Religion, religions, and the Gotthard Base Tunnel opening
[ by Charles Cameron — in which a railway tunnel assumes an almost mystical significance ]
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There were some pretty strange-looking goings-on at the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, to be sure:
But in case that Ibex looked just a tad too pagan — or even Satanic, as it did to some — let me assure you that Saint Barbara has a shrine inside the tunnel:
and that clerics from a handful of reputable religions were on scene to provide appropriate blessings in any case:
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Video:
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Sources:
BBC, Gotthard tunnel: World’s longest and deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland BBC, Switzerland tunnel: The oddest moments of the opening ceremony Dark Horse News, Bizarre Opening Ceremony For Gotthard Base Tunnel In Switzerland
June 8th, 2016 at 7:07 pm
There’s an excellent piece on the Gotthard Tunnel opening, it’s theatrical intent and conspiracist interpretations on Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, always a source of interesting tid-bits —
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Barth references a brief note on the Artistic actions for opening ceremonies which identifies the director of the events, Volker Hesse. From that description:
The piece features a stunning image from the event — worth a look!