Plague Journal, Divine Donkeyism
Anything written by Nietzsche is approached with apprehension. By reputation Friedrich Nietzsche is a “bomb thrower,” a nihilist who is responsible for the death of God. On a ‘reputation scale’ from high to low, that would be on the low side.
Unaccountably in my late 20s I read Nietzsche’s writing with an open mind, overcoming the anxiety I felt about the potential effect of his words upon my soul. As a young adult I found his words intriguing. Now I regard Nietzsche as an important resource for dealing with accelerating social unrest, a resource for remodeling the institutions of our democracy, and finally, a source of necessary courage to alter our way of life if global warming is to be slowed.
Offered for your contemplation is a passage from Thus Spoke Zarathustra penned in 1883. Nietzsche often attacks the foundation of our social order here in the West. He was a relentless critic of “Christianity” even as he expressed admiration for Jesus the individual. Read this excerpt as you would any literary tale. It portrays a gathering of friends, hosted by Nietzsche’s leading character Zarathustra. It is the tale of a party that “goes wrong.”
77 The Awakening
All on a sudden however, Zarathustra’s ear was frightened: for the cave which had hitherto been full of noise and laughter, became all at once still as death;—his nose, however, smelt a sweet-scented vapour and incense-odour, as if from burning pine-cones.
“What happeneth? What are they about?” he asked himself, and stole up to the entrance, that he might be able unobserved to see his guests. But wonder upon wonder! what was he then obliged to behold with his own eyes!
“They have all of them become PIOUS again, they PRAY, they are mad!”—said he, and was astonished beyond measure. And forsooth! all these higher men, the two kings, the pope out of service, the evil magician, the voluntary beggar, the wanderer and shadow, the old soothsayer, the spiritually conscientious one, and the ugliest man—they all lay on their knees like children and credulous old women, and worshipped the ass. And just then began the ugliest man to gurgle and snort, as if something unutterable in him tried to find expression; when, however, he had actually found words, behold! it was a pious, strange litany in praise of the adored and censed ass. And the litany sounded thus:
Amen! And glory and honor and wisdom and thanks and praise and strength be to our God, from everlasting to everlasting!
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
He carrieth our burdens, he hath taken upon him the form of a servant, he is patient of heart and never saith Nay; and he who loveth his God chastiseth him.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
He speaketh not: except that he ever saith Yea to the world which he created: thus doth he extol his world. It is his artfulness that speaketh not: thus is he rarely found wrong.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
Uncomely goeth he through the world. Grey is the favorite color in which he wrappeth his virtue. Hath he spirit, then doth he conceal it; every one, however, believeth in his long ears.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
What hidden wisdom it is to wear long ears, and only to say Yea and never Nay! Hath he not created the world in his own image, namely, as stupid as possible?
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
Thou goest straight and crooked ways; it concerneth thee little what seemeth straight or crooked unto us men. Beyond good and evil is thy domain. It is thine innocence not to know what innocence is.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
Lo! how thou spurnest none from thee, neither beggars nor kings. Thou sufferest little children to come unto thee, and when the bad boys decoy thee, then sayest thou simply, YE-A.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
Thou lovest she-asses and fresh figs, thou art no food-despiser. A thistle tickleth thy heart when thou chancest to be hungry. There is the wisdom of a God therein.
—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.
— excerpt Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche p. 300
Two photos, one of a Divine Donkeyism Ass-Festival, the other, a comparison of populations ranked according to belief in hell.
