DAY NINE

The Green Man - and more fortified churches.

We started the day with a low and finished on a high - the best way round!

The first church we visited (15km up a dead end road) was closed. There was a note on the door that the key could be collected from House 307, but no indication of which house in the small village it might be. While Rolf went to find the key, I found the mini market and bought a drink. I expected an hour´s wait (while Rolf  visited his church): 5 minutes later he was back - no one at home!

On to church number two; Biertan. Open with an entrance fee of about €4, as is usual for the larger churches. Here, we are talking about "fortified churches": churches surrounded by some sort of protective wall.

The church at Mălâncrav (closed):

The church at Biertan (open)

    

While the wall at Mălâncrav looks as though it could be scaled using a simple ladder, the defensive wall at Biertan is in three lines complete with watch towers.

While walking round Biertan, I overheard a guide talking about the Green Man. A church down the road had some examples. So, off we go. 


Richis church is small and the wall is again rather fragile. What made this church special (and another 11 in the area) is the prevalence of a figure called The Green Man. Often seen as a pub sign, showing a green "man of the woods", there are many arguments about what or who the figure should be. Two examples from a website:

1. Celtic Mythology: In Celtic mythology, the Green Man is often associated with the god Cernunnos, who is the lord of the forest and the patron of animals and fertility. In some stories, the Green Man is said to be a manifestation of Cernunnos himself, while in others he is a separate entity associated with nature and the wild.

2. Medieval Christianity: In medieval Christian art and architecture, the Green Man is often depicted as a pagan symbol of fertility and rebirth, with his face and body composed of leaves, vines, and other plant life. Some scholars believe that the Green Man may have been a subversive symbol of pre-Christian spirituality that was incorporated into Christian art as a way of appealing to pagan audiences.

The church has many examples of this represented in the faces:

  

The idea of it representing life and death, and being green also goes back to Osiris and Egyptian beliefs.

The second highlight of the day was our final church before arriving at Sibiu. Here we were the only visitors. The lady selling the tickets guided us into the church, indicated where the "secret passage" was and left us. We then spent one hour exploring the simple church. To be given permission to climb every rickety, wobbly staircase, go above the roof of the church itself and into the space above, and then to climb into both watch towers was fantastic. After climbing the watch tower, Rolf talked to the guide and I climbed the clock and bell tower. Out of breath, with dusty hands I explored and took photos of the surrounding countryside.

The church at Valea Viilor.









We have travelled along the red route to the north, from east to west. Prijmer is near Brasov, and Sibiu is shown west but with no castle. I think the map shows the UNESCO sites. These vary tremendously. Some are well-maintained, have various facilities, if popular there will be souvenir kiosks around. Others are very primitive and have no facilities (except the loo), but all usually cost under €5 to visit (and OAPs can bargain for a pensioners ticket).


However, dozens of other villages still have a walled church and the typical street facades - houses all joined to each other by a high wall which will include a gate for the hay wagon to pass through - like our first village of the day.




Go to DAY ONE - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY TWO - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY THREE - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY FOUR - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY FIVE - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY SIX - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY SEVEN - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY EIGHT - CLICK HERE.
 
Go to DAY TEN - CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY ELEVEN- CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY TWELVE- CLICK HERE.
Go to DAY THIRTEEN - CLICK HERE.

For a list of my other (mainly map) blogs - CLICK HERE.


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