Daniel Gittelman- Masks (Landscapes of the Sacred)

I found Belden C. Lane’s idea of ‘masks’ that he introduces in his book Landscapes of the Sacred to be one of the most interesting concepts I’ve read for this class. Lane addresses how sacred land and the divine can have a connection to some, but be ordinary or even nonexistent to others. 

Demonstrating this idea, Lane states that “a mask identifies the character represented, as in ancient Greek and Roman drama, but it hides identity as well” (69). This is meant to be in relation to deities. Deities will always be recognized in connection to their masks, which illustrates the character role they play. Similar to how different people prefer different characters, different people believe in different deities. With these masks come different feelings and ideas of whether the land has an extraordinary spiritual connection or not.

Connecting to this idea of masks, Lane states that “yet neither can the holy be known apart from the mask” (69). I thought this was also interesting because it can be interpreted in two ways. Whether one believes in them or not, a person could argue that these masks are all the divine are, or they could argue that their divine figure hides the rest of themselves to protect their believers. For example, I’ve heard the belief that God doesn’t completely reveal himself so that he doesn’t force himself upon people, providing the free will to decide whether to believe in him.

This concept relates to Dr. Kip Redick’s article, “Interpreting Contemporary Pilgrimage as Spiritual Journey or Aesthetic Tourism” when he states in his introduction that “Pilgrimage routes and long-distance scenic trails have their aesthetic appeal, which pilgrims and tourists enjoy” (p. 1). People can enjoy historic locations regardless of if they feel a connection to the masks of the holy. It’s great for those who are able to find those locations sacred due to this connection, but they’re also pleasing to visit for people that like history and aesthetics. However, in the sense of sacredness, these places are considered ordinary to the tourist.