LECTURE SEVEN:
Advance of Folk
Spirits to the Rank of Time Spirits.
Monotheism and Pluralism.
Exoteric and Esoteric Christianity.
[ Study Guide: Souls of the Nations — Seventh Lecture ]
If you enter into the
spirit of the lectures given here in the last few days you will be
able to accept the idea that not only do the Beings and forces of the
various Hierarchies guide and direct events upon our Earth and
especially the course of human evolution, but also that the Beings of
these Hierarchies themselves undergo evolution or development. We
spoke of how the Beings of a particular Hierarchy intervene in order
to direct the evolution of a particular race, how, for example, as
normal and abnormal Spirits of Form they cooperate to organize the
various races.
Now
the question which confronts us is whether these spiritual Beings
themselves advance to a higher rank. When we look back over the
post-Atlantean times we are conscious that in the course of their
development certain spiritual Beings advance to the next higher rank.
Since the Atlantean catastrophe, since the beginning of the
post-Atlantean evolution, we are living in an Age when certain
Archangels, certain Beings of the Hierarchy of the Archangeloi,
advance to the rank of the Archai or Time Spirits. This is a most
interesting phenomenon, for when we observe how the Folk Spirits, or
Archangels in our terminology, rise to a higher rank, only then do we
have a true understanding of cosmic events. This advance in rank is
connected with the fact that in late Atlantis and for some time
after, the distribution of mankind, the distribution of races, has
been followed by a second migration of peoples. If we wish to
understand the period when the division of mankind into the five root
races of which we have already spoken took place, we must look far
back into early Atlantean times. If we wish to ascertain when those
who became the black or Ethiopian race migrated to a particular
geographical area in Africa, when those who became the Malayan race
migrated to Southern Asia, then we must look back to early Atlantean
times. Later on, other migrations followed upon these early
migrations.
Whilst,
therefore, the Earth was already colonized by the nuclei of these
peoples, other peoples were dispatched to those geographical areas of
the Earth already colonized. Thus we meet with a second migration in
later Atlantean times. If we wish to understand the pattern and
extent of the distribution of races in Europe, Africa, and America at
the time of the gradual submergence of Atlantis, and the later great
migration towards the end of the Atlantean epoch, when a small band
first set out during the post-Atlantean epoch, then we must clearly
realize that we are here dealing with that mighty stream of humanity
which pushed forward into Asia, into Indian territory, and that, as
has often been pointed out, the nuclei of future peoples remained
behind at different points and from these nuclei were developed the
various peoples of Asia, Africa and Europe. We are here concerned
therefore with an earlier distribution and a later expansion, with a
second wave. The purpose of this second wave was to dispatch in a
West-East direction those folk communities who were each under the
guidance of an Archangel. But these Archangels who were the spiritual
Powers directing these tribes or folk communities were at different
stages of development; in other words, some were nearer than others
to the rank of a Time Spirit or Spirit of the Age. We have to look to
the Far East for that movement of peoples whose Archangel was the
first to attain the rank of a Time Spirit. This was the stream which
merged with the original inhabitants of India and formed the ruling
class of that country and so laid the foundations of the first
post-Atlantean civilization after their Archangel had been promoted
to be the first Time Spirit or Archai-being of the post-Atlantean
civilization. Now this Time Spirit directed the sacred culture of
ancient India and made it the leading culture of the first
post-Atlantean epoch. Meanwhile the other peoples of Asia who were
gradually developing, were for a long time simply under the direction
of Archangels.
The
peoples of Europe also who had remained behind during the migration
from West to East had long been under the guidance of Archangels when
the Archangel of India had already risen to the rank of an
Archai-being who then worked through intuition upon those great
teachers of India, the Holy Rishis. Through the mediation of this
exalted and important Spirit the Rishis were able to fulfil their
high mission in the manner already described. This Time Spirit worked
on for a long time, whilst the people lying to the North of ancient
India were still under the guidance of the Archangel. After the Time
Spirit of India had fulfilled his mission he was promoted to lead the
entire evolution of post-Atlantean humanity.
In
the Old Persian epoch the Archangel became the Spirit of Personality,
the Time Spirit, from whom the great Zarathustra or Zoroaster, the
original Zarathustra, received his inspiration. This again is an
example of an Archangel, a Folk Soul who has risen to the rank of
Time Spirit. As we stated at the beginning of this lecture, we are
experiencing the same situation today) namely, that the Archangels,
in the course of fulfilling their mission, advance to the rank of
guiding and ruling Spirits of the Age.
In
the Egypto-Chaldean epoch, the Archangel of the Egyptian people and
the Archangel of the Chaldean people, both rose to a higher rank.
During this epoch the Archangel of the Egyptian people rose to the
rank of a leading Time Spirit and took over the guidance and control
of that which formerly devolved upon the Chaldean Archangel. The
leader in the Egypto-Chaldean age thus became the third mighty,
guiding Time Spirit who had gradually advanced beyond the rank of the
Egyptian Archangel But this was also the epoch in which another
important development took place, a development which ran parallel
with the Egypto-Chaldean civilization and is related to the
development to which we drew special attention in our last lecture.
We
have seen that everything associated with the Semitic tribes assumed
a special significance, and that from amongst the Semitic race Jahve
or Jehovah had chosen a Semitic people to be his chosen people. Since
he had chosen a particular race to be his special people, He needed
at first, whilst this race was gradually developing, a kind of
Archangel to act as his vice-regent. In ancient times, therefore, the
evolving Semitic people was guided by an Archangel who was under the
continuous inspiration of Jahve or Jehovah and afterwards this
Archangel himself grew to be a Time Spirit. Apart from the ordinary
evolving Time Spirits of the Old Indian, Old Persian and Old Chaldean
peoples therefore, there was yet another Time Spirit who played his
own special part by working within a particular people. This is a
Time Spirit who, in a certain respect, appears in the mission of a
Nation Spirit, a Time Spirit whom we must call the Semitic Nation
Spirit. His task was of a very special kind ‘ You will
understand this if you bear in mind that, in reality, this particular
people was singled out from the normal course of evolution for
special guidance. Through these special arrangements this people was
entrusted with a mission which was of particular importance for the
post-Atlantean epoch and which was distinguished from the missions of
all other peoples. One can best understand this mission of the
Semitic people by comparing it with the missions of the various
peoples of the post-Atlantean epoch.
Mankind
is subject to two spiritual currents. The one has its starting-point
in monadology or pluralism [Note
by translator — Pluralism: the theory which recognizes
more than one ultimate principle in ontology. Monadology: doctrine
of monads as formulated by Leibnitz. Monism: the doctrine that
attempts to explain the phenomena of the Cosmos by one ultimate
substance.] to give it its correct name. This
theory recognizes more than one ultimate principle in ontology.
Wherever you turn you will find that in some form or other the
peoples of the post-Atlantean epoch started from a plurality of
aspects of the Divine — the trinity of ancient India, later
symbolized in the figures of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu; the trinity of
Odin, Hönir and Lödur of German mythology. You will find a
trinity everywhere and this trinity subdivided into a plurality. This
characteristic is peculiar not only to myths and teachings about the
Gods, but also to philosophies where we meet it again in the form of
monadology. This is the one current which, because it starts from
pluralism or monadology can offer the greatest possible variety. It
was in the post-Atlantean epoch that, starting from the farthest East
in India and following a wide curve through Asia to Europe, this
doctrine of pluralism which after all is expressed in Anthroposophy
by our recognition of a number of widely differing Beings and
Hierarchies, has been represented in the most diverse ways and in a
wide variety of forms.
The
polarity to pluralism was monism, the doctrine that one principle of
being or ultimate substance constitutes the underlying reality of the
physical world. The real inspirers of the worship of a single
divinity, those who gave the impulse towards monotheism and monism
are the Semitic peoples. It is natural to them, and if you recall
what I said in this morning's lecture, it is their mission to
represent the one God, the Monon.
He
who, surveying the Universe, persisted in explaining the phenomena of
the Cosmos by a single ultimate principle, a monon, would remain
prisoner of his limitations. Monism or monotheism in itself can only
represent an ultimate ideal; it could never lead to a real
understanding of the world, to a comprehensive, concrete view of the
world. Nevertheless, in the post-Atlantean age the current of
monotheism also had to be represented, so that the urge, the impulse
towards monotheism devolved upon a single people, the Semitic people.
The monistic principle is reflected in this people by a certain
rigidity or inflexibility, whilst all the other peoples, in so far as
their different divinities are comprehended in a unity, receive the
impulse towards monism from them. The monistic impulse has always
come from the Semitic people. The other peoples are inclined to
pluralism.
It
is extremely important that this should be borne in mind and whoever
is concerned with the continuance of the old Hebraic impulse will
find the extremes of monotheism at the present day amongst the
learned Rabbis, in Rabbinism. The task of this particular people is
to propagate the doctrine that Single ultimate principle underlies
the world. The task of all other nations, peoples and Time Spirits
was analytic; to represent the one World-Principle as articulated
into different Beings. In India, for example, the ultimate
abstraction of the Unity underlying all things was divided into a
tri-unity, just as the one God of Christianity is divided into Three
Persons. The task of the other nations was to ‘analyse’
ultimate Reality and so to furnish particular aspects of it with
plentiful content, to fill themselves with rich material for those
representations which can apprehend phenomena with sympathetic
understanding’ The task of the Semitic people was to eschew all
pluralism and to devote itself to synthesis, to the doctrine of one
substance. Hence the power of speculation, the power of synthetic
thought which is illustrated by Cabbalism is unsurpassed precisely
because it stems from this impulse.
Everything
that could possibly be distilled from the unitary principle by the
synthesizing activity of the ‘I’ has been distilled by
the Semitic spirit in the course of thousands of years. This is the
significance of the Semitic influence in the world and illustrates
the polarity between pluralism and monism. Monism is not possible
without pluralism. Pluralism is not possible without monism. We must
recognize the necessity for both.
The
language of objective fact often leads to quite different conclusions
from those which are motivated by the prevailing sympathies or
antipathies. Therefore we must have a clear understanding of the
tasks of the individual Folk Spirits. Whereas the leaders of the
several peoples in Asia and Africa had long since risen to the rank
of Time Spirits or Spirits of Personality and indeed some of them
were expecting to transform themselves from Time Spirits to the next
higher rank, to Spirits of Form — just as, for example, that
Time Spirit who was active in ancient India bad already risen in
certain respects to the rank of the Spirits of Form — the
several peoples of Europe were for a long time still under the
direction of their individual Archangels. It was not until the fourth
post-Atlantean epoch that the Archangel of ancient Greece rose above
the various peoples of Europe who were still under the guidance of
their Archangels to the rank of a Time Spirit. He became the leading
Time Spirit of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, the Graeco-Latin
epoch. Thus the Archangel of Greece advanced to the rank of an
Archai-being, a Spirit of Personality. After he had become a Time
Spirit, the influence of this Greek Archangel extended far and wide
through Asia, Africa and Europe who looked to Hellas for their
culture.
Whilst
the Archangel of the Greeks had developed into an Archai-being, the
Time Spirit of the Egyptians and of the Persians had advanced in
evolution towards the Hierarchy of the Spirits of Form. We are now
about to touch upon something exceptionally interesting in the course
of post-Atlantean evolution. As a consequence of his earlier
development the Greek Archangel was able to pass relatively quickly
through that stage of development which qualified him for a specially
prominent position as Spirit of the Age (Time Spirit). Something
therefore of the greatest significance occurred in the fourth
post-Atlantean epoch.
Now
at that time there took place, as we know, the Mystery of Golgotha
through which mankind received the Christ Impulse. This Impulse was
destined in the course of the following centuries and millennia to
spread gradually over the whole Earth. Without this consummation of
Golgotha, without the activity of certain guiding and directing
Beings from the ranks of the Hierarchies, this could not have been
achieved. A most remarkable and interesting event now occurred. At a
definite moment of time which coincided approximately with the
descent of Christ upon Earth, the Greek Time Spirit renounced for our
present epoch the possibility of rising into the Hierarchy of the
Spirits of Form and became the guiding Time Spirit who then works on
through the successive epochs. He became the representative guiding
Spirit of exoteric Christianity, so that the Archai-being himself,
the guiding Spirit of the Greeks, himself formed the vanguard of the
Christ Impulse. In consequence, ancient Greece rapidly declined at
the time of the expansion of Christianity because it had surrendered
its guiding Time Spirit in order that he might become the leader of
exoteric Christianity. The Greek Time Spirit then became the
missionary, the inspirer or rather the intuiting Spirit of the
expanding exoteric Christianity. Here we have a concrete example of
an act of renunciation such as we have spoken of. Because the Greek
Time Spirit had fulfilled his mission in the fourth post-Atlantean
age so admirably, he could now advance in evolution towards a higher
Hierarchy. But he renounced this possibility and by so doing became
the guiding Spirit of the expanding exoteric Christianity, and in
that capacity he continued to work among the various peoples.
A
similar act of renunciation took place on another occasion, and this
second instance is of particular interest to students of Spiritual
Science. Whilst in Asia, including Egypt and Greece, the several
Archangels were advancing to the rank of Time Spirits, there existed
in Europe isolated peoples and tribes who were guided by their
several Archangels. Thus, whilst the corresponding Archangels who had
been sent in ancient times from the West towards the East had
advanced to the rank of Time Spirits, there still existed in Europe
an Archangel who worked in the Germanic and especially in the Celtic
peoples, in those peoples who, at the time of the founding of
Christianity, were still spread over a large area of Western Europe
extending into Hungary, Southern Germany and the Alpine countries.
These peoples had the Celtic Folk Spirit as their Archangel. The
peoples belonging to the Celtic Folk Spirit also inhabited an area
extending far into the North East of Europe. They were guided by an
important Archangel who, soon after the Christian impulse had been
bestowed on mankind, had renounced the possibility of becoming an
Archai-being, a Spirit of Personality and elected to remain at the
Archangel stage and to subordinate himself in future to the different
Time Spirits who might arise in Europe. Hence the Celtic peoples also
declined as a united people because their Archangel had made a
special act of renunciation and had undertaken a special mission.
This is a typical example of how, in such a case, an act of
renunciation helps to initiate particular missions.
Now
what became of the Archangel of the Celtic peoples after he had
renounced the possibility of becoming a Spirit of Personality? He
became the inspirer of esoteric Christianity. All the underlying
teachings and impulses of esoteric Christianity, especially of the
real, true esoteric Christianity, have their source in his
inspirations. The hidden sanctuary for those who were initiated into
these Mysteries was situated in Western Europe and there the
spiritual impulse was imparted by this guiding Spirit who had
originally undergone an important training as Archangel of the Celtic
people, had renounced his promotion to a higher rank and had
undertaken another mission — that of becoming the inspirer of
esoteric Christianity which was destined to live on further in the
Mysteries of the Holy Grail, in Rosicrucianism. Here is an example of
an act of renunciation, a sacrifice on the part of one of these
Beings of the Hierarchies. At the same time it offers a concrete
example illustrating the significance of this sacrifice. Although
this Archangel could have advanced to the rank of an Archai-being, he
remained at the Archangel stage and in consequence was able to guide
the important current of esoteric Christianity whose influence is
destined to be furthered through the medium of the different Time
Spirits. No matter how these Time Spirits may work, this esoteric
Christianity will remain a living source, able to be renewed and
metamorphosed ever and again under the influence of different epochs.
Here then is another example illustrating an act of renunciation,
whilst we, on the other hand, are witnessing in our age especially
the mighty spectacle of Folk Spirits advancing to the rank of Time
Spirits.
Now
the various Germanic peoples of Europe had originally been guided by
a single Archangel-being and were destined to come gradually under
the guidance of many different Archangels in order to become
differentiated. It is of course extremely difficult to speak
impartially of these things without arousing jealousy and emotional
prejudice. Consequently certain mysteries pertaining to this
evolution can only be touched upon lightly. From among these
Archangels emerged the Archai-being, the leading Time Spirit of our
fifth post-Atlantean epoch, long after one of the Archangels of the
Germanic peoples had undergone a certain preparatory training. The
Time Spirit who was the Folk Spirit in the Graeco-Latin age became,
as you know, that Time Spirit who was later concerned in the
expansion of exoteric Christianity. Later Roman history was also
guided by a kind of Time Spirit who had risen from the rank of
Archangel of the ancient Romans and had joined forces with the
Christian Time Spirit in order to coordinate their activities. Both
of these were the teachers of that Archangel who guided the Germanic
peoples, had been one of their guiding Archangels and had then risen
to the rank of the Time Spirit of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. But
much still remained to be done. It was essential that the different
folk elements in the peoples of Europe should be mingled and
individualized. This was only possible for the following reasons: —
whereas, in Asia and Africa the Archangels had long since advanced to
the rank of Time Spirits, Europe was still under the guidance of the
Archangels themselves. The individual peoples, indifferent to the
Time Spirits and guided by their several Folk Souls, were wholly
given up to the impulses of the Folk Spirit. At the time when the
Christian impulse began to pervade mankind, Europe was the scene of
the simultaneous activity of many Folk Spirits, filled with a spirit
of liberty, each acting independently and who therefore made it
difficult for a Time Spirit of the fifth epoch to arise who could
direct the several Folk Spirits. The French people, for example, was
the product of the intermixture of Celts, Franks and Latins, and in
consequence the entire guidance naturally followed a clearly defined
pattern. It passed from the several guiding Archangels, who had been
given other tasks, into the hands of others. We have already
indicated what was the mission of the guiding Archangel of the Celts;
in the same way we could indicate what were the missions of the
Archangels of the other peoples. Hence amongst the peoples who were
products of miscegenation, other Archangels appeared who took over
when the various elements intermingled. Thus, over a long period of
time — and even in the Middle Ages — the leadership in
Central and Northern Europe was chiefly in the hands of the
Archangels who were only gradually influenced by that common Time
Spirit who was in the vanguard of the Christ Impulse. The several
Folk Spirits in Europe frequently became the servants of the
Christian Time Spirit. The European Archangels placed themselves in
the service of this universal Christian Time Spirit whilst the
several peoples were hardly in a position to permit any of the
Archangels to advance to the rank of a Time Spirit. Starting from the
twelfth century, it was not until the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries that the first steps were undertaken towards the
development of the guiding Time Spirit of the fifth post-Atlantean
epoch who still directs us today. He belongs to the great leading
Time Spirits, equally with those who were the great directing Time
Spirits during the Egypto-Chaldean-Babylonian, Old Persian and Indian
epochs. But this Spirit of our fifth post-Atlantean epoch worked in a
very unique manner. He had, in effect, to enter into a kind of
compromise with one of the former Time Spirits who were active before
the birth of the Christian impulse, namely, with the Time Spirit of
ancient Egypt, who as we have heard, had risen in a certain respect
to the rank of a Spirit of Form. Thus, our present fifth
post-Atlantean epoch is really governed by a Time Spirit who in a
certain way is very much subject to the influence and impulses of the
Time Spirit of ancient Egypt and who is a Spirit of Form at an
elementary stage.
This
was the source of the many cleavages and divisions of our time. In
the fifth post-Atlantean epoch our Time Spirit is striving to lift
himself to the Spiritual, and to raise the fifth post-Atlantean epoch
to a higher stage. But this does not exclude a tendency or
inclination to materialism. According as the various Archangels, the
various Folk Souls are more or less inclined towards this materialist
tendency, so there emerges under the guidance of this Time Spirit of
the fifth post-Atlantean epoch a more or less materialistic people
who inclines the Spirit of the Age more in the direction of
materialism. On the other hand an idealistic people inclines the
Spirit of the Age more towards idealism.
Now
from the twelfth to the sixteenth century something gradually
developed, working (in a certain respect) parallel with the Christian
Time Spirit — who continues the activity of the Greek Time
Spirit — so that in fact, in a remarkable manner, there
streamed into our culture the Christian Time Spirit united with a
Time Spirit proper of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch; and again there
was an influx of impulses from ancient Egypt whose Time Spirit had
advanced to a certain rank among the Spirits of Form. Now precisely
because such a trifolium is at work in our whole culture it has been
possible for Folk Souls and cultural patterns of widely differing
kinds and complexions to emerge in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. It
became possible for the Time Spirit to manifest the greatest
diversity. The Archangels who took their orders from the Time Spirit
worked in many different ways.
Those
of you who live in Scandinavia will be interested in something which
we shall go into closely in our next lectures. The following question
will be of particular interest to you: What form did the activity of
that Archangel take who was once upon a time sent to Norway with the
Nordic peoples, the Scandinavian peoples, and from whom the various
Archangels of Europe, especially those of Western, Central and
Northern Europe, received their inspirations? In the eyes of the
world it would be regarded as the height of folly to speak of that
spiritual centre on the continent of Europe which at one time
radiated the most powerful spiritual impulses, the centre which was
the seat of exalted Spirits before the Celtic Folk Spirit as Celtic
Archangel had established a new centre in the High Castle of the
Grail. The Archangel of the Northern peoples first received his
mission from that place which in ancient times had been the spiritual
centre of Europe. It must seem the height of folly, as I said, if we
were to indicate as the central source of inspiration for the various
Germanic tribes that district which now lies over Central Germany —
not actually on the Earth, but hovering above it. If you were to
describe an arc to include the towns of Detmold and Paderborn, you
would then delimit the region from where the most exalted Spirits
were sent on their several missions to Northern and Western Europe.
Hence, because the great centre of spiritual inspiration was situated
there, legend tells of Asgard having been actually located
at this place on Earth. There, in the remote past, was the great
centre of inspiration; in later years its spiritual mission was taken
over by the Castle of the Grail.
The
peoples of Scandinavia, with their first Archangels, were at that
time endowed with quite different potentialities, potentialities
which at the present time are reflected only in the peculiar
configuration of Scandinavian mythology. If we compare in the occult
sense, Scandinavian mythology with other mythologies, we may know
that this Norse mythology depicts the native predisposition of the
Archangel who was sent upon his mission to Scandinavia, that native
predisposition which has retained its original form and which is
peculiar to a child whose particular talents, latent gifts, etc.,
remain at a childlike stage. The Archangel who was sent to
Scandinavia embodies those potentialities which were later expressed
in the peculiar configuration of Scandinavian mythology. Here lies
the signal importance of Scandinavian mythology for the understanding
of the real, inner being of the Scandinavian Folk Soul. Herein, too,
lies the great significance which the understanding of this mythology
has for the further development of this Archangel who certainly has
the potentiality to rise to the rank of an Archai-being. But to this
end he must develop in a specific way those native potentialities
which (in certain respects) have been overshadowed by the rising
influence of that Time Spirit who was in the vanguard of exoteric
Christianity. Although Germanic-Scandinavian mythology and Greek
mythology are in many respects curiously alike, I must point out
nevertheless that there is no other mythology which, in its peculiar
composition and characteristic development, gives a deeper or clearer
picture of cosmic evolution than does this Scandinavian mythology, so
that this picture may serve as a preliminary sketch for the
anthroposophical view of world-evolution.
Thus
Germanic mythology, from the way in which it was developed out of the
native powers of the Archangel, is in its pictures closely akin to
the anthroposophical conception of the world such as it shall grow to
be in the course of time for all mankind. The problem will be how
those original, native potentialities of an Archangel can be
developed after be has been nurtured by the Christian Time Spirit.
These potentialities will be able to become an important element in
the guiding Time Spirit when, at a later stage in the evolution of a
people, this people has learned how to develop and perfect the
potentialities with which it was endowed at an earlier epoch. In this
connection we have only indicated an important problem, an important
evolution of an European Archangel. We have indicated to what extent
he has the potentiality to develop into a Time Spirit. We shall stop
at this point for the moment. We shall then continue our
investigations, when we shall endeavour, by analysing the
configuration of the Folk Soul, to undertake an esoteric study of
mythology, and a special section will be devoted to a description of
the very interesting characteristics of Germanic mythology, and also
of Scandinavian mythology in particular.
|