Bifrost; a Rainbow Bridge?

Karl Georg Zschaetzsch makes the interesting observation in his Atlantis. Die Urheimat der Arier (Atlantis. The Original Home of the Aryans), that the bridge linking Midgarth with Asgarth is not a rainbow bridge but consists of only three colours, red, white and black (the colours of the Prussian and old German flag):

"Nach Plato war die Bruecke hundert Fuss breit und aus weissen, schwarzen und roten Steinen erbaut. Diese Bruecke wird auch in der nordischen Ueberlieferung unter dem Namen Bifrost erwaehnt, es heisst darueber: 'Sie hat drei Farben und ist sehr stark und mit mehr Kunst und Verstand gemacht als andere Werke.' In der Erinnerung der nach dem Norden ausgewanderten Arier war die Bruecke Bifrost so schoen und farbenpraechtig wie der Regenbogen. Im Laufe der Zeit, als der richtige Sinn der Ueberlieferungen mehr und mehr in Vergessenheit geriet, wurde dann die Bruecke, die 'schoen wie der Regenbogen' war, fuer den Regenbogen selbst gehalten. In der nordischen Ueberlieferung heisst es ferner: 'Dass die Goetter eine Bruecke machten vom Himmel zur Erde, die Bifrost heisst.'" (page 24) 

My translation:

"According to Plato the bridge was a hundred feet wide and built out of white, black and red stones. This bridge is also referred to in the Nordic tradition under the name Bifrost. It is said about it: 'it has three colours and is very strong and made with more artistry and understanding than other works.' In the memory of the Aryans who emigrated to the north the bridge Bifrost was so beautiful and and gloriously colourful as the rainbow. In the course of time, when the correct meaning of the traditions were more and more forgotten, then the bridge, which was 'as beautiful as the rainbow', was mistaken for the rainbow itself. In the Nordic tradition it is further said: 'That the gods made a bridge from heaven to earth, which is called Bifrost.' "

My readers will no doubt note that the reference to Plato concerns his works on Atlantis; Timaeus and Critias. Plato does indeed tell us that the walls of Atlantis were constructed of red, white and black stones, covered with brass, tin and orichalcum. People have speculated what kind of metal orichalcum was. It may have been platinum or some other type of alloy. We are not told what kind of stone the bridges in Atlantis were constructed of so Zschaetzsch is clearly presuming that they were made of the same kind of stone as the walls. It is a reasonable hypothesis.

Re-reading the passage in Zschaetzsch's book caused me to read again the passages relating to Bifrost in both of the Eddas. In the Poetic (Elder) Edda it is referred to as Bilrost and no description is given concerning it. More detailed information is to be found in the Prose (Younger) Edda where it is called Bifrost. In Gylfaginning High says to Gangleri: "You must have seen it, maybe it is what you call the rainbow. It has three colours and great strength and is built with art and skill to a greater extent than other constructions."
(Translated by Anthony Faulkes, published by Everyman, 1987)

In modern artwork Bifrost is usually depicted as a rainbow bridge and this is no doubt due to that single reference in Gylfaginning to its appearance. Indeed the passage itself is contradictory; having only three colours and yet compared to the rainbow. The etymology of Bifrost-'swaying road to heaven' (see Dictionary of Northern Mythology, Rudolf Simek) is not particularly helpful but Simek suggests that its earlier name, Bilrost means either 'the fleetingly glimpsed rainbow' or 'the multi-coloured way' but favours the former. An alternative name in Gylfaginning 4 is Asbru; 'bridge of the Aesir'.We have to conclude that there is no clear answer to this puzzle but the reference to three colours in Gylfaginning cannot be ignored and on that basis I feel that there is merit in Zschaetzsch's argument.

Most students of Norse mythology will notice the prevalence of the number 3 in the Eddas. This was noted especially by Lionel Fanthorpe in his Mysteries and Secrets of Numerology, 2013. There are of course 3 primary colours in light: red, green and blue but this does not explain the Atlantis-Bifrost connection. White, red and black are the representative colours of the Germanic caste system (see page 40, The Indo-Europeans by Professor Jean Haudry). As I have previously noted, these 3 colours are present in the old Prussian and German flag as well as the flags of other Indo-European founded countries. Thus finding these colours in the construction of the walls of Atlantis helps to reinforce the Atlantis-Aryan connection which is the basic premise of Zschaetzsch's book.

Meritocracy, the Enemy of the Traditional World and the Indo-European Caste System

Some time ago I read read some suggestions that the revived Germanic caste system should be based on a meritocracy, something which I cannot agree with and in essence is a contradiction of the concept of caste. Meritocracy is defined according to the Collins Concise English Dictionary as:
"rule by persons chosen for their superior talents or intellect." In effect this is the system which is used by democracy which the aforesaid dictionary defines as: "government by the people or their elected representatives."

It is clear to me that we cannot have both; a caste system and a meritocracy. The caste systems of the Indo-European peoples were no doubt a reflection of the original Aryan caste system, something which I have discussed many times on this blog and on my previous blogs. I do not intend to repeat the same arguments here. There was originally no mobility between the various castes. Only gradually with the onset of degeneration and intercaste miscegenation did this happen. This eventually caused the breakdown of the caste system and the loss of racial consciousness and blood memory. People were born into the caste which was fitting to their non-corporeal essence. There was generally no desire to be different to the station and caste that one was born into. This is a very modern and western notion and has no place in a traditional Aryan world view. Julius Evola in his Revolt Against the Modern World argues that traditional man was able to develop his own nature within the caste system and the said system was regarded as a "natural, agreeable institution" with no thoughts of 'social injustice' or 'oppression' which are modern political concepts. A man recognised his relation towards his superiors and inferiors according to their inner nature which the caste system was a visible expression of. The modern concept of 'social mobility' in antithetical to the traditional Indo-European concept of caste. The castes defined functions and ways of being. In essence they were a microcosm of the divine order of the Gods.

Professor Jean Haudry makes the observation in his The Indo-Europeans that "Celtic society has three function-classes.....but only two birth-classes." By this statement he is arguing that there was a certain degree of mobility between the priestly and warrior castes but not so with the third. In ancient Germanic society the descendants of a man that had been freed from the condition of thraldom were only recognised as freemen from the third generation onwards.


This point regarding mobility is important as the first two castes-sovereign/priest, warrior/noble are clearly distinct from the third caste which relates to either production or trade (the mercantile or middle classes). The difference is most apparent when we consider the Rigsthula in the Elder/Poetic Edda. The third caste here is not that of the producer but that of the thralls and it is very clear from the description of this caste that they bear no physical (an in my opinion, genetic) resemblance to the jarl or karl castes:

"Edda a child brought forth: they with water sprinkled its swarthy skin, and named it Thrael. It grew up, and well it throve; of its hands the skin was shrivelled, the knuckles knotty, and the fingers thick; a hideous countenance it had, a curved back, and protruding heels." (Rigsthula 7-8, Thorpe translation)

By comparison the karl is described as being a 'ruddy redhead' and the jarl as having 'light' hair. Clearly the higher Germanic castes were of Nordic race whilst the thrall is by definition a slave and is clearly of inferior physical, mental and spiritual disposition. As I have mentioned before the thrall has no place in the true Aryan caste system for the Germanic is a degenerated form of the Aryan. If one studies Rigsthula one can see the original Aryan tripartite system: Kon (son of Jarl), Jarl and Karl. Thus the kon (priestly/royal caste is biologically related to the jarl (warrior/noble) and rules over the related  karl caste. The introduction of the thrall caste only occurred in my opinion when the Germanic peoples encountered, conquered and enslaved alien peoples. One lesson that history teaches us is that imperialism and slavery rebound upon the conquering elite with the pollution and watering down of the Aryan blood. We are seeing this sad state of affairs all around us today. It is of course likely or at least possible that the physical descriptions in Rigsthula are an exaggeration to emphasise the difference between the castes, no doubt to help maintain caste boundaries.


Let us now read what Caesar had to say about the caste system in Gaul:

Throughout all Gaul there are two orders of those men who are of any rank and dignity: for the commonality is held almost in the condition of slaves, and dares to undertake nothing of itself, and is admitted to no deliberation. The greater part, when they are pressed either by debt, or the large amount of their tributes, or the oppression of the more powerful, give themselves up in vassalage to the nobles, who possess over them the same rights without exception as masters over their slaves. But of these two orders, one is that of the Druids, the other that of the knights. The former are engaged in things sacred, conduct the public and the private sacrifices, and interpret all matters of religion. To these a large number of the young men resort for the purpose of instruction, and they [the Druids] are in great honor among them. (The Gallic Wars, Book 6:13, McDevitte and Bohn translation)

Clearly the only castes which mattered among the Gauls were the Druids (priestly) and the Knights (warriors/nobles). Unfortunately he does not give us a physical description of the various castes. The Irish caste system is also worth examining in this context. Peter Berresford Ellis states that Irish society was divided into various sub classes of druids, a 'warrior nobility' and 'free peasants' called 'cow-herds'. He makes the interesting observation that the Irish term for 'cow-herds' is bo aire. He also states that the 'Chief Magistrate' of a tribe was known as the Aire Echta. (See page 194 of The Druids)

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that it was the highest castes of Indo-European society that were clearly Nordic in race and descended from the ancient solar Aryan race, semi-divine beings who brought culture and order to a chaotic and primitive world. With the onset of the Kali Yuga these semi-divine beings degenerated from their godly condition and thus many of their European descendants today behave little better than the beasts of the field in their lechery and drunkenness. The masses have become degenerate both physically and spiritually. They have become as thralls and  are acting according to type. This is why a meritocracy can have no lasting benefits. As a final point  I would ask my readers to consider the fake knighthoods and peerages are today doled out to political sycophants and wealthy donators to political parties. These modern day 'lords' and 'knights' are fake plastic impostors and undeserving of titles which once belonged to those of superior noble blood and those who through courageous deeds in warfare were elevated to the status of knighthood. Even those families with ancient titles no longer deserve the station that they hold. How many of these newly knighted parvenus can mount a horse and fight with sword and lance? This is just another example of life in the Kali Yuga in the degenerate 'western world', the epitome of which is that enemy of all nobility, the United States of America, a capitalist cess pit  which is viewed by many British politicians and the masses in general as worthy of emulation!

Some Observations about Bilskirnir, Folkvang, Valhalla and the Germanic Caste System

The Grimnismal of the Poetic Edda makes reference to the 540 doors of Valhalla, something which is widely know amongst heathens:

"Five hundred doors, and forty eke, I think, are in Valhall. Eight hundred Einheriar will at once from each door go when they issue with the wolf to fight." (Grimnismal 23, translation by Benjamin Thorpe)

What appears to be less known or commented on is that just one verse later it is noted that Thor's hall Bilskirnir has 540 floors:

"Five hundred floors, and forty eke, I think, has Bilskirnir with its windings. Of all the roofed houses that I know, is my son's the greatest." (Grimnismal 24) 

Why this important verse (Grimnismal 24) is ignored I do not know but it is worthy of exploration for it cannot be a coincidence that whilst Odin's hall has 540 doors his son Thor's has 540 floors. What could be the significance of this?


As Carolyne Larrington correctly points out in her notes to her translation of the Poetic Edda the reference to hundred could be that of a Germanic 'long hundred' of 120. Scholarly opinion is divided on the issue of whether a standard or a long hundred is intended here. Rudolf Simek likewise points out this uncertainty in his Dictionary of Northern Mythology. So Valhalla and Bilskirnir have either 540 or 640 doors and floors depending on which interpretation of a hundred one uses. Furthermore the 540 floors of Bilskirnir may be interpreted as 540 rooms! I should also add that the '800' warriors thus becomes 960 and the arithmetic changes startlingly:

540 x 800 = 432,000
640 x 960 = 614, 400


Likewise compared to the better known Valhalla, Bilskirnir is virtually unknown amongst non-heathens and probably is little better known within the heathen community! The interpretation of Bilskirnir according to Simek is "the one striking lightning with rays of light". John Lindow is uncertain about the meaning of the name but his interpretation is "suddenly illuminated [by lightning] or everlasting." (Handbook of Norse Mythology) Andy Orchard's interpretation is "lightning-crack" (Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend). From my rudimentary knowledge of Old Norse an interpretation could just as easily be 'shining crack'. Bilskirnir simply represents the lightning strike and of course this is a fitting name for Thor's hall.

Bilskirnir is mentioned three times in the Prose Edda; once in Gylfaginning and twice in Skaldskaparmal. Bilskirnir is situated in either Thrudvang (Gylfaginning 20, Skaldskaparmal 17 and Ynglinga Saga 5) or Thrudheim (Grimnismal). Simek interprets Thrudvang  to mean 'power-field' and Thrudheim as 'power-home'-essentially the same place. Lindow gives a slightly different translation of Thrudvang and Thrudheim-'strength-field(s) ' and 'strength-world'. Thrudvang/Thrudheim is of course located in Asgard.

So we now come to the question, who resides in Bilskirnir apart from Thor and his immediate family? One possibility is that this is the abode of thralls who have faithfully served Thor. My reason for saying this is the following passage:

"Odin has all the jarls that in conflict fall; but Thor the race of thralls." (The Lay of Harbard, Poetic Edda, Thorpe)

There is a dispute amongst scholars as to whether Harbard was in fact either Odin or Loki in disguise but the predominant theory is that it is Odin. It does beg the question that if the jarls go to Odin and the thralls to Thor then where do the caste of carls go? As discussed before in previous articles on other blogs the jarls and carls had far more in common with each other racially and status wise than the caste of thralls who are depicted as being an alien element in Norse society. It should be noted that unlike the jarls and carls the thralls being slaves were not freemen and were not allowed to own weapons so the likelihood of any of them ever dying in battle is a slim one at the very least. With this fact in mind one may theorise that Valhalla was the abode not only of the jarl but of the karl providing they showed their bravery and loyalty to Odin. The thrall would not have this opportunity but may if they were of good conduct dwell with Thor in Bilskirnir. That is ONE theory and I am not suggesting that this is correct.

The second theory is that there is indeed a connection between the 540 doors of Valhalla and the 540 floors or rooms of Bilskirnir. Whilst the feasting and battle play are carried out in the precincts of Valhalla could it be that Bilskirnir represents the actual sleeping quarters of the warriors of Valhalla? I am only suggesting this because of the numerical equivalency and for no other reason.

It should be remembered that only half of the battle slain are claimed by Odin; half are chosen by Freyja and go to Folkvang:

"Folkvang is the ninth, there Freyja directs the sittings in the hall. She half the fallen chooses each day, but Odin th' other half." (Grimnismal, Thorpe)  

This effectively doubles the number of warriors that the Gods will have at their disposal at Ragnarok. The 432,000 now becomes 864,000-something which is never commented upon by the exponents of the esoteric theories regarding the number 432,000 in Indo-European lore. I have discussed these theories before and do not wish to bog down this article in repeating them but I may revisit this in a future article. Furthermore if we apply the theory of the long hundred to the calculations then we have the following result:

432,000 x 2 = 864,000 (Einheriar of Valhalla and Folkvang)
614,400 x 2 = 1,228, 800 (Einheriar of Valhalla and Folkvang)


This would be a far bigger army in which to fight Ragnarok! The etymology of Folkvang according to Simek is 'field of the people' or 'field of the army'. The actual hall of the Goddess in Folkvang is Sessrumnir-'seat-roomer' (Simek). The life of the Einheriar in Folkvang is largely ignored by other commentators but I intend to discuss this in depth in the near future.

The Deliberate Disntegration of the Aryan Caste System

The Aryan caste system is to be found throughout the ancient world in all Indo-European societies and in its original and pure form is tripartite in nature, a reflection of the tripartite division of the divine functions of the Gods. This tripartite caste system can be found in the Indo-Iranian, Latin, Umbrian, Germanic, Slavic, Baltic, Celtic, Hittite, Armenian, Indian, Iranian and Greek pantheons. The division of these societies into a tripartite functional system is a reflection of the divine; 'as above, so below'. In other words the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm, an important tenet of sacred geometry and hermeticism. In the same way our sacred rites reflect events that have occurred long ago in the actions of our Gods in creating the cosmos and the 9 worlds.


The caste system in human Aryan society survived for thousands of years until the approach of the Kali Yuga when it started to break down and today we see a mere echo of this in the present day caste system of India. The 'class' system of the western world is but a bastardised version of the caste system but this should not surprise us as uniformity and lack of differentiation are key components of the dark age in which we find ourselves. Whilst the caste system was based upon divine principles and initiated by the Gods, the class system is based purely upon economics and is entirely materialist in nature, no more so than in the United States which is the epitome of this and a materialist way of life. Whatever occurs in that country eventually finds its way to Europe and infects everything like a plague.


By opposing materialism and not succumbing to its life denying teachings we take a stand against the dark forces which oppose the Gods. A spiritual war is being fought in other dimensions by beings whose power we can only imagine but here in Midgarth we can and must also participate in this war, which more than anything is a war fought over ideas and concepts for only an idea can revitalise or destroy a people. The idea which we oppose is that all things in life have a purely materialist explanation and cause. Whether it is crime, disease or chaos in society a materialist and by extension an economic explanation is tendered when in reality the origin and cause is to be found in the spiritual world. Let me offer one example of what I am talking about. In 2016 in the months preceding the European Union referendum in the United Kingdom the arguments for and against leaving were primarily expressed in materialist and economic terms. Statisticians for both camps were falling over themselves in providing projections on the costs and benefits of leaving or remaining as part of the European Union. Arguments regarding sovereignity and identity were rarely expressed and I suspect part of the reason for this was the fear of being branded 'racist', a term which was particularly thrown around by the 'remain' camp at all those who advocated leaving. There was also a presumption by the leaders of both camps that the mass population was driven primarily by materialistic and economic concerns and drives; thus the argument eventually boiled down to pure economics in the undignified scramble for votes. In truth to a certain extent they were correct: many people are purely or primarily materialistic with no concept of the spiritual world or a spiritual life, who live like the beasts of the field with no aspirations beyond their immediate bodily gratifications, the genetic robots spoken of by Miguel Serrano. These human cattle by and large lack the potential for any degree of spiritual development for they are the genetic product of decades of involutionary and indiscriminatory breeding. Cardboard cut-outs of men, one dimentional with no soul. This is the golem which is spoken of in Jewish folklore; beast men with no soul who are created and thus controlled by their master, the New World Order.


The great Aryan mystic Tolkien knew of the golem and introduced the concept as a character in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This is why the Aryan caste system had to break down and even now the liberal elite are still not satisfied but continue to agitate for the final collapse of the caste system in India. By contrast the Aryan is not a product of indiscriminate breeding but of a caste system which was concerned not only with the division of function but the preservation and improvement of the caste. The unfit were not allowed to breathe beyond their day of birth and no father in his right mind would countenance his son or daughter marrying a person with a significant defect. These days in this so-called 'enlightened' age it is considered almost a virtue for defective babies to be permitted to live and even eventually to breed, thus producing more defective humans and an ever greater burden upon the folk. It is a contradiction in modern man that on one level he considers humanity to be merely a part of the animal kingdom and yet talks about human dignity, a dignity not extended to other animals. He sees no contradiction in this dichotomy! A farmer or breeder worth his salt would not permit his finest stock to mate with unsuitable partners so why then should not mankind apply the same logic to the species of man? The truth of the matter is the NWO via the educational establishment, the media and the 'entertainment' industry which it controls in western countries, presents indiscriminate breeding and miscegenation as the norm and even as positive and desirable. For those of us who have educated ourselves in the history and culture of the traditional Aryan world we find this to be anything but the 'norm' but an aberration and a means of biological suicide; something that is intended for no peoples other than the Aryan!


One of the ways in which the enemy of tradition has attacked the caste system is by inculcating materialist and selfish aspirations in the 'mind' of the herd. It is no longer considered good enough for men to follow the occupation of their father but to 'follow their dreams' and these hollow 'dreams' seem to centre on the accumulation of yet more things, manufactured by the very people that have sold them this lie. The traditional Aryan world knew no such ridiculous notion. Man as part of a caste, something bigger than himself, sought fulfilment in the activity and function of his caste, whether he be priest, warrior or farmer. The forces of anti-tradition however have applied a monetary value to activity and calls this 'work' and man no longer has activity as a self-fulfilling occupation but a 'job'. He has become enslaved to market forces which have dictated to him that he must aspire to acquire yet more manufactured things in the false belief that he will find an illusory 'fulfilment' in this never ending consumption. I believe that this is what they refer to in North America as the 'American Dream' which predictably has become a nightmare but nevertheless the NWO would seek to export this life-denying concept to the 'Old World'. One of the faulty building blocks of the 'American Dream' is the notion of 'upward mobility', a concept exported to England in the 1980s and the idiots who swallowed that lie were known as 'yuppies'. By contrast the Aryan caste system had no concept of 'mobility', upwards or downwards for the caste system represented a form of stability and in microcosm was a representation of the divine order. One must therefore view concepts of 'social mobility' as being contrary to the will and the order that the Gods have established in the Aryan world.


Consequently man is adrift with no roots, casteless, raceless and increasingly genderless! This is entirely in keeping with the kind of world that the death dealers of the NWO would have in place. The elite top 1% of the top 1% (in other words the top 0.01 %) need a raceless, sexless and rootless humanity as it is easier and more profitable for them to sell their shoddy goods to such a base mankind. Furthermore there is a malevolence attached to this for they seek in the process the final elimination of the Overman, the Aryan, the only being in this dimension capable of effectively exposing and opposing them. Part of the 'American Dream' or in reality now the 'Western Dream/Nightmare' is the concept of 'work' but not work in a meaningful and fulfilling sense but meaningless activity concerned with the overproduction of tat to be sold to the herd who have been conditioned into believing that they must acquire these things in order to achieve 'meaning' and 'purpose'! By contrast 'work' in the sense that modern man gives it was considered an anathema by the ancient Aryan world. An alternative word for 'work' or 'job' is 'career', a term more favoured by the mercantile classes. This dark age, this age of lead is an age of serfs, of the Underman:


Indeed work has become such a primary and motivating factor that western governments wish to discourage people from retiring by abolishing compulsory retirement in the UK and conditioning the serfs into thinking that they could and should continue to work well past the beginning of old age, preferably until they die of exhaustion. That way they avoid paying pensions and they have more robots to slave for corporations, keeping competition for jobs high and wages low. A man who does not have a 'job' has more time to think, a dangerous activity in the 'West' today! By contrast a man who 'works' at minimum wage is little more than a serf who is bonded to the NWO, terrified of the consequences of voicing opposition to it in case he loses his servitude! In truth the serf has nothing to lose than his chains for it is a psychological prison of his own making. The NWO has conditioned modern man into becoming his own internal policeman, accuser, judge, jury and jailer. Fear imprisons man and subjugates him.


Everything in the Kali Yuga has become debased; the spiritual outlook of Aryan man has been replaced with materialistic and purely human impulses. The warrior of the past has now become a waged soldier. In the past the activity of war was the preserve of a specific caste who found spiritual fulfilment in its activity. Now in the era of the raceless and the sexless all are welcome to fight for the NWO whose armies now allow even women amongst their ranks of combatants so long as they do not question orders and fight without a higher cause in mind. Let us not mince our words here: the purpose of the armies of the 'West' are not primarily concerned with the protection of the population. Their role is to enforce the agenda of the NWO. Likewise let us be under no illusion about the police forces of the 'West', whose primary purpose is not the protection of the population but its subjugation and repression. Indeed the police have become a paramilitary force who are more concerned with the enforcement of political correctness and policing social media to ensure that racial 'minorities' are not offended than combatting real crime which has become a distraction for them. Now I am not suggesting that everyone who is a policeman or a soldier is a bad egg, far from it but they serve a repressive regime and they do not (unlike the warrior caste of the Aryan past) serve a higher cause. This is not their individual fault; it is merely a sign of the age in which we live.

The Tripartite Aryan Caste and Initiatory Systems Reflected in the Elder Futhark

D. Jason Cooper in his Esoteric Rune Magic theorises a link between the 3 aettir of the Elder Futhark and the tripartite Aryan caste system. In his theory "when the Aryan tribes swept from the steppes" they brought with them a society that was "already divided into three groupings". He calls these groupings 'protocastes'.He refers to the first Aett, Freyja's Aett as being the aett of the nurturer, the second aett, Heimdall's Aett as being the aett of the warrior and the third aett, Tir's Aett as being the aett of the priest/king.
In addition to being representative of the Aryan caste system Mr Cooper also proposes that they represent a three-fold system of initiation. The ancient Germanic system of magical initiation has 3 degrees of Apprentice, Fellow and Master. The Rune Gild is one organisation which follows this system. Universities continue to organise their academic degrees in a three-fold system, although Master is the second rather than the third degree. Mr Cooper makes reference to both the tripartite caste system and initiatory degrees in his book and how they are based on the division of 'Aryan tribal societies'. Mr Cooper's work is highly esoteric in nature but is well worth examining. By working with the runes we engage in a magical process of initiation. We remember that they are the gift of the High Lord and Rune Master Woden Himself and it is He who initiates us.

The Remnants of the Germanic Caste System in Late Mediaeval Rural England

One subject which I keep returning to on this blog is that of the ancient Germanic caste system which survived in a debased form down to the late Middle Ages in England but certainly has its roots in deep Aryan antiquity. I am and always have been fascinated by the past and recently this has extended to the almost addictive subjects of genealogy and genetics. As I have indicated before on this blog shortly after retiring I took up the hobby of genealogy and was most fortunate in finding that my paternal grandmother's ancestry was already well researched as it is rooted in the old farming communities of North Meols in Lancashire for hundred of years. Parish records for this area are fairly well transcribed and freely available online and many of my ancestors even in the 1400s-1600s had published wills which aids in the research. Quite a few of them are referred to in local history books.

Whilst studying and engaging in genealogy it becomes apparent that the caste system in a debased form certainly in the rural areas of England survived long after it disappeared in the emerging towns and cities of the Industrial Revolution. As my readers will be aware tradition lingers far longer in the villages and smaller country towns of England than in the larger towns and cities which became a chaos of peoples. We see this to an extreme extent in the cesspits and hell holes of cities such as London and Birmingham where a plethora of languages are spoken and the native English are a minority or are fast becoming one. This is thankfully not reflected in the villages and rural towns although the political enemies of the people would have it be otherwise!

The Germanic caste system of Jarl, Karl and Thrall is still evident in rural England in the 1400s-1700s. Most of my grandmother's ancestors were farmers, some yeomen, some husbandmen although the distinction between yeomen and husbandmen disappeared by the beginning of the 19th century where both classes were described as farmers, an indication of the final breakdown of the caste system and the spread of the Industrial Revolution which destroyed the old Germanic world. The descriptor of yeoman is found in the Last Will and Testaments of many of my ancestors. Some of the earlier Wills were written in very flowery language with many references to Jesus Christ and the Resurrection! Such language quickly became phased out and replaced by more legally acceptable terminology as time advanced but nevertheless makes for fascinating reading!

In rural England we see four main categories of social position-the gentleman, the yeoman, the husbandman and the labourer. These categories were not rigid and there was intermarriage between the daughters and younger sons of the gentry and the more wealthy yeomen as there was between the more wealthy husbandmen and the yeomanry. So individuals over several generations could rise and fall between these classes or castes until the beginnings of the Industrial revolution and the emerging capitalist mercantile classes. Indeed I was able to trace a line of decent from the gentry to the yeomanry in the 17th century and thus I was able to take my ancestry back to the 12th century and further back still. We are then reliant upon historical chronicles, many of which are full of contradictions. History if you go far enough back merges into legend and then back into myth which makes the subject even more fascinating and compelling!

What is clear to me is that the Germanic caste system survived the brutal onslaught of xtianity but it was the industrial age which finally sounded its death knell which should come as no surprise to us as this process is continuing to the present day where not only has the caste system has broken down but we are beginning to see the dissolution of the races. Order is giving way to chaos. Light is giving way to darkness but it will not always be so!


Let us now examine the division of late mediaeval rural English society:

Landed Gentry- The gentleman is a landowner who lived entirely from rental income without having to engage in work himself. The gentleman is a step down from the titled aristocrat but often the gentry could trace their ancestry from the nobility via younger sons and daughters. They in essence were the Lords of the Manor. They were part of what is now termed the Upper Class in England. I stress in England as the American class system is based entirely upon income not on occupation and/or breeding as the English one which is a hollow and debased echo of the Germanic caste system. The wealth of the gentry was greatly depleted by the agricultural depression of the 1870s. The gentry also consisted of esquires and knights and thus equated to the Germanic caste of Jarl. 


Yeomanry-The yeoman held less land than the gentleman. He either owned the freehold of the land or was a larger scale leaseholder and employed people to work for him but unlike the gentleman he was a working farmer. He was regarded as being one step down from the gentleman but superior in status to the husbandman although these boundaries were quite fluid. Often the yeoman would have additional responsibilities such as Overseer of the Poor, Constable, Church Warden and Juror. A Juror would serve on juries (as the term suggests!) and would vote for the Knight of the Shire.  I managed to find some of my ancestors who occupied these additional positions. Another position could be that of Bailiff or Bridge Warden. Some of my ancestors in the 1400s were 'guardians of the hedge', from the old surname Heyward which eventually transmuted into Howarth and Howard etc. Wealthier husbandmen could also occupy some of these positions. The yeoman is similar in position to the earlier franklin of the 1100s to 1400s. He was the freeman, neither noble nor serf. As a military class they were positioned after the knight and squire but above the page. The yeoman bridged the gap between the nobility and peasantry and were the middle class of their time. Again I use this term in the English and not the American sense. The etymology of yeoman is interesting and may derive either from the Old English iunge man (young man)  or the Old Frisian gaman, meaning 'rustic' or 'villager'. In ancient times the yeoman was the protector of the nobility, a warrior. The husbandman was a step down from the yeoman but closely associated in function. They were working farmers but had much less land but enough to support a family. However in feudal times the husbandman would have been classed as a serf rather than a freeman so his position is intermediate between the yeomanry and the working labourers. The yeomanry thus equated to the Germanic caste of Karl. However in early times the Yeoman certainly had martial responsibilities.


Labourers-The labourer or cottager was a step below the husbandman and in feudal times was not regarded as being a freeman but a serf, tied legally to the Lord of the Manor. It should be emphasised here that a serf is not a slave. This is a common misconception. He enjoyed many rights and freedoms but as a bonded tenant he needed his master's permission to leave the land. They would have equated to the Germanic caste of Thrall. They were the working class of the day. Again I use the English and not the American definition of the term. The debased and materialist American 'class' system has no basis in the Germanic caste system but is based purely on levels of income and pays no heed to a person's education, occupation, family background or ancestry. Indeed it is possible for an individual in a single lifetime to move up and down this base system! It is very important that I stress this for the ancient Germanic caste system is more to do with function than wealth or income. Indeed it is a reflection of the cosmic order and the tripartite functional division of the Gods.

As I mentioned earlier the Industrial Revolution, a harbinger of global capitalism sounded the death knell of the ancient Germanic caste system and the traditional English rural way of life. This process is continuing to the present day. The Industrial Revolution supposedly brought 'progress' in its wake and the eventual 'emancipation' of women. In reality it enslaved the masses and thrust the woman into the mechanised working place-the factories. Man thus became a wage slave. Undoubtedly this is far worse than the Norman feudal system or the earlier Germanic caste system. Germanic man became uprooted from his natural environment-the rural village. He became cut off from his natural roots, unable to determine who his ancestors were and with it came a loss of identity. This is the curse of the abomination known as the city, the cesspit, the multiracial soup of the 21st century. With the 'emancipation' of women and the woman's 'right to choose' chaos and family breakdown is rife in modern England. In becoming supposedly 'free' woman has become like man a slave, a slave to the mechanised work place of factory, office and shop. 

Reflection on Rig of the Rigsthula

The Rigsthula is one of the most important sacred documents that has survived the onslaught of Christianity in the Germanic realms and I make no apology therefore in returning to it time and time again for there is still much to be gleaned and learned from this poem found in the Elder or Poetic Edda. 

The God Rig is credited with the formation of the Germanic caste system but this should not be confused with the creation of man which is dealt with as a separate event in both the Elder Edda and the Younger or Prose Edda. Rig's intention is to create an order of caste within Germanic society by the mixing of divine blood with that of mortal man. Of course we know that the caste system is to be found throughout the Aryan world. The Rigsthula is simply an account based on how the Germanic peoples thought of how the caste system came into being.

One question that we are faced with straight away is the identity of Rig and this is something which I have long pondered for several years now. The Rigsthula is prefaced with the following statement:

"In ancient Sagas it is related that one of the Aesir named Heimdall, being on a journey to a certain sea-shore, came to a village, where he called himself Rig." (Translated by Benjamin Thorpe)

It would seem from this that the Lay of Rig was already well known but it is possible that the writer of the lay may have repeated a mistake regarding the identification of Rig with Heimdall. Even  Miss Larrington states in her notes that "The identification of Heimdall with Rig is not absolutely secure, since it is based only on the prose introduction, but the beginning of the Seeress's Prophecy, asking for attention from all 'the offspring of Heimdall', seems to suggest that the god did have some connection with the creation of mankind."

Rig is said to be "derived from the Irish ri (rig in other cases) meaning 'king'." Why this term should be derived from an Irish source we can only speculate but I will leave discussion of that issue for another day. The important point to grasp is that the term is said to mean 'king' and this position was not Heimdall's but Odin's. Let us visit the line in question from the Voluspa in the Elder Edda:

"For silence I pray all sacred children, great and small, sons of Heimdall, they will that I Valfather's deeds recount, men's ancient saws, those that I remember." (Voluspa, line 1, translated by Benjamin Thorpe)

In Carolyne Larrington's translation's footnotes she interprets the 'sacred children' as being the Gods but this is not how I interpret the verse.  It appears to be referring to the 'offspring of Heimdall' as the 'sacred people' rather than the Gods and this makes sense when we consider that these people are divine offspring. In fact the translation of this verse by Benjamin Thorpe supports my contention:

"For silence I pray all sacred children, great and small, sons of Heimdall,"

 So it is clear then that it is the men and women who are descended from Rig are 'sacred' but without studying the original Old Norse (something which I intend to do) I cannot be categoric in this. It is simply my initial theory.

From my understanding the introduction to the Rigsthula may have been written 100 years or so later than the poem itself by way of providing some insight into who Rig may be and if this is the case it makes the contention that Rig is Heimdall stand on a much faultier basis. Rudolf Simek seems to share the view that I hold in his Dictionary of Northern Mythology and doubts that Rig can be identified as Heimdall. Rig is portrayed as a 'wandering God' who spreads runic knowledge. This activity fits better with Odin rather than Heimdall who is the Watcher-Guardian deity of Asgard.

My readers will note that Professor Simek states that the prose introduction was added later to the lay thus making it seem somewhat unreliable in my opinion. The whole picture of a wandering God who teaches runes to His son Jarl fits better with the qualities of Odin Himself who is known as The Wanderer and is the High Lord of the runes. Unlike Heimdall He is also the rig, the king of the Gods. Most ancient Germanic royal houses included Odin or Woden in their ancestry. Heimdall never appears in this way. Finally the main function of Heimdall is to guard Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge. For Heimdall to leave His post for extended periods of time thus leaving Asgard vulnerable to attack does not make an iota of sense to me.