Driving through the Rocky Mountains, I think I can finally grasp the true meaning of the word majestic. You know that feeling of fullness when you see a gorgeous sunrise? Yeah, it’s like that.
Majesty is the quality of being impressive and great. Works for royalty, and for mountains. “Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else.” Wikipedia
There was even a crime, leasa maiestas, which was crime against this majesty, or in modern terms, crime against the state. Certain acts such as celebrating on a day of public mourning or disrespecting the republic were punishable. The first royal to use the term majesty to designate being above “highness” was Charles V when he was elected Holy Roman Emperor. Later on, Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England followed suit.
Being above, or bigger, than everything else, in other words, majestic, brings to mind the big things in nature. Mountains, oceans, sunrise, sunset, the universe itself. What gives you the sense of majesty?
A mountain is a land form that stretches above the surrounding land, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain symbolizes strength and permanence. It is the most majestic thing on earth, (in my humble opinion).
Majesty opens the heart and fills the mind with awe. I think it is nature’s way of reminding us mere mortals that we are only a part of the earth, and not the reason for it. Nature is majestic. We need to be caretakers of the earth to keep it strong and permanent.
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