture of poor
sinful humanity, brought to this con
luton thfop-' as own weakness and
neglect. In TIE wound In IL" sid" Of
AmlortdS. WHICH VIII not heel, "" see
a symbol o. 'na conscience" OF man
VINO ha'li- committed a deadly
wrong, ho't'> with hlm always as a
r'IhlH3'f on BIS 'lH. HHl even Ahlior-
laN' great "~ DDS CRIME has been, is
many f'H,'.l"3 ana brought BACK
10 the IaNoi 'Hd grace OF God IN the
IoI( tempe '.f""sh pehItehcr II his
craving Tor S-iYatlon.
"ufheIhahI. me loyal serNltor OF the
hoIN iempIe u us knights, IS seen
as one VINO su1ers Tor the faults OF
o'lerS' YET As- losing laith IN COD, Is
mail! reWarEe' ior his constancy
ana loyalty.
III the cA~.acier OF hlingsor we
see lle ever present type OF the tempt
or ana EVIL Coef VINO, beng unworthy
OF God favor himself. seeks to ruin
ana desrade al VINO are more for
tuhate' hIlnSso Is denied admission
10 the molly temple. In revenge he
urles by eFe!y artlflce and means to
prlng rum upon the heads OF the
knights OF the Holy Grail. His magic
hover garden and his beauteous maid
ems by which ne tries to accomplish
MS designs, Is llkened to the vanities
and frivolit!es OF the world that are
inclined to blind ones eyes to the
true path and so render one less
liaoie TO successfully resist falling into
the PIT before him. In the character
OF laundry, witch and enchantress. we
recognize at once a female type of
the "Jeykll II Hyde order. The au-
thor intended to portray with this
character the ordinary human love in
contrast to that higher and spiritual
love mat We ~lnstinctively crave for.
but We see more than this, however.
IN the character of kundry. We per-
ceive the -cadfu depths that poul,
luted passion and desire. so often mis-.