posted September 30, 2008 09:58 AM         

Luther frequently alluded to the fact that he suffered from chronic constipation and spent much of his time in contemplation on the toilet. Experts say they have been certain for years that the 16th century religious leader wrote the groundbreaking Theses while on das klo, as the Germans call it. But they did not know where the object was until they discovered the stone construction after recently stumbling across the remains of an annex of his house in Wittenberg, southwest of Berlin, during plans to plant a garden.

Another material on that same subject:

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http://thoughtsactions.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/martin-luther-pioneer-of-reform/

A somewhat cryptic remark in one of Luther’s personal recollections has been the subject of much interest. Luther wrote of being granted his theological insight in a room identified by the Latin abbreviation cl. What could this mean? One obvious interpretation would be that the abbreviation is to be understood as cloaca a semipolite Latin term for “latrine” or “privy.” This possibility has evoked considerable discussion. For example, John Osborne’s 1961 play Luther represents Luther as achieving theological insight at the same moment as he experienced relief from a longstanding bout of constipation.

This might initially seem somewhat improbable. Nevertheless, Luther himself saw a link between Satanic temptation and latrines, even if that connection might well be puzzling to most modern readers. In a recollection dating from Christmas 1531, Luther quotes a popular poem concerning the monk who is caught by the devil reading his prayers on a latrine:

Devil: Monk on the latrine! You shouldn’t be reading matins here!
Monk: I am purging my bowels while worshiping almighty God. You can have what goes down while God gets what goes up.

Interesting though this possibility might be, we must note that there is another (and rather more plausible) explanation of the mysterious Latin abbreviation cl. The term could be an abbreviation for the heated room in the Wittenberg monastery, which was a favorite haunt of monks feeling the cold in winter.

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posted September 30, 2008 02:50 PM         

The toilet area is the favorite playground of the jinn.

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~