The burning of Notre-Dame - A very symbolic representation of our times

There are countless views circulating in social media which help us to explain the emotional magnitude being felt across the world from the burning of Notre-Dame. We feel nostalgia, there are the deeply entrenched perceptions of Orientalism and there is the power of social media.

I found myself yesterday analysing the extraordinary philanthropic gestures and extreme wealth being pledged by some of Europe’s wealthiest men to fund the reconstruction efforts. I found myself asking a rhetorical question - Why would I, as an Australian living in Australia want to pledge money to the rebuilding a 12th Century building in France?

What is it about this particular building? What does it represent?

History always reveals interesting insights and answers to present day questions. One of my favourite quotes is by Carl Sagan, “You have to know the past to understand the present,” so I found myself yesterday going back to reading a book on the Crusades. I wanted to know the origins of Notre-Dame, what was happening at the time it was built? What did it represent then and now?

Construction began in the 12th Century between the second and the third Crusade. It was a very important symbol of power and patriarchy and indeed a very important time in France for assuming power with the Avignon Papacy commencing in 1309 whilst Notre-Dame was still under construction. Such historic foundations tell us many stories of the historic ideologies and many conquests over time, the French domination being evident throughout history.

Fast forward to modern history, 1916 Sykes Picot secret French British accord and 100 years of foreign policy, the fall out of which includes the destruction of many important measures of human meaning - physical, intellectual, spiritual, historic, architectural. Perceptions of power, how it is represented and who holds propriety on the narratives of power are so deeply embedded in our subconscious.

Whilst the shock we experience is of course a mix of many personal experiences and emotions, watching Notre-Dame burn also deeply impacts our global subconscious beliefs about patriarchy and power and reveals a vulnerability.

Time has had little consequence when it comes to the dominant narratives of history, of Orientalism and conquest, ideas of revolution, secularism and reform and who holds propriety on power, representation and culture, perhaps until now.

The burning of Notre-Dame is a very symbolic representation of our times. I think globally we are acutely aware of this vulnerability - a vulnerability availability which is so easily accessible, and hence why the symbolism of a burning Notre-Dame holds so much meaning at this time.