Pagan Resurrection by Richard Rudgley (book review)

These days we are used to hearing about religious fundamentalism and blind faith leading to terrorist atrocities. Radical fighters seem more than willing to hijack mainstream philosophies, warp them into their own bizarre ethical code and commit murder and destruction seemingly in the name of religion. We are also used to associating these offences with the fringe elements of monotheistic religions, the so called religions of the book, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Pagan Resurrection, a book by Richard Rudgley, is a book that reminds us that it is not only the modern mainstream paths that are subject to such treatment and that various Pagan belief systems, notably Odinism and Paganism in general has had its fair share of warped adherents, more recently than you may think.

Rudgley, an anthropologist by trade, is becoming a familiar face to history channels and documentary programs and he has an avid interest in Paganism and pre Christian beliefs and has a series of books and productions, such as, Lost Secrets of the Stone Age, Barbarians and more recently Pagans in his impressive body of work. In this book he moves from the more factual work of his past into a more psychological exploration of North European Paganism and how it has fared in the hands of a minority.

The book begins in fairly familiar territory, a study of Paganism in a general sense, Odinism in particular and a look at Carl Jung, the pagan prophet as he is sometimes known and his views on the re-emergence of the Odin archetype. As Rudgley goes on to expand on and bring up to date, the idea of an Odin philosophy lies buried within North European tradition, harks back to a time before Christ and is as benevolent as it is benign. The roots of the growing interest in this path is followed through the writings of various 19th century writers but it is its links with those who formed the ground work of what would become the National Socialist political ethic which interests Rudgley here. Jung himself warned that the undercurrent of Odinism could lend itself to an ideology akin to that which was created in Germany in the inter-war years. The result, the rise of the Nazi party and the war that followed are termed here the First Odinic Experiment.

The second half of the book mores into the prediction and speculation of the Second Odinic Experiment and looks at the use of Odinism and, more specifically Wotanism, as the basis of the philosophy followed by White Supremacists and Separatists. It must be stated that at no time does the book suggest that paganism leads to such a political view but follows the thread of connection in the same way that Islam or Christianity can empower radical fringe elements to become terrorists. In balance to these links between modern neo-Nazi’s and paganism the book addresses the positive future of the path and concludes with a look at the writings of the likes of Carlos Castaneda, the Anglo Saxon Shamanism of Brian Bates and the modern martial pagan path of Ivar Hafskjold in the Stav discipline.

As I said, this is a detailed look at the psychology of one small area of Paganism and not an attack on any part of it, Rudgley’s body of work shows that he is sympathetic of the path and his book is rather a warning rather than a criticism. As with all his work it is well constructed and flows easily through its various areas of discussion . It is observant in its nature, preferring to present facts and point out obvious parallels, rather than make unfounded leaps of faith. It is also a book that could have been less balanced in the hands of a lesser writer and also a book that has a wide appeal as it touches on Paganism, the politics of modern extremism, history and psychology. A must for anyone interested in any of those areas.