Maria Santi: Venus between false gods. Illustration for the story of O. Beardsley "History of Venus and Tannhäuser" 1898 Automatic translate

The legend of the knight Tannhäuser was illustrated by many creators. The oddities of the plot only inflamed their imagination. For those who have forgotten.

The knight Tannhäuser killed, robbed, lied and raped, like all knights. Once he went to a contest of singers, but he was lured into his grotto by the goddess of love Aphrodite. I fell in love with him. But seven years later, he realized that communication outside of marriage is a sin.

He threw it and went to Rome to ask for forgiveness of sins. Came to the pope. He speaks:

- I lived with the goddess of love. All such a scam, big-eyed and resilient. She looked at me with admiration every day. What you, says, I have an inventive, decisive and tireless. I get lucky. I am in love with you every day more and more. Such a sin!

The Pope, exhausted by the struggle for power, listens, who has to pay even the old prostitutes. And such a thing rises in his soul.

“Fuck you, knight Tannhäuser!” Rather, this dry wooden staff in my hand will bloom, than you will be forgiven. But just in case, remember that a shop with indulgences at the entrance.

Confused Tannhäuser. For seven years, he forgot that almost everything in the world can be bought. He had no money. I had to return to the grotto and again please the goddess.

The Lord saw it. Dad’s staff blossomed. He was so surprised (he was not a lost person, since he knew how to be surprised) that he sent for Tannhäuser. But they did not find him. Clever Aphrodite closed the temporary portal from mythology to mythology.

Aubrey Beardsley. Venus and Tannhäuser