Le Venusberg et la légende du Tannhäuser. Paradis païens, enfers chrétiens
The Venusberg and the Legend of Tannhäuser. Pagan Paradise, Christian Inferno

Summary/Abstract: The story of knight Tannhäuser, which served as the basis for Richard Wagner’s opera, relates the sojourn, both Edenic and hellish, of a mortal in the abode of Venus, away from the destructive power of time. Probably bearing the imprint of the legend of Queen Sybilla, recovered by Andrea da Barberino and Antoine de la Sale, the legend is particularly tied to the Celtic lore in European heritage. However, under Christian influence, the paradise becomes hell, as featured in the 16th century folksong Volkslied, and in several works of the German Romantic authors, particularly Heine and Tieck.

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