Arktos: The Myth of the Pole in Science, Symbolism and Nazi Survival [Paperback]

Joscelyn Godwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

Arktos is the first book ever written on the archetype of the Poles: celestial and terrestrial, North and South. This engrossing and sometimes hair-raising voyage through cosmology, occultism and conspiracy theory leads to startling revelations about the secrets of the Poles. The author investigates legends of a Golden Age, which some claim ended in a prehistoric catastrophe, a shift in the earth's axis. This is examined in the light of the latest geological theories, as are predictions of a coming pole-shift. The perennial fascination of these ideas is shown to be part of a "polar tradition" of hidden wisdom. There are many recorded tales of an ancient race said to have lived in the Arctic regions, which later spread through the Northern Hemisphere. This supposedly "Aryan Race" entered the pantheon of Nazi Germany, with dreadful consequences. The author examines the origins of modern neo-Nazi ideology, its "polar" inspiration, and its links with other arcana, including the survival of Hitler, German bases in Antarctica, UFOS, the Hollow Earth, and the hidden kingdoms of Agartha and Shambhala. However, "Arktos" differs from most writings on these subjects in its responsible and scholarly treatment, and its extensive use of foreign-language sources. Born in England, Joscelyn Godwin teaches at Colgate University, New York State. His many publications include "Athanasius Kircher" (1979), "Robert Fludd" (1979), "Mystery Religions in the Ancient World" (1982) and "Harmonies of Heaven and Earth" (1988), all available from Thames and Hudson.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Adventures Unlimited Press; First Edition edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932813356
• ISBN-13: 978-0932813350
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 87 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Axis Mundi: The Occult Polar Archetype November 13, 2003

By zonaras

_Arktos: The Polar Myth in Science, Symbolism and Nazi Survival_ by Joscelyn Godwin is an interesting book about occult and pseudoscientific theories on polar shifts, the succession of ages, the Aryan race, the "hollow earth" theory, Nazi underground bases, lost cities, UFOs, mystical powers, theosophy, sex magick and a host of other obscure topics. The book begins with a discussion of the theory of polar shift, its relation to astrological, occult and Hindu calculations concerning the ages the earth has gone through. The actuality of the proverbial Golden Age might have some support if at some point in the past the earth's axis was parallel to the sun and not veering at a tilt. The North Pole would have had a temperate climate, illuminated by the shining stars, moon, the aurora borealis and the light of the sun visible beyond the horizon-a place of eternal light, a theoretical location for the Garden of Eden. Arising from this polar theory is the notion of a primordial polar homeland for the human race. This leads into the bizarre theories of the origin of the Aryan race and the superiority of Indo-European culture and religion over that of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Semites. The Nazi believed that the Germans had a mystical homeland in a northern region known as Thule. The theories of the Nazis are examined, including Alfred Rosenburg and his official exposition of Nazi philosophy, _Myth of the Twentieth Century_. The Sicilian esotericist Julius Evola and his book _Revolt Against the Modern World_ also draws from the polar myth. He believed that an original Aryan race migrated from a polar Hyperborea, following a solar religion dominated by the warrior ethos and conquering spirit. According to Evola, the original religion of these Aryans has its elements sown in the myths of world in a variety of cultures. A more aberrant view of Nazi occultism comes from Miguel Serrano, a Chilean diplomat and author. His work _Hitler: El Ultimo Avataro_ describes a cosmic struggle between the Order of Nazis who are currently located in a hidden base in Antarctica against "the Demiurge": Judaism, Christianity and Freemasonry. The deliverance of the Aryan race will come when Nazi flying saucers emanate from Antarctica and take over the world. Many theories have also circulated about a possible "hole at the pole" where adventurers could gain access to subterranean Utopias. Aghartha and Shambhala are two mythical cites in Central Asia whose existence has been either literally or figuratively believed in. The denizens of Aghartha stand for worldly power while Shambhala is the abode of mystical enlightenment. The place of Antarctica is examined in detail as well as the North Pole. While the North Pole has a pleasant reputation (surprisingly Santa's house is not mentioned) as a cozy homeland, the South Pole has stood for the earth's demons. In old legends, treachery, death and monsters have been associated with the South. In modern times this translates into Serrano's secret Nazis in Antarctica plotting against humanity. The Pole figures to a great extent in the various theories of the origins of religion as well. In the period after the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment, many different scholars attempted to develop a unified theory to explain the origins of the world's religions. One theory was one of a universal solar worship. An example of this would be the Gospels written to describe the sun passing through the signs of the Zodiac throughout the year. Phallus worship was another theory, attributing religion to the awe primordial men felt toward the generative and fertile sources of nature. The polar theory is a combination of the two. The swastika also has its origins here. The positions of Ursa Minor taken together throughout the seasons of the year thousands of years ago would have looked liked a swastika when depicted on a chart showing the seasonal observations simultaneously. The mythical "Land of the Sun" in several ancient cultures and astrological setups also show a polar orientation. Godwin notes that King Arthur may be drawn from the polar/solar traditions as well. The "Spiritual Pole" chapter covers the metaphysical practices, including Yoga, which have used polar and axial ideas to stand as a metaphor for an ascent into enlightenment. The last third of _Arktos_ summarizes the theories of why the earth's axis is at a tilt. The "catastrophists" believed that the pole shifted in sudden violent changes in ages past and was responsible for epochal calamities. The "uniformitarians" on the other hand postulated that the earth is continually shifting its polar locations, repeating in cycles. The scientific theories concerning polar shifts are examined, but Godwin draws no conclusions for or against the idea. Of course, most of the occult literature on the subject is totally at odds with objective science. The most outlandish theorist examined here is Cyrus Teed, AKA "Koresh" (no Waco connection). This mystic propagated the idea that we are actually living on the concave of earth's inner shell. The stars, planets and the sun are reflections inside the earth itself. One aspect of Godwin's book that makes it informative is his objectivity-and possibly even a subtle hint of approval--towards his subjects. Godwin concludes by making reference to the Kali Yuga, the Age of Iron that describes the modern world process of decay according to Hindu eschatology, in addition to the "end of the Age of Pisces." Although Godwin does not take Pisces as referring to Christ, he makes his support clear toward the idea of the "earth reasserting its rights" with a polar shift--a massive global catastrophe--that will destroy the pretenses of humanity and inaugurate the next Golden Age.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars ! February 12, 2000

By PT

I enjoyed this book, especially the fact that Dr. Godwin went through a lot of material on the fringe of known science, and non-English published works.(like Miguel Serrrano) It presents a detailed assessment of Shambhala and Agartha in literature and theososphical-like writings.

Some chapters are not as exciting, and one would be recommended to seek out Loompanics Publishing's _Subterranean Worlds_(which quite obviously influenced _Arktos_.

47 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hyperborea Revealed! March 28, 2001

By New Age of Barbarism

Amazon Verified Purchase

Long has man hungered for a return to a Golden Age, an era before the present one when he lived in idyllic bliss and was free from all the constraints and toils of modernity.

This book tells the fascinating tale of a source of hidden wisdom carried down through the ages preserved in the archetype of the Poles. The author examines the presence of this tradition in the writings of many eccentrics, cranks, mystics, visionaries, scientists, and science-fiction writers. He looks chiefly at the writings of H. P. Blavatsky and Rene Guenon, and he tells the tale of the "Aryan race" as revealed through a set of polar mysteries. Everything from the Nazi secret societies (e.g. the Thule society), to the neo-Nazi Black Order, to the spirituality of the polar tradition, to the mad and bizarre ramblings of insane prophets is told in full detail. Writers such as Evola, Schwaller de Lubicz, and Serrano are examined and their possible links to fascism explained. The author also deals with the Theosophists, the mysticism surrounding the poles, and the idea of a Ruler of the World who lives in Tibet, Aghartha, or Shamballah. Much is dismissed as mere nonsense, but also the true secret behind these myths is hinted at. Finally, scientific evidence surrounding the Earth's tilt and the precession of the equinoxes is presented, and the writings of the "illuminates" are compared with those of modern day geologists. The reader is left spellbound by tales which are not only totally bizarre (e.g. the hollow earth theory of Teed, that we live inside a hollow earth on it's concave inner surface), but which often also become incoherent and border on paranoid delusion. (There is a link here between these authors and madness.) The real question that needs to be asked is, What does it all mean? In one particularly disconcerting passage at the end of the section on the "Spiritual Pole", the author sums up what he believes to be the presence of the polar archetype in many diverse writers and visionaries. He then goes on to say that the pole must not be political because of its use by the Nazis (in the Thule Society). I feel he is disingenuous here after citing example after example of writers who used the polar idea precisely as a cover for political aims. Obviously the pole is political, and it remains so. I believe it would be more correct to say that not only is the pole political, but also that it's politics are too deeply entrenched for us to fully understand at this time. Perhaps, it is universally present in the mind of man, biding it's time, until the dispossessed individual is put under sufficient stress that it reveals itself to him and provides him with an interpretative framework to understand the world through (viz. Jung's "collective unconscious"). When someone turns to wonder, What is this all for?, this is when the archetypal appearance of the pole becomes manifest to him. It is an angry reaction to those societal forces which would attempt to oust tradition and reconstruct society along more "satisfactory" lines. As such, it is not revolutionary, but restorationist in nature. This is the meaning of the polar symbolism and its use by the various writers and prophets presented in this book. Fundamentally, it is a call for a return to tradition, the only tradition that predates the modern era and that will restore order to the chaotic world in which we live.