Customer Reviews

The Secret King: The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism

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The basis of this book revolves around obscure texts of the little-known and enigmatic figure of Karl Maria Wiligut, a name that I had first encountered back in the early 90s from an interview with co-author Michael Moynihan. He expressed plans to publish Wiligut's writings and in 2001, Dominion press finally released The Secret King.
I acquired the limited hardbound edition upon the book's release and treated it as little more than a `curio', tucking it away as a soon-to-be rarity in my book collection. At the time, I acknowledged The Secret King as the first and only of its kind to examine the source of occult writings specifically related to the Third Reich, and left it at that.

This revised edition of The Secret King, released jointly by Feral House and Dominion, demands reappraisal as it contains an entirely expanded introduction to Wiligut's life and work. In addition, the new material is much broader in scope and examines the "bigger picture" of the post-war phenomenon of interest surrounding Nazi occultism. This aspect of the book alone makes the material more intriguing and noteworthy.

So, who would want to read about nearly century-old German mystical texts that were not widely distributed even during the historical era in which they were penned? Evidently, thousands of readers, as the authors assert judging from the sales of The Secret King's first edition that sold largely on word-of-mouth alone. More importantly, why would anyone want to peruse such material in the first place? Authors Moynihan and Flowers thoroughly address this monumental question in the book's first section, which examines the myths surrounding Nazi occultism. First, the vast majority of books on this nebulous subject trump sensationalism over scholarship in their often unscrupulous and unsubstantiated claims. One notable exception would be Nicholas Goodricke Clarke's The Occult Roots of Nazism but even its main premise that the early 20th century Ariosophists were a major influence on National Socialism is highly debatable. Secondly, the modern myth of Nazi occultism simply makes for compelling reading in the 21st century. Several factors for the promulgation of this myth initially took form when American and British citizenry alike where still taking a strong isolationist stance on the possibility of yet another war with Germany. Winston Churchill and his advisor Walter Johannes Stein played no small role in demonizing the German people, Stein espousing the creation of a World Economy - thus effectively driving a wedge between Britain and the National Socialists, who were in favor of abolishing usury. Essentially, the Allied crusade against the National Socialists was initially, largely due to this economically unacceptable idea!

Adolf Hitler is mentioned in this section of the book, and for one to assume that he was using or being used by occult forces to account for his rise to power is the same dubious logic used to propagate the notion that the Egyptians must have been in contact with extra-terrestrial forces in constructing the pyramids. Furthermore, Mein Kampf is loaded with biblical references and the major spiritual current underlying the Third Reich was Christianity. Not surprisingly, the postwar phenomenon of Christian and Roman Catholic exoneration of Nazi atrocities has only further bolstered the perceived aura of demonic or occult forces underlying the Third Reich. As for the Pagan and non-Christian spiritual currents that did exist (albeit to a small degree overall) within the Third Reich, The Secret King gives a fascinating overview of a number of individuals, many of whom were at one time or another well-received in Nationalist Socialist circles. Herman Wirth and Italian esotericist Julius Evola are mentioned (among several other prominent figures), all of whom eventually fell out of favor with the regime. In addition, postwar sympathizers Savitri Devi and Miguel Serrano are discussed at length as well, whose lives and work prove to be as interesting as they were controversial.

The reality of Nazi occultism, although far less sensational than the mythic aspect, is no less intriguing. Wiligut had an obscure and checkered past before being inducted into the SS under the nom de guerre Karl Maria Weisthor by none other than Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler - himself an enthusiast of pre-historic German nationalism. It is interesting that such a high-ranking official in National Socialist Germany would have an interest in esoteric matters and consequently, an affinity for Wiligut's meta-historical teachings. One can safely assume that had it not been for Himmler, Wiligut would have never held an official rank in the SS.

As for Wiligut's texts, they were either composed in poetic verse (often accompanied by runes or runic formulas) or appeared in the form of articles, many of which were published during the 30s under the pseudonym Jarl Widar for Hagal, the journal of the Edda Society. Other entries merely served as "memos" to be presided over by Heinrich Himmler. It is beyond the scope of this review to provide an analysis of Wiligut's work, and his non-linear continuum of ideas and concepts cannot be fully digested with a cold reading. Collin Cleary's critical appraisal of Wiligut's philosophy and in-depth coverage of the first text, "The Nine Commandments of Gôt", (listed in the newly expanded bibliography) is highly recommended.

A crucial pre-cursor to gleaning insight into Wiligut's runology can be accessed in a visual schematic of two intersecting poles (forming a cross), the horizontal pole representing matter and the vertical pole representing spirit. Consciousness, form and life thus arise at the poles' intersection. The dynamic or circulatory function along the vertical pole allows for the interaction of spirit, matter and energy in regenerative cycles. This `Runic-key' concept is the backbone of Wiligut's "Whispering of Gotos - Rune-Knowledge" and is introduced by the authors in the first section of the book. Further treatment of this essential concept to Wiligut's verbiage is provided in Gabriele Dechend's article for Hagal, "The Cosmos in the Conception of Our Ancestors". It is included in the Appendices and contains numerous diagrams elaborating upon Wiligut's circulatory runology.

As a long-time astronomy enthusiast, Wiligut's article "Zodiacal Signs and Constellations" (from Hagal 12) was particularly interesting for me personally. Wiligut, writing as Jarl Widar, speaks with much zeal and fervor regarding the astronomical phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes, a 25,920-year cycle where twelve constellations pass through and invisible arc that stretches across the night sky. This enormous time-period, referred to by Wiligut as the "great solar year", has a significant role in Mithraic iconography and is a referential staple of John Major Jenkins's popular books on Mayan cosmology and the 2012 phenomenon.

A new addition to this book that did not appear in the first edition of The Secret King is the Gotos-Kalanda, a poem based on the yearly course of twelve months and their relationship to natural cycles that occur within them. Even in English translation, the poem reads beautifully and integrates Wiligut's unique vision of Got-mythology.

Overall, it would appear to be that The Secret King is the last word on Nazi occultism but a growing interest in Wiligut and subsequent books that have appeared since the first edition have proved otherwise. More importantly, The Secret King certainly raises the bar for any future works on the subject - and is a benchmark that will continue to separate the wheat from the chaff in this largely misunderstood topic.

This is an expanded and updated version of the earlier edition of this work. A major change is the addition of an essay called "Myth of Nazi Occultism". This makes up the first part of the book. This is well worth reading and a healthy correction to some of the more ridiculous fantasies about Hitler and the occult.

Both authors are well-informed about these subjects. However, a weakness of their analysis is the failure to place the real aspects of the connection between the SS and the world of pre-Christian Germany in the context of over 100 years of study and fascination with the subject inside Germany. This is discussed in the beginning of The Jung Cult : Origins of a Charismatic Movement. For example, it is very hard to conceive of Adolf Hitler without Richard Wagner and his spectacular operas devoted to Germany's ancient pagan past. See Wagner's Hitler: The Prophet and His Disciple. In our time there is a growing interest in the pre-Christian world not only in the west but throughout Latin America. It is important to note however that those who don't like Christianity don't always agree on an alternative. An interesting question is whether these various movements might come together in a common cause such as the protection of the environment.

A mystery in the study of Nazi Germany which remains unresolved is the level of interest in German paganism of Hitler, himself. Hitler's views on this are ambiguous. There are quotes where he ridiculed some of Himmler's views here. However, this must be taken with caution. Himmler's views were very controversial in Germany. If Hitler really did not share Himmler's views, why did he allow them to become such an integral part of the SS?

The authors have a lot of experience in studying the subject as well as modern popular culture. Michael Moynihan has not only written on paganism and political philosophy but has also written the most popular book on the world of black metal music, Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground. Dr. Flowers runs an institute on ancient Germanic studies called the Woodharrow Institute. You can find it by searching on Google. He has also written a book about Guido von List called The Secret of the Runes. For further reading on this subject you might want to read my Listmania lists on the SS and mythology on my Amazon profile.

I found this book to be quite interesting. Contrary to the previous (1-star) reviewer who evidently had not read the book, the authors do not downplay the Christian character of the Third Reich, and discuss this in a fair bit of detail in the section on the development of the propaganda regarding the Third Reich as an attempt to return to pre-Christian Germanic roots.

This book is not a book about how Hitler was an occultist/pagan/etc. as this is fairly well rebutted by the historical record. Rather it is a book about one occultist with Germanic pagan leanings and how he had some modest influence on the Third Reich.

For those who are interested in studying the development of Germanic nationalism, the Volkische and Pan-Germanic movements, and their development up through the second world war, this is an important addition. I would highly recommend this work.

Most works on this subject are highly sensational and lack actual, or real, source material or don't quote sources accurately when available. This is one of the first that presents the reader with the actual source material. This combined with the appendices and bibliography make for a good resource. Similiar to Goodrick-Clarke's "The Occult Roots of Nazism", it left me with more questions than answers... An interesting read.

This book was actually a disappointment, but it did contain some interesting information. However, it skirted by several issues and downplayed some of the known facts. I have found other books more informative and their references are more extensive.

The book is great.
The author has done his homework and paid his dues.

i.e.
Flowers did his graduate work in Germanic and Celtic philology under professor and scholar Edgar Polomé at the University of Texas at Austin from 1973-1984. In 1981-1982 he studied the history of occultism at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages and Medieval Studies in 1984 with a dissertation entitled Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Elder Tradition. From 1984-1989 he was a lecturer in the Departments of English and Germanic Languages at the University of Texas and was last known to be teaching Classical Philology at Austin Community College.

Like any book, the reader, the observer determines the content.
Please IGNORE the low ratings given by the reviewers who have hidden Christian agendas, further complicating what TRUTH is by claiming what they are IGNORANT of is to be deemed Satanism.

The best rant of the madman Wiligut is that ANGELS are in fact ANGLES.
Coupled with the science facts of today the madman Karl Maria was just echoing the voice of Zoroaster who being the first magician invoked the work of ANGLES in a world whose fate is determined by GEOMETRY.

Also if the previously mentioned reviewers would open their eyes and read between the lines regarding the mystic Willigut's insights (turn on the right brain fellas?), they would see in the document (Bundesarchiv Potsdam NS193671) read by Heinrich Himmler on 17th June, 1936, that in the description of the 2nd Human Epoch given, it is clear that what H. Himmler is describing is the formation of the Electro-Magnetic Field re: the two Van Allen Belts, which btw is connected to the fine structure constant 137 and the work today being done by Dr. Michael Persinger, who suggests ALL of humanity can be unified in about 10 minutes IF we learn how to use our ALPHA, THETA, and DELTA brain waves effectively.

And BTW this Oral Tradition the madman Willigut claims to have received from his father antedates the discovery of the Van Allen Belts by at least 100 years?
Knowledge of the Van Allen belts was not discovered/uncovered/unveiled until the 1950s.

Sounds mystical to me.

Get the book, ignore the mundane, profane, and vulgar world that distorts the TRUTH because from their perspective everything they fail to understand seems satanic.

What nonsense.
The science to be recovered has always been in the bible.
Hidden in plain sight.

Religious people have NO right to suggest anything outside their sphere of belief is a coincidence.
There is no such thing as a coincidence in a world unified.
All coincidences become the property of EVIDENCE when the World is Unified.

namaste

Raphael

The product description claims the book will detail "the actual esoteric rituals used by Heinrich Himmler's SS". Actually there is not a single esoteric ritual in the book, unless you count the description of a SS baptism.

The authors had a problem. They wanted to republish the writings of a minor German mystic who thought

--people from the moon had come to save the earth (Kindle location 1785)
--he was the secret king of Germany

Not surprisingly, this guy spent time in an insane asylum.

Who's going to buy a book like that?

So someone came up with a completely inaccurate product description. Less charitably, someone lied.

OK, so there's no secret Nazi stuff here. Besides that, was the book any good? The first third is an introduction to Wiligut. Then there are his writings, which I couldn't make any sense of. Finally, interviews with people who knew him conclude the book.

The only reason I rated this a "1" was because Amazon doesn't permit a lower rating.

A book on "real" runes. In a field full of BS about runes this stands out and gives insights upon the recent times uses of runes. Excelllent job, I recommend it!

As far as nazi occultism this book is a reference work.

Konstantinos S. Chatzieleftheriou
Theologian
Greece

This like ALL the author's other books is poorly written with his Satanist Temple of Set Nazi connections coming clearly through. His TERRIBLE direct LIE about the death of Otto Rahn is proof of this. He further still tries to equate Nazism with Paganism is a real Joke. Himmler was a clearly a believer in the White Christ as was Karl Maria Wiligut, the well known mental patience. The author readily admits translation of Wiligut is impossible because of his strange writing style. The disinformation this author and his fellow Satanists pour out of their twisted minds, is a terrible disservice to anyone trying to seek the Truth in regards to the strange happening in Nazi Germany. Himmler sought CHRISTIAN Relics to empower the Reich, not Pagan. It is about time the TRUTH comes out and those Satanist so-called Rune Researchers be known for what they are. Temple of Set/Satan members.