1 [First published as ‘Wotan,’ Neue Schweizer Rundschau (Zurich), n.s., III (March, 1936), 657–69. Republished in Aufsatze zur Zeitgeschichte (Zurich, 1946), 1–23. Trans. by Barbara Hannah in Essays on Contemporary Events (London, 1947), 1–16; this version has been consulted. The author added footnotes 3, 4, 15 and 16 (first par.) to the London edn. Motto, trans. by H. C. Roberts:

“In Germany shall divers sects arise,

Coming very near to happy paganism.

The heart captivated and small receivings

Shall open the gate to pay the true tithe.”

—EDITORS.]

2 Abyssinia.

3 Ever since Nietzsche (1844–1900) there has been consistent emphasis on the “Dionysian” aspect of life in contrast to its “Apollonian” opposite. Since “The Birth of Tragedy” (1872), the dark, earthy, feminine side, with its mantic and orgiastic characteristics, has possessed the imagination of philosophers and poets. Irrationality gradually came to be regarded as the ideal; this is found, for example, all through the research of Alfred Schuler (d. 1923) into the mystery religions, and particularly in the writings of Klages (b. 1872 [d. 1956]), who expounded the philosophy of “irrationalism.” To Klages, logos and consciousness are the destroyers of creative preconscious life. In these writers we witness the origin of a gradual rejection of reality and a negation of life as it is. This leads in the end to a cult of ecstasy, culminating in the self-dissolution of consciousness in death, which meant, to them, the conquest of material limitations.

The poetry of Stefan George (1868–1933) combines elements of classical civilization, medieval Christianity, and oriental mysticism. George deliberately attacked nineteenth- and twentieth-century rationalism. His aristocratic message of mystical beauty and of an esoteric conception of history had a deep influence on German youth. His work has been exploited by unscrupulous politicians for propaganda purposes.

4 Vom kosmogonischen Eros is the title of one of Klages’ main works (first pub. 1922).

5 Thus Spake Zarathustra, trans. by Kaufmann, p. 211 (mod.).

6 Ibid., p. 247 (mod.).

7 Werke, V, pp. 457f. and 495; trans. by R.F.C.H.

8 Thus Spake Zarathustra, Kaufmann trans., p. 365.

9 Der werdende Nietzsche, pp. 84ff.

10 [After the meaningless refrains sung by the Rhine maidens in Wagner’s Ring cycle: “Weia! Waga! Wagala weia!,” etc.—EDITORS.]

11 One should read what Bruno Goetz (Deutsche Dichtung, pp. 36ff. and 72ff.) has to say about Odin as the German wanderer-god. Unfortunately I only read this book after I had finished my article.

12 Wodan und germanischer Schicksalsglaube.

13 [Wunsch, magical wish; Minne, remembrance, love; Einherier, the dead heroes in Valhalla (Meyers Konversations-Lexikon).— EDITORS.]

14 [Fylgja, attendant spirit in the form of an animal (Hastings, Encyclopedia).]

15 A National Socialist movement inside the Protestant Church, which tried to eliminate all vestiges of the Old Testament from Christianity.

16 Wilhelm Hauer (b. 1881), first a missionary and later professor of Sanskrit at the University of Tübingen, was the founder and leader of the “German Faith Movement” It tried to establish a “German Faith” founded on German and Nordic writings and traditions, e.g., those of Eckhart and Goethe. This movement sought to combine a number of different and often incompatible trends: some of its members accepted an expurgated form of Christianity, others were opposed not only to Christianity in any form but to every kind of religion or god. One of the common articles of faith, which the movement adopted in 1934, was: “The German Faith Movement aims at the religious renaissance of the nation out of the hereditary foundations of the German race.”

The spirit of this movement may be contrasted with a sermon preached by Dr. Langmann, an evangelical clergyman and high dignitary of the Church, at the funeral of the late Gustloff. Dr. Langmann gave the address “in S.A. uniform and jackboots.” He sped the deceased on his journey to Hades, and directed him to Valhalla, to the home of Siegfried and Baldur, the heroes who “nourish the life of the German people by the sacrifice of their blood”—like Christ among others. “May this god send the nations of the earth clanking on their way through history.” “Lord bless our struggle. Amen.” Thus the reverend gentleman ended his address, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (1936, no. 249). As a service held to Wotan it is no doubt very edifying—and remarkably tolerant towards believers in Christ! Are our Churches inclined to be equally tolerant and to preach that Christ shed his blood for the salvation of mankind, like Siegfried, Baldur, and Odin among others?! One can ask unexpectedly grotesque questions these days.

17 Deutsche Gottschau: Grundzüge eines deutschen Glaubens [German Vision of God: Basic Elements of a German Faith].

18 [Using the word to connote those peoples within the Semitic language-group.—TRANS.]

19 Voluspo (The Poetic Edda, trans. by Bellows, pp. 20f.; line 7 mod.).