The Odin Brotherhood

This work—written during what Hermann Hesse has called “the end of modern times, shortly before the return of the Middle Ages”—is designed for the student of occult religions. Paganism is a growing force, and I believe a disinterested observer should record and publish some of the material available on the Odin Brotherhood, a mysterious fraternity that is one of the most interesting manifestations of Odinist polytheism. Because my aim is preservation rather than criticism, I have simply detailed the Brotherhood’s beliefs and have made no attempt to scrutinize their “mysteries.” At times the ideas relayed to me were unusual in the extreme—doctrines that deify men and humanize gods, legends of magic gates that lead to divine enclaves, prophecies of wars with apocalyptic monsters, clues concerning a treasure trove of golden monoliths, and much more—but I have decided to record these ideas without comment. It is my hope, however, that others will some day evaluate the interesting and perplexing phenomenon that is called Odinism.