DEVILISH CATECHISM

«And what are Gods, that Man may not become

As they, participating godlike food?

The Gods are first, and that advantage use

On our belief, that all from them proceeds.

I question it, for this fair Earth I see,

Warmed by the Sun, producing every kind,

Them nothing.»

 

 

 

 

Scene no 81: Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge forbidden (Wilhelm Schweizer pewter piece, hand painted). In front of them, the ordinary snakes (Starlux and Elastolin soft plastic animals) that crawl in the grass (Unknown manufacturer) in the Garden of Eden. Behind them, the Serpent that has both speech and reason (Elastolin composition toys) watches them.

The verses: Satan’s guidance to the first woman. From Paradise Lost (Book IX), by John Milton.

ORBIS NON SUFFICIT

«All the greatest men are maniacs.

They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards their goal.

The great scientists, the philosophers, the religious leaders - all maniacs.»

 

 

 

 

 

Scene no 80: James Bond (Corgi toys, Icon collectible figures, hand painted) among eager young women (Topper toys, Dawn dolls) and Mercedes-Benz 300SL sport cars (SSS International toys, TINY GIANT series friction powered & Corgi toys, 50’s Classics series) in a hippie flower meadow (Topper toys, Dawn and her friends Doll Case).  

The statement: From DR. NO, the sixth James Bond novel by Ian Fleming.

THE NEW ERA IN SPACE

 

«I believe that this nation should commit itself

 to achieving the goal,

before this decade is out,

of landing a man on the moon

and returning him safely to the Earth.»

 

 

 

 

Scene no 79: John F. Kennedy (Louis Marx and Company toys, plastic figurine, made in Hong Kong) in front of a Satellite launch rocket (Caltex toys, plastic missile, with box, made in Western Germany) and the Gemini space capsule (We Toys, plastic spacecraft, friction drive, detachable nose-cone, opening doors and removable astronauts, with box, made in Hong Kong).  

The statement: From the speech of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 (as he stood before a joint session of Congress).

EOSTRE

«Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated 

“Paschal month” 

and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named 

Eostre, 

in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month.»

 

 

 

 

Scene no 77: The goddess Eostre (MEGO Candi fashion doll made in Hong Kong) surrounded by symbols of fertility like hares and eggs (old plastic squeeze and dime store toys made in Greece from unknown manufacturers).  

The text: From “De temporum ratione” by the English Catholic monk St. Bede.

ΤΙΝΤΙΝ ΤΗΕΑΤRΕ

 

«The child will be gripped by the excitement of Tintin, the comedy, even farce.

The adult will additionally find political satire and parody, puns and prescience.»

 

 

 

 

 

Scene no 75: Bianca Castafiore (Hard plastic figurine) sings in the center of the stage, while well-known supporting actors of the troupe dance around her: Rascar Capac, Alcazar, Fakir, Foudre Benie and professor Philippulus (Figurines Tintin Collection). Tintin himself and Captain Haddock are watching the performance from their private balcony (Tintin Theatre and Finger Puppets).

(All pieces are HERGE/MOULINSART editions).

The text: Βy Michael Farr (from the introduction to the book TINTIN The Complete Companion).       

THE LAST TRUE KING

«Roi, le seul vrai roi de ce siècle, salut, Sire,

Qui voulûtes mourir vengeant votre raison

Des choses de la politique, et du délire

De cette Science intruse dans la maison,

 

De cette Science assassin de l’Oraison

Et du Chant et de l’Art et de toute la Lyre,

Et simplement et plein d’orgueil en floraison

Tuâtes en mourant, salut, Roi, bravo, Sire !

 

Vous fûtes un poète, un soldat, le seul Roi

De ce siècle où les rois se font si peu de chose,

Et le martyr de la Raison selon la Foi.

 

Salut à votre très unique apothéose,

Et que votre âme ait son fier cortège, or et fer,

Sur un air magnifique et joyeux de Wagner.»

 

 

 

 

Scene no 73: King Ludwig II (Preiser figure 29018) in front of the scenery of a forgotten dream world.

Castle ruin (Noch 58602 scale HO), trains of the era (Marklin HO 41071 and 94099, homage to Ludwig, special edition train carriages), the Swan (Lineol composition animals), Neuschwanstein (Phil Goods plastic castle for cookies).

The poem: «To Ludwig II of Bavaria», by Paul Verlaine.       

ON THE PATH OF DESTINY

«The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone, 

and I must follow, if I can, 

pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way 

where many paths and errands meet.»

 

 

 

 

Scene no 72: The nine walkers - Gandalf, Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn and Boromir (Play Along toys, The Lord of the Rings, Armies of Middle-Earth, The Fellowship Collection) - follow the path. In the background the Misty Mountains (Original Busch model).

The text: From «The Fellowship of the Ring», by J.R.R. Tolkien.

HANSEL AND GRETEL

«She was a wicked witch who was lying in wait there for children. 

She had built her house of bread only in order to lure them to her, and if she captured one, she would kill him, cook him, and eat him; and for her that was a day to celebrate.»

 

 

 

Scene no 71: Hansel and Gretel meet the wicked Witch and her black cat (Elastolin plastic figures) in front of the entrance of the house of bread and sweets and candies (Unknown manufacturer). Next to the cat, the raven is lurking... (Elastolin composition figure).

In the second version, Hansel and Gretel (McFarlane’s Monsters Series 4, Twisted Fairy Tales Action Figures) growing up in captivity...

The text: From «Hansel and Gretel», by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

THE MAGUS

«Trust those who seek the truth,

but doubt those who say they have found it.»

 

Scene no 68: The Druid and the Soothsayer (Leblon-Delienne, hand-painted resin statues. Panoramix no 356/1500, and Le Devin no 447/999).

The text: From THE MAGUS, by John Fowles.

SILVER ARROWS

«Hitler came to power in Germany early in 1933, and he immediately identified Grand Prix racing as a powerful tool in propagating the image of Aryan superiority. Backed by Nazi subsidies, Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union entered the competition with revolutionary new models in 1934 that rendered the various Italian and French machinery completely obsolete.»

                                                    

                 

                             

Scene no 67: The Silberpfeile of Auto Union (Schuco Studio II) and Mercedes-Benz (Schuco Studio), under the Hakenkreuz Flag and the Reich Eagle (John Player & Sons cigarette cards, National Flags and Arms, Germany, no 19 from a series of 50). Next to the racing cars, their legendary drivers Bernd Rosemeyer and Rudolf Caracciola (Preiser 57108, Racing drivers, 1:24).

The text: From The Complete Unofficial Encyclopedia of FORMULA ONE, by Mark Hughes.   

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

“That’s one small step for a man,

one giant leap for mankind.”

 

 

              

 

Scene no 65: Neal Armstrong (Louis Marx & co. toys, plastic 6 inch Astronaut figure, made in U.S.A.) on the surface of the Moon (Jean toys, Lunar landscape, made in Germany), near the Lunar Module (Daishin toys, battery operated Apollo 11 American Eagle LM, made in Japan).

The statement: Armstrong’s first words on the Moon.

AQUALUNG

 

“Feeling like a dead duck

Spitting out pieces of his broken luck

Oh, Aqualung

Sun streaking cold

An old man wandering lonely

Taking time the only way he knows

Leg hurting bad

As he bends to pick a dog-end

He goes down to the bog and warms his feet.”

 

 

 

 

Scene no 64: A homeless long-haired, bearded man in shabby clothes (LEPI original woodcut figure) with a stray dog (Starlux toys) on the city streets (Unidentified painting on wood).

The lyrics: From the title song Aqualung, from Jethro Tull’s fourth studio album.

I AM A KNIGHT

 

“Who are you then?” “I am a knight”

“Of such I know not, not a sight

Of one”, said the youth, “nor word

Of any such, have I seen or heard;

Yet you are handsomer than God.

If only I, who go ill-shod,

Were made like you, and shone so bright!”

 

 

                                             

 

Scene no 61: King Arthur riding (MM no 63, King Arthur animated toy, friction drive, made in Hong Kong) in front of young Perceval and a red knight (Heye Art.-Nr.29734, Inside Neuschwanstein, Parzival, puzzle made in Germany).

The text: Lines from PERCEVAL by Chretien de Troyes.

THE CIRCUS

I sought a theme and sought for it in vain,

I sought it daily for six weeks or so.

Maybe at last being but a broken man

I must be satisfied with my heart, although

Winter and summer till old age began

         My circus animals were all on show,         

Those stilted boys, that burnished chariot,

Lion and woman and the Lord knows what. 

Scene no 60: Cardboard reconstruction of the Humberto’s Circus (Artia Prag edition of Vojtech Kubasta, folding panorama, pop-up display) and two real, roaring lions (Elastolin composition animals) among the paper artists.

The text: The first verses from the poem The Circus Animals’ Desertion, by William Butler Yeats.

DWARF-KINGDOM

For over seven centuries the Dwarf-kingdom of Erebor grew wealthy and powerful, but in the year 2770 the winged, fire-breathing dragon called Smaug the Golden destroyed the realm, and drove out the Dwarves.

           

 

                 

Scene no 59: The front gate to Erebor (WETA, Front Gate to Erebor, Sculptors: Dave Tremont and Leonard Ellis) carved into the green stone of the Lonely Mountain. And all around, green trees (Unknown manufacturer).

The text: From TOLKIEN - The Illustrated Encyclopedia, by David Day.

EL CID

…

And so his honour in the land grows greater day by day.

Upon the feast of Pentecost from life he passed away.

For him and all of us the Grace of Christ let us implore.

…

 

                        

 

Scene no 58: Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (Del Prado collection, El Cid, 1098) gallops past a ruined medieval church (King & Country, Battle-scarred French church) among the leafless autumn trees (Heki decoration plastic tree kit).

The text: From the last verses of «The poem of the Cid».

ANIMAL FARM

«All animals are equal,

but some animals are more equal than others.»

 

 

Scene no 56: The pigs Napoleon and Snowball stand out among the rest of the farm animals (Britains plastic Toy farm animals and fences).

The quote: From George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

PAPAGENO

The bird-catcher, that’s me,

always cheerful, hip hooray!

As a bird-catcher I’m known

to young and old throughout the land.

I know how to set about luring

and how to be good at piping.

That’s why I can be merry and cheerful,

for all the birds are surely mine.

 

                                      

 

 

Scene no 53: Papageno, the bird-catcher (Wilhelm Schweizer - Diessen, hand-painted pewter figure) walks down a forest path (Hand-painted pewter trees, made in Austria and Bavaria), carrying on his back a birdcage containing various birds.

The lyrics: From Act One of The Magic Flute, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.                                                                                                                                                                                                

GEORGE BEST

Maradona GOOD,

Pelé BETTER,

GEORGE BEST

 

 

 

 

Scene no 52: In the center, George Best (Le Café Martin, gold plastic figure, no 10) among the common football players, referees and coaches (Airfix 1:32 scale Footballers, Sports series, all plastic figures in various different poses). The Champion trophies are optional! (Subbuteo, European Competitions Cup C 118 and European Cup C 204/ 61204).

EASTER BUNNY

«The sun warms everything,

pure and gentle,

once again it reveals to the world

April’s face,

the soul of man

is urged towards love

and joys are governed

by the boy-god.»

 

 

 

Scene no 51: The holy cook rabbit among the white lamb and the red rooster. Between and in front of them the sacred eggs of rebirth (all toys made in Greece from unknown manufacturers except the basket with the small plastic eggs, by Apergis Toys). Behind the rabbit, an Art Nouveau floral representation (Churchill’s Daffodils tin box, made in the United Kingdom). And on the top of the box a big, paper mache Easter Egg (Echt Erzgebirge, made in Germany).

The verses: From Carmina Burana – Omnia Sol Temperat.