Polemos II: Pagan Perspectives – Askr Svarte (2021)
So, Polemos was initially a 1000-page book written in Russian by an author born in 1991. First published in 2016, at the age of 25! Also the translator, Jafe Arnold, is a young author and the man behind the Prav publishing house. I also ran into his name in an academic Traditionalistic work.
Part II is another massive work, over 500 pages. The ‘pagan perspectives’ are sometimes not that obvious. There are lengthy chapters are subjects such as the “creationism” of Abrahamic religions, the left hand path, dualism, more or less obscure currents within Eastern religions or within Islam. Sometimes interesting, sometimes a bit too ‘off path’ with only here and there references to “pagan traditionalism”. Often quoted is Evola, but Svarte also refers to less known authors such as Troy Southgate. Obviously, politically Svarte is not in the corner of the masses, but he is critical to both ‘left’ and ‘right’. He is also critical towards Traditionalists such as René Guénon.
The red thread of this volume is:
Paganism is opposed by the creationism in the face of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as their offspring – Modernity and Postmodernity.
and:
For a full-blooded revival of the true pagan worldview in modern conditions, the philosophy of Traditionalism is a categorical necessity.
To make that point, Svarte goes at great lengths displaying his extraordinary well-readness. Also he frequently manages to shortly explain some difficult writings or authors, so he not only read it all, he understands it as well.
Interesting, thought-provoking, but not very much to-the-point. You can read both Polemos volumes for an introduction into modern Traditionalism, the Russian and foreign pagan ‘scenes’, the woes of modernity and the Abrahamic religions. The second volume is even more theoretic than the first one.
2021 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671167