Why should we bother to work with gods and goddesses in the first place? Almost every religion includes some form of mythology, from the earliest and most primitive practices to the more modern and “scientific” variants, which tend to disguise their myths as symbology or history. It is obvious that these god figures and their stories, whatever one chooses to call them, are important and meaningful to humanity, a vital and intrinsic part of our...
In most cultures, there is no clear line separating myth from folk or fairy tale. All these together form the literature of preliterate societies. The Nordic languages have only one word for both: saga. The German language retained the word Sage for myths, while fairy stories are called Märchen. It’s the same in the Dutch language, the word Sage for myths, while fairy tales are called sprookjes. It is unfortunate that both the English and...
In the last days of paganism in Germany, the druids’ sacrifices were subject to punishment by death at the hands of the literalist Christians. Nevertheless, at the beginning of springtime the “druids” and the populace sought to regain the peaks of the mountains so that they could make their sacrifices or experience their celebrations at these remote locations, intimidating and chasing off the Christians (usually through the latter’s fear of the devil). The legend of the first Walpurgis Night is […]...
The attentive reader of the first episodes of Maier files will have noticed that the tale once told by Rolf Dietrich and the history of Otto Maier are filled with powerful themes and images that might provide a clue to the real hidden mystery, among them: the Rose Trail (Troj de Reses), web of woven silk, the knights in the line of Dietrich von Bern, the enchanted windmill, fiancée of the Month of May, the...
We already mentioned goddess Saga (https://www.maier-files.com/what-you-didnt-know-about-saga/), now let’s meet Frigg. Frigg was one of the more widely worshipped Germanic goddesses, appearing in Scandinavia, Britain, and on the Continent. Snorri names her the foremost of the Asynjur, a group of goddesses described as being equal in holiness and authority to the male Aesir (Gylfaginning, ch. 20). Nevertheless, very little is known about her worship, and until recently she has often been overshadowed by the better-known figure...
The nornir or norns were a group of female supernatural beings closely related to ideas about fate in Old Norse tradition. Karen Bek-Pedersen provides a thorough understanding of the role played by norns and other beings like them in the relevant sources. Although they are well known, even to people who have only a superficial knowledge of Old Norse mythology, this is the first detailed discussion of the norns to be published amongst the literature dealing with Old Norse beliefs. […]...
In the depth of winter, as snowflakes drifted down like feathers from the heavens, a queen sat by her ebony-framed window, sewing. A sudden prick of her needle drew blood—three drops, crimson against the white snow. The sight inspired her wish for a child “white as snow, red as blood, and black as ebony.” Thus begins the Brothers Grimm’s tale of Snow White. These three drops of blood, seemingly a fleeting detail, set the stage...
Sometimes a symbol finds you before you understand why you needed to see it. There exists a diagram, deceptively simple in its geometry, that has appeared across centuries in forms both sacred and profane. Three points arranged in a triangle, with a circle at the center where all three meet. You might recognize it from medieval manuscripts, carved into church stones, or sketched in alchemists’ private notebooks. In Christian tradition it’s called the “Trinitarian Shield,”...
The story of the Goose Girl starkly shows the process that sets out when any one chooses to neglect or simply reject reality. And as a result chooses not to move into action. The Goose Girl, once an exquisite little princess who held tremendous promise, slowly but surely lost her dignity, her horse, her clothing, and last but certainly not least her personal identity. Your identity is not only who you were, nor is it who you may be. It […]...
It was Rodin who stated that “Man never invented anything new, only discovered things.” Although it’s correct to say that certain symbols have been man-made for a particular purpose, it’s just as correct to argue that everything is somehow inspired by the natural world around us, by the forms of nature, plants, animals, the elements. Even a reaction against the fluid forms of nature is usually inspired by a desire to offer an alternative. Occasionally...
Plato, as the speaker Timaeus, refers to the Demiurge frequently in the Socratic dialogue Timaeus, circa 360 BC. The Demiurge as the entity who “fashioned and shaped” the material world. The Demiurge is the craftsman. The term demiourgos or craftsman is itself surprising – one might expect such a character to be rather grandly titled Nous or Logos. At Athens, the craftsman was either a slave or if free, one who acquired a certain stigma...
The exploration of ancient symbols often reveals hidden threads connecting diverse cultures. In the Maier Files Chronicles, we delve into the higher meaning of the swastika, tracing its roots through various traditions and shedding light on its symbolism beyond conventional interpretations. Herman Wirth’s research on the Ur-Nordic races in Germany serves as a guiding beacon, unraveling the swastika’s significance in a broader, universal context. The Hyperborean Race: Unveiling the Nordic Origin Wirth’s groundbreaking work challenges the conventional view of the […]...
