|
 In
Yockey's dissertations about the various aspects of 'History'
he maintains that the History view of our times has to make
its way over the ruins of the linear scheme which insists on
seeing History as a progression from "Ancient" through
"Mediaeval" to "Modern". This linear view
holds that History is a long row of happenings, leading up to
the Present. Basically, the linear view is cultural egocentricity,
or put in another way, that unconscious assumption that Western
Culture is the focus of the whole meaning of human history.
Among
the followers of this linear history view are previous centuries
progress yes-men, the social-ethicals, the "ideologists"
of whatever description; common to them all is a belief in Rationalism.
They assume that History is reasonable, they think they themselves
are reasonable and they insist that History has done, and will
do, what they think it should.
But
the History view of our time is meant to reflect Life, and Life
is not static but a continuous battle between opposites -- between
Old and Young, between Tradition and Innovation, between views
that have become obsolete and those reflecting new knowledge.
Ask Galileo, Bruno, Copernicus, Pelagius! All represented in
their time the Future, yet all were overcome, in one way or
another, by the enthroned Past. It should therefore come as
no surprise that the 19th and 20th centuries materialists persecute
those in tune with the Future by maligning, by conspiracy of
silence, by cutting off from access to publicity, or by driving
to suicide.
Let
us not forget that Materialism and Rationalism of the last two
centuries emerged as a "Holy Faith" and that each
generation believed as an absolute Truth that it was the peak
of all striving of the world.
This
linear view of History was more or less acceptable to Western
man as long as he knew nothing outside the Bible and the works
of a few other Classics; but it became grossly insufficient
with the new advance in archaeological investigations, including
excavations and deciphering of original inscriptions in Egypt,
Babylonia, Greece and those of other High Cultures.
These
investigations show the historically-minded Western civilization
that it is by no means unique in its historical grandeur, but
that it belongs to a group of High Cultures of similar struc-
[Page 2]
ture and of equal elaboration and splendor.
The results of this new knowledge broke down the old linear
look of history and it is slowly being replaced because it is
no longer in keeping with the Spirit of our Age.
Previously,
intellectual authority had been able to distorts the facts slightly
to make them conform with a picture that could convince those
who already believed. But with the opening up of. the history
of the previous High Cultures that were fulfilled in India,
Egypt etc. this view could no longer satisfy even the believers.
Furthermore,
the materialistic view that postulated the 'influence' of preceding
Cultures on subsequent ones died out, and this new psychological
outlook on Life is recognizing the primacy of the soul and the
superficialness of outward appearance.
This
intense probing of the Past is, in Yockey's opinion, an expression
of a super personal feeling that the riddle of History had not
been unlocked by the linear view and that the totality of facts
would have to be considered.
The
feeling spread that "Universal history" was needed:
The combination of the history of politics, law, religion, behavior
patterns, art, philosophy into ONE great synthesis - in short,
the Idea of Total History, i.e. Cultural History.
In
the beginning this was only understood by the few, but now the
idea of the unity of a High Culture is general in the higher
spiritual stratum of our civilization.
To
the 20th century with its center of gravity in politics, History
is not a mere instrument of proving or illustrating any dogmas,
or social-ethical "progress" theory, but the source
of our effective world outlook.
In
keeping with the Spirit of the Age the leading minds of the
20th century reject the anti-factual linear theory of History;
in its place has been put the actual structure of human history,
the history of eight High Cultures, each an organism with its
own individuality and destiny.
This
history outlook is a soul-necessity for a small number of men
only, it holds no compulsion for the masses that throng the
streets of Western cities. -- Historical relativity is like
physical relativity only the possession of those who are aware
of the changing values.
It
was left to Spengler, the philosopher of the Age, to set forth
the full outline of the structure of History. He himself was
the first to recognize the proper personal nature of his work
when he said that an essentially historical idea is only in
a limited way the property of him to whose lot it falls to parent
it. It was his destiny to articulate that which others were
groping for.
Yockey
saw this already in the forties and expanded on some of the
Spenglerian views thus bringing new knowledge, gained in the
interim, to bear an the spiritual foundation for the weltanschauung
which is imperative for us.
* * *
THE TREE
At
this time of the year, when Odinists are celebrating Winter
Solstice and the Christians, having usurped the festival of
our forefathers, have their X-mas holiday, THE TREE plays an
important role. Here in the North an evergreen is gaily decorated
and, I think we all feel a bit sorry for those of our kinsmen
who live in areas where no such tree grows wild they have to
substitute whatever they can get, when they celebrate the Return
of the Sun.
However,
there is another tree which occupies a significant place in
the mythology of our forefathers. In the wards of Grimnismol,
the World Ash, Yggdrasil, is 'the best of all trees.'
Trees
have in most so-called primitive societies been an essential
part of the mythology; in many places big oak trees have been
revered as a symbol for 'eternity' and understandably so, for
people watched how plants, animals and kinsmen died, they themselves
would die one day, but the great proud oaks were older than
any living thing they knew.
In
Norse mythology the World Ash is the center of all; its branches
reach the sky and cover the earth and it holds up the universe.
When the first man was formed, the legend tells he was given
the name Ask (Scandinavian for ash) so we immediately perceive
the close connection between Man and Tree -- man as an inextricable
part of the world.
The
name of the tree -- Yggdrasil -- has been explained in several
ways, the best known being that it means Odin's horse -- one
of the many names for Odin was Yggr.
[Page 3]
This
is a reference to a saga that tells how Odin, without food and
suffering much pain, for nine nights and nine days hanged himself
on the branches of the World Tree, before he was able to snatch
up `The Runes' i.e. wisdom and knowledge. -- Grimnismol says
further about the World Ash:
Three roots there are:
that three ways run,
'neath the ash-tree Yggdrasil: --
'neath the first lives Hel,
'neath the second the Frost-Giants,
'neath the last are the lands of men.
Yggdrasil
is a very special tree with a lot of trouble; -- still in the
words of Grimnismol:
Yggdrasil's ash great evil suffers;
Far more than men do know;
The hart bites its top,
Its trunk is rotting,
And Nidhogg gnaws beneath.
If
we accept the Ash as a symbol of the world, we need not wonder
why it has great trouble. In its top branches an eagle, wise
beyond measure, is perched, symbolizing the lofty spirit of
the soul; at the foot of the tree the dragon Nidhogg gnaws at
its roots ('nid' is Danish for envy and spite). Also at its
foot are more serpents than any one can count; the biggest is
the world serpent that in other legends is presented as a child
of Loki, the Half-God that lived among the Asir but was of doubtful
origin.
The
eagle and the serpent are at war -- intelligence and spirituality
constantly combating ignorance and materiality. A squirrel is
running up and down the tree trunk carrying messages from one
to the other, seemingly innocent and guileless, but in reality
full of barbed insults and arrogant abuse. The squirrel is called
Ratatosk; I don't know if there is a connection but Rata is
the name of a large tree which now only is found on New Zealand
and from which the natives used to make war clubs etc.; also,
in the French language the word Rata has to do with the sound
of war drums.
There
are many other complications in the life of the tree; apart
from the drag on gnawing at its roots there are harts feeding
on its leaves and the she-goat Heithrun nibbles its branches
so that her udders will fill with the mead that is served for
Gods and heroes in Valhal.
Another
important part of the legend surrounding the World Ash is that
although it continually is being destroyed it always renews
itself, even at Ragnarok the tree will shudder and tremble but
it will not fall.
The
tree thus symbolizes the eternal struggle and our forefathers
believed that although plants, animals and people will die,
even though the known world (civilization) may crumble at Ragnarok
and the Gods themselves will perish ---- the World Tree, i.e.
Life, will go on, new members of the clan will be born , and
Yggdrasil will still be there, giving shelter, nourishment and
strength to future generations.
The
symbol of a tree as the center of the world is known not only
in Scandinavian mythology but reaches far back in antiquity.
For example in the Shamanism of the Siberian peoples, particularly
among the Buriats, part of the initiation for becoming a shaman
consists of climbing the World Tree, which incidentally is not
an ash but a birch, and so doing he is believed to ascend to
heaven where he must suffer pain, torture and symbolic death.
in order to obtain wisdom and mythical powers; the world tree
of the Buriats has nine notches, one for each of nine worlds.
Underneath
Yggdrasil are two springs, the waters of both are holy and possess
mighty powers. One is Mimir's well. It is told that to get a
draught of water from it Odin had to pay with his one eye, so
that he might be wise and knowledgeable above all others.
At
the other well, the Gods hold council every day and this is
the most holy of all places for this is the abode of the three
Norns who sit and weave the life threads of Gods and men. Besides
deciding the destinies of all, the three Sisters of Fate have
the holy duty each day to water Yggdrasll with the waters from
their well and thus restore the strength of: the World Ash so
that it can withstand all the pain and suffering it must endure;
only in this way The Tree will keep green and healthy, and honey
dew will fall ever fell from its leaves, providing nourishment
for all the nine worlds.
Of'
course the legends cannot be explained rationally for they deal
with spiritual matters; our forefathers had an instinctual wisdom
they seldom are given credit for; but through their legends
they gave form to their thoughts about life and death, about
the world around them and the spirit within.
Thus
they left us a spiritual legacy that will give us the strength
to move mountains -- if only we understand.
[Page 4]
GENIUS AND THE COMMON
MAN
2. Genius the Culture-Builder
| ".
. .tradition is often simply the corporeal embodiment,
as it were, of heredity. Behind many a great writer's
personality there stands tradition, and behind tradition
the race."
Havelock Ellis in "The Dance of
Life" |
Questions
may arise as to why we should be concerned with genius when
there are so many problems of more immediate concern, and does
genius not belong to the past? Has education not made us more
equal?
Such
questions should not surprise in an age that has declared that
God is dead. For the two are inseparably linked together. And
as God is thought of as a person who had once been alive, long
ago, but is now dead, so genius is looked upon as an institution
really too antiquated to be of use in the modern world, and
hence obsolete.
Yet
this attitude reflects only the sad truth that what is really
dead is the soul of modern men. He carries it about like a dead
weight, finds it annoying merely to be reminded of it and knows
but one desperation: How to be rid of it!
Ah,
but life will not have it so. Life will discard him. For man
lives not merely to survive but to fulfill himself and unless
he can do so, turns to self-destruction. The struggle for survival
is basic to life, how could we fulfill anything without physical
existence? But purpose and fulfillment were ever the fate .for
genius to define, and it was through the mystifying powers of
their soul that life was regenerated. Hence, if genius were
truly to lie buried in the past, so would our future.
But
the past is in fact not dead, it lives within us if we will
but be aware and true to ourselves.It is for this reason that
the understanding of genius is of importance to us. It is through
genius that we gain an understanding of our nobler motivations
and our purpose for being.
In
our previous article on this subject we pondered the question
of genius in pre-human existence as a precedent for the birth
of genius in man. We found that the term genius does not apply
to man only but to nature as well, in its creative stages at
least. Hence we saw evolution of the species not only as a process
more of less passively endured because of pressing external
influences. We saw individual creatures actively and creatively
engaged in the process through the exertion of internal energies.
We concluded that, in preparation of an imminent change, something
like the force of genius must have gathered in one or more members
of a species, so that each step forward and upward involved
decision-making on the part of such individuals. True, on an
unconscious or subconscious level. But we have long cast behind
us the idea that these levels of consciousness are less than
life or that they are without soul. No doubt in this process
nature herself -- or her species, rather -- made some errors,
there were hits and misses. But the fact remains that life did
move up and that the order which evolved is not mere accident
but the work of genius.
Thus
we see genius in pre-human existence as the life-builder,
we see genius in man as the culture-builder.
Let
us consider the quotation from Havelock Ellis' "Dance of
Life" at the introduction of this article. Let us substitute
culture for the word tradition; let us substitute genius for
writer's personality. We thereby broaden Ellis' basis from that
of writing to culture generally. But we need not justify here
that "behind tradition (stands) the race." History
has adequately done so. And environmentalist can no longer talk
down the evidence of biology as the most powerful agent in the
creation of cultures. We can today state:
Race
is the organization of nature; Culture is the externalization
of race.
And
from our comprehensive point of view we would add to Ellis'
statement: " . . .and behind the race stands God -- and
God works through genius."
A
race (or nation as its off shot) is a living organism. Where
it is allowed tn develop naturally, the individuals within this
organism find their function through various simple processes
of adjustment. They involve heredity, tradition, and selection
through competition. The structure that evolves is a natural
hierarchy.
[Page 5]
Differentiation being the basic law of life,
there is no equality. The doctrine of equality disrupts the
natural order created by man striving by natural inclination
for ascendancy; it arrests or misdirects the development of
the exceptional and provides the undeserving with a place of
prominence. What follows is not order but disorder.
Genius
in any form of leadership can flourish best in an organic society.
Here life is a natural unfolding. Wa see the works of genius
as the peaks of a cultural landscape. They dominate it as its
most magnificent and -- as observed in older cultures -- most
sacred sites. But they are yet part of and root in the general
landscape, blending into a harmonious whole. An inborn rhythm
pulsates through the entire culture as the heart-beat of a people.
And whatever color and fabric the culture of such a people may
consist of, it lives by the same heart-beat. And wherever a
genius may be at work, refining, re-weaving or re-coloring tradition
to a finer texture, it will give a more perfect description
of the soul of this people. So genius defines, through its own
fulfillment, the destiny of that people. This the continuity
of a culture from genius to genius, from one period to another
within a geographically bounded homeland is the life-thread
of a people.
For
race as an organism is, as is every living organism, a finite
thing in time and in space.
One
of the most absurd assertions one hears today is that great
art has nothing to do with racial origin, that it is international
or, better still, cosmopolitan in nature. We cannot think of
anything quite so false.
The
proof lies in modern art itself. -- It has no homeland. Because
it strives to be international, it must divest itself of all
traces of identity. Hence it is a shallow nonentity, sharing
the anonymity of modern mass-man. Relying more or less (mostly
less) on technical skills only, it is unable to inspire men
because it is itself not inspired. Directing its appeal to the
"intellect," it is in fact another means of polluting
the brain.
Great
art, as the exposition of the soul of genius is neither international
nor cosmopolitan. It is universal. But it became so not because
it severed its roots. Quite the contrary. It grew from a very
select kind of roots to universal dimensions. The soul of genius
is therefore not only the soul of an individual who is great
by chance of birth. In him is brought forth the soul of his
people, arrived at crystal-clarity in the spiritualized reflection
of its -- in the words of Havelock Ellis -- corporeal embodiment.
Genius is the example par excellence of all the bio-psychical
components of a particular life-rhythm seeking by age-old routes
to channel its consciousness to a new universal awareness.
In
all her works, nature used time -- long stretches of time --
to create what was her purpose. And of course space. Oh, let
us just look at the latest discoveries in the correlation of
time and space as it exists between the animal (heredity grown
in time) and its environment (space). And man should be able
to reach the top by throwing away all this wisdom? Cutting off
the roots of any living thing will soon cause it to wither and
die. Is it any wonder that where man has cut his own. roots,
he flounders helplessly on the ground, unable to lift himself
to the heights where genius could take him?
A
human race is built on the same basic principles as is an animal
species. But man is not -- and we say it again -- an animal.
He crossed the line and became a super-creature. And he is free.
Nor does his freedom contradict his bondage to natural law.
His freedom is being able to use these laws that gave him reason
and developed his senses, to expand into the universe, and in
the grandest delights possible realize the spiritualization
of all he possesses of life.
These
moments of immersion into our other-world awareness we call
inspiration. But we cannot in any sense conceive of entering
into this awareness except through the capacities with which
we were born and which are ours by heredity. Nor can we conceive
of any man, genius or not, transmitting such experiences to
the world in a language other than that of his own personality.
-- Language being of course any creative work, whether poetry,
painting, sculpture, music or architecture, or -- in the widest
sense -- all higher forms of life expressing extraordinary experiences,
-- whether knowledge or feeling.
Hence,
one of the great marks of genius is its freedom. It transcends
all existing law. But in doing so, does not become lawless.
It creates new laws by
[Page 6]
creating new forms of culture or of life, more
beautifully, more personally- expressive of the harmony of universal
law. Yet, however great the works of ones particular genius,
however wide their range they encompass one life, one personality.
The universe lies enfolded within these limitations, bearing
the signature of its creator, the imprint of the race.
Is
there a wonder greater than this?
Let
us take heart and remember: Genius does not die. Its fires were
indeed lit by the Gods. Let us stay close to them. For their
fires are eternal.
Helgar
* * *
THE CONCEPT OF CONSERVATISM
We
Odinists talk a great deal about up holding old traditions,
preserving spiritual values of earlier times and keeping intact
our cultural heritage. It looks as if we can justly be called
conservatives.
However,
as we look around us we see more customs and more ideas that
we do NOT want to conserve as we see those we would like preserved.
We certainly do not belong to the die-hard conservatives who
want to continue the status quo of the last fifty years.
Yes,
we want free enterprise, but not the freedom for capitalists
to exploit the working man, -- we want free enterprise as opposed
to state enterprise, which seeks to be no enterprise at all,
but rather state control. We want individual freedom so that
each and everyone can do his own thing so to speak, but not
carte blanche for certain individuals to sponge on the hard
work and technological skills of others. We want preservation
of our cultural heritage, but we would like the drug culture,
the permissive educational system, and the Watergates of today
to disappear. We want our natural resources safeguarded and
would like to see no more junk foods in our supermarkets, no
more rape of our wild-life and no more subsidies for NOT producing
food or other commodities. We want co-operation between all
nations, particularly those within the Western world, and we
are greatly disturbed by the obvious tendency to international
pressure control.
In
fact, there is a whole lot of things we would NOT like conserved,
and yet we are very reluctant to accept every new idea, every
new fad until we are reasonably sure the change is for the better.
At the same time we are very much in favour of availing ourselves
to the utmost of new (proven) scientific advances and advantages
so that our whole standard of living, materially and spiritually,
can be upgraded.
We
are acutely aware that just because something 'used to be,'
does not mean that it is good and should be so forever; granted,
it is easier to let things go the way they have always been
going, but it may not be in the best interest of our community;
or just because our parents did this or that is no guarantee
that they weren't mistaken or conned into accepting some scheme
they ought to have seen through.
When
we look at the concept of conservatism we do most certainly
NOT want to preserve all that is going on today or has been
going on for many years in the lands of the West; we want freedom
of choice, yes, but with freedom comes responsibility --- RESPONSIBILITY
to your community, to your fellowman and to your own individual
integrity.
Conservatism
in our dictionary means the responsibility of conserving that
which brings forth the finest efforts of and the best personal
qualities in members of the various communities of our Western
lands.
* * *
MY CREED
My creed shall shape my every
deed,
My every word and thought;
My spirit and my mind are freed
By the lessons it has taught.
In time of sorrow it comforts me,
And lifts my weary heart;
It causes doubt to disappear;
It makes the shadows part.
Here on life's great battlefield
It is my armour bright;
It is my very sword and shield
Against the encircling night.
When I was chained, it set me free;
When I was lost, it showed the way;
Its power is with me constantly,
It leads me to a better day.
|
[Page 7]
WHY "OLD-TIME" RELIGIONS
FAIL US
An Open Letter To A Friend:
|
"An
analysis of present-day Christianity would reveal not
only its extensive borrowings from its predecessors and
contemporaries but also numerous atavistic survivals of
all primitive forms of religion from animism through polytheism
to anthropomorphic monotheism. Fetishism taboo, and magic
still flourish under the cross of Christ. These vestigial
relics indicate the evolution of the religion of man as
clearly as his wisdom teeth and vermiform appendix reveal
the evolution of his body, and their removal is sometimes
necessary to his spiritual health."
Charles Francis Potter
"The Story of Religion" |
So
you have decided to "go religious" by seeking initiation
into a certain sect because a close relative has found a peace
therein that you do not have and because generally you have
observed that religious people seem to be happier than you feel
you are.
I
know little about your present concept of God or what you mean
by religion. But I did observe that you were very much "in"
with present-day "liberated" attitudes on morals.
Your purpose in life primarily has been the pursuit of sensuous
excitements so much the fashion to day. You felt you were, by
your own reasoning, entitled to get as much "fun"
out of life as possible regardless of its reflection upon the
feelings of others. Hence you were not overly in sympathy with
values generally upheld by religion, whatever its form, as they
were merely an obstruction in your pursuit of happiness.
Now
suddenly you realize that all this has not made you happy. Instead
of finding yourself fulfilled, you are puzzled to find a void
within you. You are as restless as ever but for different reasons.
And so you think that religion might help.
I
would be the last to dispute that, and shall not deter you from
seeking out any means in trying to find the inner peace you
crave. But I am afraid the effects will be much the same as
those of earlier such attempts in sensitivity group meetings
and like set-ups. However while to you this is a personal problem,
I see it in the context of a general upheaval in the maturing
process of the entire world of Western Man. The moral decay
which you until recently supported without realizing its nature,
is evidence of one of the most crucial periods of our history.
It may, in fact, be the turning paint in our existence. Let
me, therefore, make a few comments any reactions to your problem
as it applies to so many of our people today.
It
seems to me what you are really looking for is a mental tranquilizer,
and this is what the old formalized religions actually are.
They had their place in times when ignorance was unable to cope
with the realities of life and nothing at all was known about
the only source of truth: Nature and her laws. -- All concepts
being derived from the then prevailing level of knowledge, these
religions reflect the Man/God relationship of the primitive
of many races. Imbued with superstition and the belief in magic,
they are in fact a barbaric interpretation of life. Considering
the then existing situations, blind belief was the only possible
approach to God; the only way to establish harmony between man
and the supernatural powers he conceived in the mysteries of
nature, and to stabilize a life lived in fear.
We
have long outgrown this type of religion. Our problem is that
well-nigh two thousand years ago we were persuaded pushed and
coerced into a FORM of religion that was not only primitive
but rigid and alien. Consequently it was without potential for
growth. Instead, it splintered into hundreds of sects, each
avowing to have arrived at the final truth, as the result of
its inherent untruth.
Meanwhile,
our innate moral concepts, our ethical instincts became hopelessly
entangled with this alien religion. It is this fact, not the
religious belief in itself, that had helped the latter to survive.
It is also this fact that causes confusion and possibly intense
suffering in the individual, and raises the spectre of anarchy
in the public mind at the thought of discarding Christianity.
It is felt that all the principles of order that have been the
mainstay of our culture, will be thrown out as well.
This
fear is not unfounded. To a large extent it has already justified
itself. The response to the situation is manifold. There are
those who fight tenaciously to hold on to Christianity; there
[Page 8]
are others who, having thrown it off but witnessing
the rise of chaos, want it back; there are those who cry with
Lenin that "religion is opium" and hold this to apply
to ALL religious thought, and there are some who clamour for
a return of the "old-time religion" whether of our
own ancestors or others.
But
we cannot turn back.
We
simply cannot jettison the knowledge we have worked so hard
to achieve. We can only go forward. For it is not a question
of having moved forward too fast or too far, it is a question
rather of only ONE PART of our being having moved forward, leaving
the other far behind. Therefore, the answer to our problem is
to catch up with what was left behind and this, the neglected
part of our being, is the SOUL.*
[*
Footnote: Some time in the future we shall give a comprehensive
explanation of this term on the basis of 20th Century knowledge
and insight].
This
means that at the moment there is time-wise, a discrepancy between
our intellectual reasoning and our (accepted standard) religion
of almost two thousand years. In other words, we are expected
to balance our 20th Century knowledge on the rational side with
that of the year One on the (irrational i. e.) religious side.
This makes no sense, quite apart from the fact that the
religion in question made no sense to start with.
Of
course, thinking men of the West, rather than jettison their
factual knowledge which they had wrested from nature threw their
religion overboard. And very often God with it. They simply
could not reconcile meaningless legends, presented as factual
history, miracles that claimed to disrupt irrevocable laws,
and an alien, primitive god-concept, with the facts of science
and history, nor with the far superior insights into the nature
of God and Man that had existed long before Christianity in
the science and philosophy of the Early Greeks, the founders
of our Western Culture.
For
our thinking men and women or the 20th Century, religion can
no longer mean isolation from or division of life in any of
its components. Nor can it mean retreat behind cloistered walls
or withdrawal into a belief that has lost all validity. Our
religion encompasses all of life: the laws that have built the
universe no less than those by which we have attained our intellect
and the capacities of our soul.
Hence
our religion will have the support or the wide range of knowledge
we possess today. But it will not lead a separate existence
on the periphery but form the very centre of our lives. Now
meanings on the nature or good and evil will evolve to build
tighter bonds between our practical and our spiritual values,
forming the outlines of a new social order.
Further,
our religion will include a keen awareness of history. Not one
genius must be lost from its pages. Deeds done well will be
the inspiration for deeds yet to be done. Mistakes made shall
be a lesson far a better morrow. But ever will we know ourselves
to be a link in the endless chain of generations, and honour
the past as the living memory of our people.
I
have heard you say that the past does not interest you, that
it is dead, done with. You may now discover that this is not
so. We did not suddenly spring in to today from nowhere. We
have been a long time in coming. And the world for which we
are groping today, has been developing through centuries past,
under the cover of subterfuge ideas and ideologies, of which
Christianity was only one. As today's know-how in the field
of science is built on achievements of the past, so today's
spiritual insights have evolved from long and intense inner
struggles towards clarity and freedom, in the past.
But
today's religion will not sit on something that was once declared
sacred. Now we know: the Eternal is sacred forever, but its
unfolding to man's understanding takes place in time and as
it does, his inner world must be allowed to grow with the expense
of knowledge. Values remain unchanged in themselves but they
take on new meanings through newly acquired insights and experiences.
Hence they must be reviewed and renewed from time to time if
we are not to stagnate but grow.
Rebuilding
this old world of ours will by no means be an easy task. But
by challenging and rewarding one for the individual, a glorious
one for the communal efforts of the world of the West. The whole
universe lies before us to be re-discovered and re-defined,
not now its material composition as seen and known by the mind,
but as the outer manifestation of the Godhead and as experienced
by the soul.
But
discovery and renewal begins with discovery end renewal of the
Self -- the Self of the individual and the collec-
[Page 8]
tive Self of a people. And one of the first
discoveries we will ask that in the discontent, the curiosity,
and unrelenting need for renewal so characteristic of the men
of the West, lies the root of their creativity. We cannot except
anything as "finished." No, not even our search for
God. Gladly, therefore shall we part with the images and concepts
become totally inadequate. No longer can we see God as something
that can be acquired like a commodity, or taken like a drug,
or taught like a chemical formula, or found by following a rigid
pattern of rules, or in mystic performances of ritual. This
may be the way to God for other peoples, but not for the dynamic,
freedom-loving men and women of the West! Never shall we cease
to search to unravel, to try to understand, to reach yet farther
and deeper, ever and again. For therein lies the purpose and
fulfillment for the individual and the race: to find a new harmony,
a new peace and a glorious sense of accomplishment upon every
journey of discovery, whether in the world of matter or in that
of the spirit, though life itself may have been at stake.
And
so, from the God-search of our own past comes a new understanding
of the word "God" for today:
No
image, no concept can serve to "explain" God. For
God is the indefinable Essence of Being. As the Godhood has
created itself into all that is and within our consciousness
the potential of its own Self-Realization, so will our awareness
be of God in all things and within ourselves and this live in
our feelings, our deeds and creations as the essence of our
being. But never shall we thereby dissociate ourselves from
those eternal verities that govern the realities of our physical
existence, the dwelling house of our Spirit: the Laws of Nature.
They
are the only "Holy Scriptures written by the hand of God."
* * *
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WOMEN'S LIB.
Modern
woman is a frustrated, alienated, exploited, unfulfilled, neurotic,
pathetic - commodity. She has been "liberated" from
the "drudgery" of housework, only to be relegated
to the monotony of daytime television or a mediocre job .She
has traded the dangers of child-birth for the hazards of abortion
and inadequately researched methods of birth control. She is
admonished to be seductively "feminine," but when
raped, is blamed for "leading him on" and commanded
to "adjust" to the "realities of life."
--- Whereas once she was husbanded as a broad-sow, now she is
nurtured solely as a sex-object.
The
emphasis of "Women's Liberation" is on licence portrayed
as freedom -- "Freedom" to do your own thing,
to be self-fulfilled and not give a damn about
anyone else. What the women lib'ers do not realize is that true
self-fulfillment is dependent upon a society able to orient
itself and its goals in the direction dictated by its own inner
imperative.
Liberation
of women from the women's liberation movement should be a prime
objective of those concerned with the deliverance of our people
and our culture from the destructive forces running rampant
in today's "society." Yet anyone wishing to better
the sorry plight of modern women is offered only two alternatives.
One is the bra-burning extremism by such culture mutilators
as Betty Freidan, Bella
Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Xaviera Hollander. The other is
a Middle Eastern view of women as inferior, passive, slightly
tainted chattels taken from Adam's rib for the sale purpose
of being used by men. Is there no other option?
As
Odinists, we believe in seeking guidance from our past to solve
the perplexing problems of the present. Let us there fore examine
the position of women in Europe prior to the imposition of Christianity
on our forefathers.
The
womenfolk of our ancestors were not as "free" as some
women of today. They had no political rights, could take no
part in judicial processes except as witnesses, and were usually
subject to the authority of their fathers or husbands. However,
they were far more privileged than any women in the rest of
the world at that time, and than non-Western women of today.
[Page 10]
Many people do not realize that during the
pre-Christian era commonly called the "Viking-Age,"
all was not slaughter. The Vikings were great traders as well
as great warriors. They traveled from Lapland to North Africa,
from Newfoundland to the Urals. These activities took many men
away from their homes as merchants and fighters, some of them
never to return. This meant that their women-folk had to remain
behind to manage the domestic affairs of the men. The women's
native Nordic abilities, combined with these grave responsibilities,
fostered in them a high degree of initiative and independence.
Unlike
the current trend of today's society, sex roles were clearly
defined. As indicated by the household keys she wore at her
belt, the women was supreme in her own sphere.The housewife
was in complete charge of servants and everything in the house.
Besides caring for the children, doing traditional household
tasks and tending the farm animals, women shared in the general
occupations and past-times of the household and district.They
were instrumental in transmitting medical knowledge and the
riddles, poetry, stories, and genealogies that were a source,
not only of family entertainment but also of family pride and
community solidarity.
In
some districts, women had equal right of inheritance with men,
and in others, provision was made whereby they received a portion
of what a brother would have received, in addition to a dowry.
Widows at that time, unlike in later periods of history, could
have charge of their own property and could administer that
of their children; some widows were rich and important land-owners.
In
the area of personal relations, as in other dimensions, Viking
women were much freer than their contemporaries in other cultures.
Divorce is an excellent example of this; all that was necessary
for it to be legally effective was a formal declaration by either
spouse. Although subordination of women was at times strictly
maintained, there is much evidence to shaw that in general they
were respected and given a high degree of personal freedom.
In a representative report from the ninth century, al-Ghazal,
the Muslim ambassador from Cordova to the Vikings in Ireland,
stressed the frank and independent behaviour of Norse women,
which was apparently in striking contrast to what he was accustomed
to. In the so-called "cradle of civilization," a noted
proponent of the Judeo-Christian ethic had called women cesspools
and entrappers of men; such attitudes coloured the treatment
of females. In whatever area this new belief was promulgated.
We
can look at the Valkyries for further indications of the self-reliance
of women. These warrior maidens selected the best warriors to
take to Valhalla in the service of Odin pending the ultimate
destruction known as Ragnarok; on occasion, they took an active
part in earthly hostilities, as did Brynhild in a famous battle
commemorated by Wagner. The Valkyries were part of the mythology
of our forefathers, and therefore in some respects considered
to be ideals. While perhaps not representative of women as a
whole, their creation was probably the result of some incident
in real life; for example, in the tenth century a woman was
said to be the leader of a group of Vikings in Ireland, and
there are other legends of fierce and imperious women that must
certainly have had some basis in reality.
Outstanding
women, real or legendary must have done something to lift the
status of women in general. Yet, in those predominantly agricultural
times, that status must have been essentially maintained by
the intelligent and active farmer's wife of good stock, sure
of her position and powers, a type we often meet in the sagas
of the Icelanders. These women belonged deeply to the total
life of their people.
The
"deprived" women of today seem to be solely concerned
with what they can get out of society, rather than with doing
whet they can to improve our society and assist society as a
whole to reach a superior destiny.
The
Women's Movement of the future must look to the past for guidance;
it should not be a crusade which inscribes on its banner as
its objective the fight against man, but rather a driving
force which sets as its program the common fight of woman together
with man: We must have women who fight for the common life,
in the service of the common task of maintaining life; who in
that community do not set their gaze on rights which
an alien mentality sets before their eyes, but rather on duties
which nature imposes on all of our people in common.
|
December
1973
10
at
the Battle of Cowpens, S. Carolina, 1781