Friday, August 22, 2008

Blindness

Myths, folklore & symbolism
Blindness: Blind old men often symbolize wisdom, the inner light, the visionary view; thus seers (e.g., Tiresias) are often blind. At the same time, blindness (even in seers) can be divine punishment for having seen something divinely forbidden. In the Bible, blindness and madness are punishments for disobedience to God. Christ's healings of the blind are sometimes understood to be acts that symbolize illumination in spiritual darkness; thus they can also represent illumination through baptism. (Herder)

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