One of the most important personalities in the history of mankind is the being, that is referred to in the New Testament as "John" (John 1.6.). Studying Rudolf Steiner's writings and lectures, one can gain the most profound insights concerning this being of John and his mission, insights that have the power to touch deep truths, that lie as if buried in the unconscious regions of the soul.
In the Gospel of St. John, immediately following the mighty description of the evolution of the cosmos (John 1.1-5.), there is written the following: "There was a man, send from God, whose name was John." (John 1.6.)
The last part of this sentence, the name "John", in the original old Greek language of the Gospel of St. John, would sound to our ears like: "EH - OH - Annes", a sequence of sounds that is still present for this name in some languages, for example in the Italian "Giovanni", the German "Johannes", and to a lesser degree in the French "Jean" or the English "John". In these three sounds, the "EH, OH, AH" one is able to detect three gestures, gestures which can be expressed in Eurythmy, the art of visible movement. The "EH" is represented by the upright human being, one arm pointing heavenwards, the other arm pointing earthwards; the gesture is one of "admonition". The "OH" is found in the round form, embracing as it were one's own soul with one's arms; the gesture is one of "inwardness". The "AH" finally can be seen as an opening of oneself to the heavenly revelation, both arms pointing to heaven, forming a V-shaped vessel; the gesture is one of "vision".
The last part of this sentence, the name "John", in the original old Greek language of the Gospel of St. John, would sound to our ears like: "EH - OH - Annes", a sequence of sounds that is still present for this name in some languages, for example in the Italian "Giovanni", the German "Johannes", and to a lesser degree in the French "Jean" or the English "John". In these three sounds, the "EH, OH, AH" one is able to detect three gestures, gestures which can be expressed in Eurythmy, the art of visible movement. The "EH" is represented by the upright human being, one arm pointing heavenwards, the other arm pointing earthwards; the gesture is one of "admonition". The "OH" is found in the round form, embracing as it were one's own soul with one's arms; the gesture is one of "inwardness". The "AH" finally can be seen as an opening of oneself to the heavenly revelation, both arms pointing to heaven, forming a V-shaped vessel; the gesture is one of "vision".