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Askr Svarte

Gods In The Abyss – Askr Svarte (2020)

The incredably productive Svarte (1991-) wrote enough essays for yet another 380 page book. Again, the original texts were written in Russian (Приближение и окружение. Очерки о германском Логосе, традиции и Ничто (‘Approximation and Surrounding. Essays on the Germanic Logos, Tradition and Nothingness.’)) and published in English in the same year. He is not only very productive himself, but his publishers manage to keep up.

The subtitle goes: “Essays on Heidegger, the German Logos & the Germanic Myth” which covers the content of the book very well. The basis of most texts is the philosophy of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), but Svarte goes from Heidegger to Northern mythology, old and more recent history, Rhineland mystics and etymology of a variety of languages as if it is nothing. I am not very keen on (modern) philosophy, but with his cross references and explanations based on Norse myth and culture, Svarte managed to keep my attention. In one fascination essay Svarte looks for translations of Heideggers term “Dasein” in several old and contemporary Northern European languages.

The texts of Svarte sometimes go over my head, but he comes with enough interesting insights and ways of looking at and explaining things, that his difficult book makes a great read.

Northern mythology and Traditionalism already is an uncommon combination, but here we also have an author who makes the combination wonderfully and brings in a lot of other angles to make his points.

2020 Arktos Media, isbn 1912975866

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

Polemos: The Dawn of Pagan Traditionalism – Askr Svarte (2020)

I found this book when I was browsing the Kindle store to see what Traditionalist books are available. So there are more writers writing about Traditionalistic paganism. Svarte does it a lot better than I did, though, and way more lengthy. The book is over 400 pages! Moreover, Svarte refers to other Traditionalistic pagan authors.

Oddly enough, the author (whose name is an pseudonym of Evgeny Nechkasov (1991-)) is a Russian. For some reason Russia and Russian thinkers gravitate towards me recently.

It seems that Svarte has published extensively in Russian and now English versions of both Polemos books have appeared (as there is a second part). The present title was first published in 2016.

The book goes from Guénon, Evola, Dumézil and Eliade to different kinds of paganism. Svarte proves to be very well acquainted with paganism in his own country, but also abroad. The book sets off wonderfully with Traditionalism, comparative mythology, initiation, etc. Things get a bit less interesting when he continues with endless descriptions of the woes of modernity, currents that Svarte calls “pseudo paganism”, “counter initiations”, etc. Quite like some books of Guénon actually. In these parts Svarte can display his wide knowledge of groups and thinkers all over the globe. Of course there are many references to groups and thinkers in Russia, so you can learn a thing or two about the Russian heathen and Traditionalistic scene(s) too and he even sheds some light on the events in the Serebrov books that I am reading.

We have defined polemos as the nerve of being, as that which according to the myths and teachings of traditions creates and orders the world.

Especially the first part of the book is good. I may not agree with each and every statement of the author makes, but is not necessary. Even though Svarte is about as strict a Traditionalist as Guénon, he (like myself) has to bend things a little in order to (for example) disapprove of Northern European paganism in Northern America while he is a Northern European heathen in Russia. The overly intellectual second half is a bit tiring at times, but overal this first part makes a descent read. The second volume is even larger, but I will give it a try too.

2020 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671000