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The Mission of the Individual Folk Souls
GA 121

12 June 1910 p.m., Oslo

7. Advance of Folk Spirits to the Rank of Time Spirits. Monotheism and Pluralism. Exoteric and Esoteric Christianity

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 pluralism1Note 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.

Siebenter Vortrag

Wenn Sie den Geist der Betrachtungen verfolgen, die wir hier in den letzten Tagen gepflogen haben, so werden Sie es begreiflich finden, daß nicht nur eine Lenkung und Leitung der Vorgänge auf unserer Erde und vor allen Dingen in der menschlichen Entwickelung durch die Wesenheiten und Kräfte der verschiedenen Hierarchien geschieht, sondern daß die Wesenheiten dieser Hierarchien selber eine Art Evolution, eine Art Entwickelung durchmachen. Wir sprachen davon in den letzten Vorträgen, wie die Wesenheiten dieser oder jener Hierarchie leitend eingreifen, wie sie zusammen organisieren, zum Beispiel die Rassen als Geister der Form in normaler und abnormaler Entwickelung.

Jetzt legen wir uns einmal diese Frage vor: Rücken diese geistigen Wesenheiten, mit denen wir es da zu tun haben, auch weiter in ihrer eigenen Entwickelung? Gerade in bezug auf gewisse geistige Wesenheiten können wir, während unserer Epoche der Entwickelung, das Schauspiel erleben, daß sie in ihrer eigenen Evolution, in ihrer eigenen Entwickelung sozusagen um eine Stufe weiter schreiten. Wir leben seit der atlantischen Katastrophe, seitdem die nachatlantische Entwickelung begonnen hat, in einem Zeitalter, in dem gewisse Erzengelwesen, gewisse Wesenheiten aus der Hierarchie der Archangeloi, aufsteigen in die Hierarchie der Archai oder der Zeitgeister. Das ist außerordentlich interessant zu beobachten, denn wenn wir betrachten, wie die Volksgeister, die Volksseelen, die wir als Erzengel bezeichnen, zu einem höheren Rang hinaufsteigen, dann bekommen wir erst eine richtige Vorstellung von dem, wie es in der großen Welt eigentlich hergeht. Dieses Aufsteigen ist verbunden damit, daß in jene Verteilung der Menschheit, die wir als die Rassenverteilung ansehen müssen, seit den atlantischen Zeiten her eine zweite Art von Völker-, von Menschheitsströmung hineingeschickt worden ist. Wir müssen nämlich weit zurückblicken, zurückblicken bis in die ersten atlantischen Zeiten, wenn wir die Zeit erfassen wollen, wo die Verteilung stattgefunden hat in die fünf Hauptrassen, von denen wir gesprochen haben, wenn wir fragen wollen: Wann sind hingekommen an den bestimmten Punkt nach Afrika diejenigen Menschen, die dann die schwarze oder äthiopische Rasse bildeten, wann sind in das südliche Asien gekommen diejenigen Völker, welche die malayische Rasse ausmachen? Da müßten wir in frühe atlantische Zeiten zurücksehen. Aber später wurden diesen früheren Strömungen andere nachgeschickt.

Während also die Erde mit den Grundlagen dieser Rassen schon besiedelt war, wurden andere hineingeschickt in die bereits besiedelten Erdengebiete. Da haben wir es mit einer späteren Strömung, mit einer Strömung der späteren atlantischen Zeit zu tun. Wenn wir begreifen wollen, was da, während die Atlantis allmählich abbröckelte, in Europa, Afrika und Amerika sich als Rassenverteilung vollzog und was dann später gegen Ende der atlantischen Zeit nachgesandt worden ist und zum Teil erst nachgesandt worden ist in der nachatlantischen Entwickelung, so müssen wir uns klar sein darüber, daß wir es zu tun haben mit jenem mächtigen Menschheits-Strom, der vorgeschoben wird bis hinein nach Asien, bis in das indische Gebiet, und daß — wie öfter angedeutet wurde — auf den verschiedenen Punkten Völkermassen zurückbleiben, aus denen sich dann die verschiedenen Volkstümer Asiens, Afrikas und Europas ergeben haben. Wir haben es also mit einer früheren Verteilung und einer späteren Vorschiebung, einer zweiten Strömung zu tun. Diese zweite Strömung hatte nun den Sinn, daß in der Richtung von Westen nach Osten solche Volksgemeinschaften ausgesandt wurden, welche unter der Leitung je eines Erzengels standen. Aber solche Erzengel waren die lenkenden geistigen Mächte dieser ausgesandten Stämme, die weniger oder mehr entwickelt waren, die, mit anderen Worten, weniger oder mehr nahe waren der Rangerhöhung zum Zeitgeiste. Diejenige Völkerströmung, deren Erzengel zu allererst emporgestiegen war zum Range eines Zeitgeistes, haben wir im fernen Osten zu suchen. Das war diejenige Völkerströmung, die sich zusammenschloß mit der Urbevölkerung Indiens, die Völkerströmung, die das Herrenvolk in Indien bildete und die Grundlage abgab für die erste nachatlantische Kultur, nachdem der Erzengel dieser Volksgemeinschaft zum Zeitgeist, zum ersten Zeitgeist oder Arch& der nachatlantischen Kulturperiode erhoben worden war. Nun leitete dieser Zeitgeist die uralt-heilige Kultur Indiens und machte sie zur tonangebenden Kultur in der ersten nachatlantischen Periode. Die anderen Völker Asiens, die sich allmählich heranbildeten, waren lange bloß unter der Leitung von Erzengeln.

Auch die Völker Europas, die zurückgeblieben waren bei der Herüberwanderung vom Westen nach Osten, waren noch lange unter der Leitung von Erzengeln, als sich der Erzengel Indiens schon erhoben hatte zum Range eines Arch&, der intuierend auf die großen Lehrer Indiens, die heiligen Rishis wirkte, die dadurch, daß sie die Vermittelung dieses erhabenen bedeutenden Geistes bekamen, ihre hohe Mission in der schon geschilderten Weise vollbringen konnten. Lange wirkte dieser Zeitgeist, als das nordwärts von dem alten Indien vorgelagerte Volk noch unter der Leitung des Erzengels stand. Nachdem der Zeitgeist Indiens seine Mission erfüllt hatte, wurde er erhoben zu der Leitung der gesamten Evolution der nachatlantischen Menschheit.

In der Zeit, die wir als die urpersische Zeit bezeichnen, haben wir dann den Geist der Persönlichkeit, den Zeitgeist, der der Intuitor des großen Zarathustra oder Zoroaster, des Zarathustra der Urzeit ist. Das ist wieder ein solches Beispiel, wie ein Erzengel, also eine Volksseele, sich erhebt zu dem Range eines Zeitgeistes. Das ist gerade das Schauspiel, das wir, wie wir es am Anfange unserer heutigen Darstellung gesagt haben, in unserer Epoche erleben, daß die Erzengel sich durch die Mission, die sie verrichten, zu lenkenden und waltenden Zeitgeistern emporarbeiten.

Eine spätere Emporarbeitung ist dann diejenige, welche erfolgt aus dem ägyptischen Volke mit seinen Erzengel einerseits und dem chaldäischen Volke und seinem Erzengel andererseits. Da vollzieht sich das Ereignis, daß der Erzengel des ägyptischen Volkes aufsteigt zum Range eines führenden Zeitgeistes und sozusagen die Lenkung und Leitung dessen übernimmt, was früher dem chaldäischen Erzengel oblag, so daß der Führer in der chaldäisch-ägyptischen Periode der dritte führende, gewaltige Zeitgeist wird, der sich aus dem Range des ägyptischen Erzengels allmählich heraufentwickelt hat. Das ist aber auch die Zeit, in der eine andere bedeutungsvolle Entwickelung sich vollzieht: die Entwickelung, die parallel geht mit der ägyptisch-chaldäischen Kultur, und auf welche sich das bezieht, was wir im letzten Vortrag besonders hervorheben mußten.

Wir haben gesehen, daß eine besondere Stelle, eine besondere Bedeutung alles dasjenige annimmt, was zu den semitischen Stämmen gehört, und daß innerhalb des Semitentums Jahve oder Jehova herausgehoben hatte gerade diese Rasse und sie zu seinem besonderen Volke erkoren hatte. Dadurch, daß er eine einzelne Rasse zu seinem besonderen Volke erkoren hatte, brauchte er, als diese Rasse nach und nach heranwuchs, zuerst zu seinem Stellvertreter gegenüber dem Volke eine Art von Erzengel, so daß wir in dem heranwachsenden semitischen Volke, in den Urzeiten, einen unter der fortwährenden Inspiration des Jahve oder Jehova stehenden Erzengel haben, der dann später selber zu einem Zeitgeiste heranwächst. Wir haben daher, sozusagen außer den gewöhnlichen, fortschreitenden Zeitgeistern im alten indischen, alten persischen, alten chaldäischen Volkenoch einen Zeitgeist, der eine besondere Rolle für sich spielt, indem er innerhalb eines einzelnen Volkes wirkt. Wir haben da einen Zeitgeist, der also in gewisser Beziehung in der Mission eines Volksgeistes auftritt; wir haben einen Zeitgeist, den wir den semitischen Volksgeist nennen müssen. Er hatte eine ganz besondere Aufgabe. Dies wird Ihnen begreiflich erscheinen, wenn Sie ins Auge fassen, daß eigentlich gerade dieses Volkstum herausgehoben war aus der normalen Entwickelung und eine besondere Führung hatte, daß sozusagen besondere Einrichtungen getroffen worden sind, um dieses Volk zu führen. Durch diese besonderen Einrichtungen hatte dieses Volk eine Mission erhalten, die wirklich für die nachatlantische Zeit von ganz besonderer Wichtigkeit und Bedeutung war, die sich von der Mission aller anderen Völker und Volkstümer unterschied. Man kann diese Mission des Semitentums eigentlich dadurch am besten begreifen, daß man sie zusammenhält mit dem, was in der nachatlantischen Zeit die verschiedenen anderen Völker als diese oder jene Mission hatten.

Es gibt zwei geistige Strömungen in der Menschheit. Die eine geistige Strömung muß man nennen, wenn man sie richtig bezeichnen will, diejenige, die von dem Pluralismus, man könnte auch sagen, von der Monadologie ausgeht, die also vorzugsweise in einer Vielheit von Wesenheiten und Kräften den Ursprung und die Quelle des Daseins sieht. Sie können nun überall in der Welt umherschauen, in irgendeiner Weise werden Sie sehen, daß die Völker der nachatlantischen Zeit von Vielheiten des Göttlichen ausgegangen sind. Beginnen Sie bei der Dreiheit des alten Indertums, die sich später ausgelebt hat in Brahma, Shiva und Vishnu. Sehen Sie auf die deutsche Mythologie, so finden Sie die Dreiheit von Odin, Hönir und Lödur und so weiter. So werden Sie überall eine Dreiheit und diese in eine Vielheit gegliedert finden. Sie sehen diese Eigentümlichkeit aber nicht nur da, wo sozusagen Göttermythen und Götterlehren auftreten, sondern auch in den Philosophien, wo uns dieselbe als Monadologie entgegentritt. Das ist die eine Strömung, welche, weil sie von der Vielheit ausgeht, die größtmögliche Mannigfaltigkeit annehmen kann. Man könnte sagen: In der nachatlantischen Zeit, vom weitesten Osten in Indien und im weiten Bogen durch Asien hindurch bis nach Europa, hat dieser Dienst der Vielheit, der sich im Grunde genommen in unserer geisteswissenschaftlichen Weltanschauung dadurch ausdrückt, daß wir eine Summe der verschiedensten Wesenheiten, der verschiedensten Hierarchien anerkennen, seine mannigfaltigsten Vertretungen und Ausgestaltungen gewonnen.

Diesem Dienste der Vielheit mußte eine synthetische, eine zusammenfassende Bewegung gegenüberstehen, eine Bewegung, die streng ausging von dem Monon, dem Monismus. Die eigentlichen Inspiratoren, die Impulsgeber alles Monotheismus und Monismus, aller Einheitsgöttlichkeit sind die semitischen Völker. Bei ihnen liegt es in der Natur, und — wenn Sie sich erinnern an das, was heute morgen gesagt wurde — es liegt bei ihnen im Blut, den Einheitsgott, das Monon zu vertreten.

Wenn der Mensch hinaussieht in das große Weltendasein, dann würde er aber nicht weit kommen, wenn er immer nur betonte: Eine Einheit, ein Monon liegt der Welt zugrunde. Der Monismus oder Monotheismus allein genommen ist dasjenige, was nur ein letztes Ideal darstellen kann. Dies würde aber niemals zu einer wirklichen Welterfassung, zu einer durchgreifenden konkreten Weltanschauung führen können. Doch es mußte in der nachatlantischen Zeit auch die Strömung des Monotheismus ihre Vertretung finden, so daß einem Volke übertragen war, das Ferment, den Impuls zu geben zu diesem Monotheismus. Diese Aufgabe war dem semitischen Volke übertragen. Daher sehen Sie, wie sozusagen mit einer gewissen abstrakten Strenge, einer abstrakten Unerbittlichkeit das monistische Prinzip gerade in diesem Volke vertreten wird, und alle anderen Völker haben insofern, als sie ihre verschiedenen göttlichen Wesenheiten in eine Einheit zusammenfassen, den Impuls dazu bekommen von dieser Seite her. Der monistische Impuls ist immer von dieser Seite gekommen. Die anderen Völker haben pluralistische Impulse.

Es ist außerordentlich wichtig, daß man das ins Auge faßt. Derjenige, der sich mit dem Fortwirken der althebräischen Impulse befaßt, der sieht heute noch bei dem gelehrten Rabbiner, dem gelehrten Rabbinismus in seinem extremsten Element den Monotheismus walten. Daß das Weltenprinzip nur ein einheitliches sein kann, das als Impuls zu geben, ist die Aufgabe gerade dieses Volkes. Man könnte daher sagen: Alle anderen Nationen, Völker und Zeitgeister hatten eine analytische Aufgabe, eine Aufgabe, das Weltenprinzip in verschiedene Wesenheiten gegliedert vorzustellen, wie zum Beispiel die äußerste Abstraktion des Monon in Indien bald in eine Dreigliedrigkeit zerfallen ist, wie der Einheitgott des Christentums zerfällt in die drei Personen. Die anderen Völker haben alle die Aufgabe, den Weltengrund zu analysieren und dadurch viel Inhalt zu schaffen für die einzelnen Teile dieses Weltengrundes, sich zu erfüllen mit reichem Vorstellungsmaterial, das die Erscheinungen liebevoll umfassen kann. Das semitische Volk hat die Aufgabe, abzusehen von aller Vielheit und synthetisch sich der Einheit hinzugeben, daher die Kraft der Spekulation, die Kraft des synthetischen Denkens, zum Beispiel in der Kabbalistik, gerade aus diesem Impuls heraus die denkbar größte ist.

Was aus der Einheit durch das synthetische, das zusammenfassende Wirken des Ich jemals herausgesponnen werden konnte, ist im Laufe der Jahrtausende durch den semitischen Geist herausgesponnen worden. Das ist die große Polarität zwischen Pluralismus und Monismus, und das ist die Bedeutung des semitischen Impulses in der Welt. Monismus ist nicht ohne Pluralismus, und dieser nicht ohne jenen möglich. Daher müssen wir die Notwendigkeit beider wohl anerkennen.

Die objektive Sprache der Tatsachen führt oft zu ganz anderen Erkenntnissen als die Sympathien und Antipathien, die da oder dort walten. Deshalb müssen wir die einzelnen Volksgeister wohl begreifen. Während die Führer der einzelnen Völker drüben in Asien und Afrika längst aufgestiegen waren zu dem Range von Zeitgeistern oder Geistern der Persönlichkeit und zum Teil sogar schon die Anwartschaft bekommen hatten, sich umzuwandeln von Zeitgeistern in die nächsthöhere Stufe, zu Geistern der Form — wie zum Beispiel jener Zeitgeist, der im alten Indien gewirkt hat, in gewisser Beziehung schon zum Range der Geister der Form emporgestiegen war —, waren die einzelnen Völker Europas noch lange geführt von ihren einzelnen Erzengeln. Erst in der vierten nachatlantischen Periode hob sich aus den verschiedenen Völkern Europas, die von ihren Erzengeln geleitet worden sind, der Erzengel des Griechentums heraus zu einer führenden Stellung, indem er der tonangebende Zeitgeist der griechischen, der vierten leitenden Epoche in der nachatlantischen Zeit wurde, so daß wir also den Erzengel des Griechentums emporsteigen sehen zu dem Range eines Archö, eines Geistes der Persönlichkeit. Dasjenige, wozu sich dieser Erzengel des Griechentums vorbereitet hatte, das tritt, als er Zeitgeist geworden war, für die Welt in Asien, Afrika und Europa hervor, deren Mittelpunkt eben das griechische Volk geworden war. Während sein Erzengel zum Arch& sich entwickelt hatte, war der wirkende Zeitgeist des ägyptischen und auch der des persischen Volkes hinaufgestiegen zu einer Art von Geist der Form. Das, wozu wir jetzt kommen, ist etwas außerordentlich Interessantes im Verlaufe der nachatlantischen Entwickelung. Durch all die Entwickelung, welche der Erzengel des Griechentums früher durchgemacht hatte, konnte er in verhältnismäßig schneller Art dasjenige durchmachen, was ihn zu einer ganz besonderen führenden Stellung als Zeitgeist befähigte. Daher geschah aber etwas höchst Bedeutungsvolles in der vierten nachatlantischen Kulturperiode.

Wir wissen, daß damals das Ereignis eintrat, welches wir als das Aufnehmen des Christusimpulses von seiten der Menschheit bezeichnen. Der Christusimpuls wurde aufgenommen, das Mysterium von Golgatha fand statt. Der Impuls, der da gegeben worden ist, sollte im Laufe der nächsten Jahrhunderte und Jahrtausende nach und nach seine Verbreitung auf der Erde finden. Dazu bedurfte es nicht nur der Tatsache, daß dieses Ereignis stattfand, dazu bedurfte es gewisser lenkender und führender Wesenheiten aus der Reihe der Hierarchien heraus. Und da trat nun das höchst Merkwürdige und Interessante ein, daß der Zeitgeist des Griechentums in einem bestimmten Zeitmomente, der ungefähr zusammenfällt mit dem Auf-die-Erde-Kommen des Christusimpulses, für diese unsere jetzige Periode auf den ihm dazumal möglich gewordenen Aufstieg in die Region der Geister der Form verzichtete und der führende Zeitgeist wurde, der dann über die Zeiten hinaus wirkt. Er wird der stellvertretende, führende Geist des exoterischen Christentums, so daß sich also hinstellt vor den Christusimpuls der Arche, der führende Geist des Griechentums. Daher zerfällt das Griechentum so rasch in der Zeit, in welcher sich das Christentum entwickelt, weil es sozusagen seinen führenden Zeitgeist abgegeben hat, damit er Führer des exoterischen Christentums werden konnte. Es wurde der Zeitgeist des alten Griechentums der Missionar, der Inspirator oder vielmehr Intuitor des sich ausbreitenden exoterischen Christentums. Da haben wir also das Schauspiel einer solchen Resignation, von der wir gesprochen haben, in einem konkreten Falle vor uns. Der Zeitgeist des Griechentums konnte, weil er seine Mission in der vierten nachatlantischen Kulturperiode so außerordentlich gut erfüllt hatte, aufsteigen in ein höheres Gebiet, verzichtete aber und wurde dadurch der führende Geist des sich ausbreitenden exoterischen Christentums, als welcher er über die verschiedenen Völker hinweg wirkte.

Solch eine Verzichtleistung findet noch einmal statt, und diese zweite Verzichtleistung ist wiederum von einem ganz besonderen Interesse, gerade für diejenigen, die sich Schüler der Geist-Erkenntnis nennen. Wir haben im wesentlichen, während sich drüben in Asien, bis herein in das Ägypter- und Griechentum, die einzelnen Erzengel zu Zeitgeistern entwickeln, in Europa einzelne Völker und Volksstämme, die von ihren verschiedenen Erzengeln geleitet werden. Da haben wir in Europa, während sonst die entsprechenden Erzengel, die einst von Westen nach Osten geschickt worden sind, aufgestiegen waren in die Reihe der Zeitgeister, noch immer einen Erzengel, der in den germanischen und vor allem in den keltischen Völkern wirkte, in den Völkern, welche noch zur Zeit, in der das Christentum seinen Anfang nahm, in einem großen Teile von Westeuropa, bis hinein in das heutige Ungarn, durch Süddeutschland und durch die Alpen hindurch, verbreitet waren. Diese Völker hatten als ihren Erzengel den keltischen Volksgeist. Auch weit herauf gegen den Nordosten Europas waren die Völker des keltischen Geistes verbreitet. Sie wurden von einem bedeutenden Erzengel gelenkt, der, bald nachdem der christliche Impuls der Menschheit gegeben worden war, darauf verzichtet hatte, ein Arch&, ein Geist der Persönlichkeit zu werden, und der sich entschloß, auf der Stufe eines Erzengels stehen zu bleiben und sich in Zukunft den verschiedensten Zeitgeistern, die da zum Beispiel innerhalb Europas entstehen würden, unterzuordnen. Daher auch schwanden die keltischen Völker als zusammengeschlossene Völkerschaft dahin, eben weil ihr Erzengel eine besondere Resignation geübt und eine besondere Mission übernommen hatte. Das ist ein charakteristisches Beispiel dafür, wie, sagen wir, das Zurückbleiben in einem solchen Falle dazu beiträgt, besondere Missionen einzuleiten. Was wurde nun aus diesem Erzengel der keltischen Völker, als er darauf verzichtet hatte, ein Geist der Persönlichkeit zu werden? Da wurde er der inspirierende Geist des esoterischen Christentums, und von seinen Inspirationen gelten insbesondere diejenigen Lehren und Impulse aus, die dem esoterischen Christentum, dem wahrhaften esoterischen Christentum zugrunde liegen. Im Westen Europas war die geheimnisvolle Stätte zu finden für diejenigen, die in diese Geheimnisse eingeweiht wurden, wo die Inspiration stattfand durch diesen leitenden Geist, der ursprünglich eine bedeutsame Schulung als Erzengel des Keltentums absolviert hatte, der auf den Aufstieg verzichtet und eine andere Mission übernommen hatte, die Mission: Inspirator des esoterischen Christentums zu sein, das fortwirken sollte durch die Geheimnisse des heiligen Gral, fortwirken sollte durch das Rosenkreuzertum. Da haben Sie das Beispiel einer Verzichtleistung, eines Zurückbleibens einer solchen Wesenheit der Hierarchien, und da haben Sie zugleich ein Beispiel, an dem Sie unmittelbar, im Konkreten erkennen können, was solch ein Zurückbleiben für eine Bedeutung hat. Trotzdem dieser Erzengel zu dem Range eines Arche hätte aufsteigen können, blieb er bei dem Range eines Erzengels und leitete dafür die bedeutsame Strömung des esoterischen Christentums, welche durch die verschiedensten Zeitgeister hindurch fortwirken soll. Die Zeitgeister mögen so oder so wirken, dieses esoterische Christentum wird ein Quell sein für alles, was sich unter dem Einflusse der verschiedenen Zeitgeister wieder wandeln, metamorphosieren kann. Da haben wir also wieder ein Beispiel, wie eine solche Resignation stattfindet, während wir sonst das große Schauspiel erleben, daß die Volksgeister zu Zeitgeistern, gerade in unserer Epoche, aufsteigen.

Nun haben wir — im europäischen Gebiet — die verschiedenen germanischen Völker. Diese verschiedenen germanischen Völker Europas, die ursprünglich von einem Erzengelwesen geleitet worden sind, waren dazu berufen, nach und nach unter die Leitung der verschiedensten Erzengel zu kommen, in der verschiedensten Weise Völker-Individualitäten zu bilden. Es ist natürlich außerordentlich schwierig — schwierig nur aus dem Grunde, weil es in gewisser Beziehung leicht Leidenschaft und Eifersucht erwecken kann —, wenn über diese Dinge unbefangen gesprochen werden soll. Daher kann auf ganz bestimmte Mysterien dieser Entwickelung nur leise hingedeutet werden. Aus der Summe jener Erzengel ging hervor der Arch&, der führende Zeitgeist unserer fünften Kulturepoche der nachatlantischen Zeit. Er ging hervor, nachdem lange, lange Zeit einer der Erzengel der germanischen Völker eine gewisse Schulung durchgemacht hatte. Derjenige Zeitgeist, welcher der Volksgeist der griechisch-lateinischen Epoche war, wurde der Zeitgeist, der, wie Sie wissen, in der späteren Zeit damit beschäftigt war, das exoterische Christentum auszubreiten. Die spätere römische Geschichte wurde auch geleitet von einer Art von Zeitgeist, der aus dem Erzengel des Römertums aufgestiegen war und sich in seiner Wirksamkeit mit dem christlichen Zeitgeist zu gemeinsamem Wirken verband. Diese beiden waren die Erzieher jenes Erzengels, welcher die germanischen Völker führte, der zu deren führenden Erzengeln gehörte, der sich dann zum Zeitgeiste der fünften nachatlantischen Kulturperiode emporhob. Es war vieles notwendig, vor allen Dingen aber, daß eine starke Individualisierung und Vermischung der verschiedenen Völkerelemente in Europa eintrat. Das war nur dadurch möglich, daß, während drüben in Asien und Afrika die Erzengel längst zu Zeitgeistern aufgerückt waren, in Europa die Führerschaft noch bei den Erzengeln selber lag, daß die einzelnen Völkerschaften von ihren Volksseelen geleitet wurden, unbekümmert um die Zeitgeister, ganz hingegeben den Impulsen der Volksgeister selber. Als der christliche Impuls über die Menschheit dahinging, da war in Europa ein Durcheinanderwirken von einzelnen von freiem Sinn erfüllten Volksgeistern, von denen ein jeder seine eigenen Wege ging, und die es im Grunde genommen dadurch schwer machten, daß ein die einzelnen Volksgeister führender Zeitgeist der fünften Kulturepoche entstehen konnte. Es vermischten sich, sagen wir, um jenes Volk möglich zu machen, welches das französische Gebiet bewohnt, romanische, keltische und fränkische Volkselemente. Durch diese Vermischung nahm natürlich die ganze Führung eine bestimmte Gestalt an. Sie ging sozusagen von den einzelnen, leitenden Erzengeln, welche andere Aufgaben erhalten hatten, auf andere über. — Beim leitenden Erzengel der Kelten haben wir gesagt, was er für eine Mission erhalten hatte. Ebenso könnten wir von den anderen Volkstümern die Mission der Erzengel angeben. — Daher kamen unter die Völker, die durch Mischung entstanden, wieder andere Erzengel, die ihre Herrschaft antraten, als sich die verschiedenen Elemente vermischten. So war in der Tat durch lange Zeit hindurch — noch im Mittelalter — im mittleren und nördlichen Europa im Grunde genommen das führende Element bei den Erzengeln, die nur nach und nach beeinflußt wurden von dem gemeinsamen Zeitgeiste, der einherging vor dem Christusimpulse. Es wurden die einzelnen Volksgeister in Europa vielfach die Diener desChristus-Zeitgeistes. DieErzengel Europas stellten sich in den Dienst dieses gemeinsamen Christus-Zeitgeistes, während die einzelnen Völker kaum in der Lage waren, irgendeinen der Erzengel zu dem Range eines Zeitgeistes emporsteigen zu lassen. Erst im sechzehnten bis siebzehnten Jahrhundert — vom zwölften Jahrhundert etwa angefangen — bereitete sich das vor, daß der führende Zeitgeist der fünften nachatlantischen Periode herausgebildet wurde, unter dessen Einfluß wir heute noch stehen. Er gehört ebenso zu den großen, führenden Zeitgeistern wie die, welche die großen, führenden Zeitgeister waren während der ägyptisch-chaldäisch-babylonischen, urpersischen und indischen Epoche. Aber er wirkte in einer ganz eigentümlichen Weise, dieser Zeitgeist unserer fünften nachatlantischen Kulturepoche. Er mußte nämlich eine Art Kompromiß eingehen mit einem der alten Zeitgeister, die gewirkt haben vor dem christlichen Impulse, und zwar mit dem ägyptischen Zeitgeiste, der, wie wir gehört haben, in gewisser Beziehung aufgestiegen ist zu dem Range eines Geistes der Form. So kommt es, daß eigentlich unsere fünfte nachatlantische Kulturperiode, in der wir stehen, von einem Zeitgeiste beherrscht ist, der in gewisser Weise sehr, sehr dem Einflusse und den Impulsen des Zeitgeistes der alten ägyptischen Kultur unterliegt und der ein sozusagen in seinen allerersten Anfängen begriffener Geist der Form ist.

Das gab die vielen Zersplitterungen und Zerklüftungen unseres Zeitalters. Unser Zeitgeist in der fünften nachatlantischen Kulturperiode strebt dahin, sich in gewisser Beziehung zu spirituellen Höhen zu erheben und die vierte nachatlantische Kulturzeit hinaufzubringen auf eine höhere Stufe. Aber es liegt darin dasjenige, was materialistische Neigung, materialistischer Hang ist, und je nachdem die verschiedenen Erzengelwesen, die verschiedenen Volksseelen eine mehr oder weniger große Hinneigung zu diesem materialistischen Hang haben, kommt unter der Führung dieses Zeitgeistes der fünften nachatlantischen Kulturperiode ein mehr oder weniger materialistisches Volk heraus, das sozusagen dem Zeitgeiste mehr eine Nuance nach dem Materialistischen hin gibt. Ein idealistisches Volk dagegen ist ein solches, welches dem Zeitgeiste mehr eine Nuance nach dem Idealismus hin gibt.

Nun bildete sich vom zwölften bis sechzehnten Jahrhundert tatsächlich immer mehr etwas heraus, was in gewisser Beziehung neben dem christlichen Zeitgeiste wirkte — der der fortwirkende griechische Zeitgeist ist —, so daß in der Tat, in merkwürdiger Weise, in unsere Kultur einströmt dasjenige, was wir den christlichen Zeitgeist nennen, verbunden mit einem eigentlichen Zeitgeist der fünften nachatlantischen Kulturperiode, und da wirkt wieder hinein das alte Agyptertum, dessen Zeitgeist sich bis zu einem gewissen Rang der Geister der Form erhoben hat. Nun aber ist es gerade dadurch, daß ein solches Trifolium in unserer ganzen Zeitkultur wirkt, möglich geworden, daß in der fünften Zeitepoche die verschiedensten Nuancen von Kultur- und VolksseelenStrömungen herauskamen. Es wurde möglich, daß der Zeitgeist die verschiedensten Farben und Nuancen in seinem Wirken aufwies. Die Erzengel, die ihre Befehle von dem Zeitgeist erhielten, wirkten in der verschiedensten Weise.

Diejenigen, die im Norden wohnen, wird etwas interessieren, worauf wir in den nächsten Betrachtungen genauer werden einzugehen haben, sie wird insbesondere interessieren müssen die Frage: Wie wirkte jener Erzengel, der einstmals mit den nordischen Völkern, den skandinavischen Völkern heraufgeschickt worden ist in dieses Gebiet, und von dem aus die verschiedenen Erzengelwesen Europas— namentlich West-, Mittel- und Nordeuropas — die Inspirationen bekamen? In der außenstehenden Welt kann es nur als Narretei gelten, wenn geradezu hingewiesen wird auf jenen Punkt des europäischen Kontinentes, von dem einst die größten Impulse nach allen Seiten ausgestrahlt sind, auf jenen Punkt, der der Sitz erhabener Geister war, bevor der keltische Volksgeist als keltisches Erzengelwesen in der Hochburg des Grals ein neues Zentrum errichtet hatte. Von jenem Punkte, der in alten Zeiten Zentrum war für die Ausstrahlung der Geistigkeit Europas, ist auch ausgestrahlt dasjenige, was zunächst der nordische Volks-Erzengel als seine Mission erhalten hat. Für die Außenwelt muß es, wie gesagt, als Narretei erscheinen, wenn wir als den Punkt, von dem ausstrahlt, was nach den verschiedensten germanischen Volksstämmen hinwirkt, dasjenige Gebiet bezeichnen, das heute über Mittel-Deutschland liegt, aber eigentlich über der Erde gelegen ist. Wenn Sie etwa eine Kreislinie zögen, so daß in diese Kreislinie hineinfallen würden die Städte Dermold und Paderborn, so kommen Sie in die Gegend, von der ausströmte die Mission der erhabensten Geister, welche nach Nord- und WestEuropa ihre Mission ausdehnten. Weil dort das große Inspirationszentrum war, deshalb ging später die Sage, daß Asgard eigentlich an diesem Punkte der Erdoberfläche gelegen habe. Es lag aber da das große Inspirationszentrum in uralter Vergangenheit, das Zentrum, welches dann später seine Hauptwirksamkeit abgegeben hat an das Zentrum des heiligen Gral.

Die Völker Skandinaviens mit ihren ersten Erzengeln, haben damals ganz verschiedene Anlagen mitbekommen, Anlagen, die sich heute eigentlich nur noch in der eigenartigen Konfiguration der nordischen Mythologie aussprechen. Derjenige, der im okkulten Sinne die nordische Mythologie mit anderen Mythologien vergleicht, die über die Erde geherrscht haben, der mag wissen, daß diese nordische Mythologie die ursprüngliche Anlage des Erzengels darstellt, der hier herauf nach Norden geschickt worden ist, die ursprüngliche Anlage, die bei ihrer Gestaltung stehen geblieben ist, wie wir sie sozusagen bei einem Kinde sehen müßten, wenn bestimmte Talente, latentes Genie und so weiter auf der Kindheitstufe stehen blieben. Bei dem Erzengel, der nach Skandinavien geschickt wurde, haben wir diejenigen Anlagen, die dann in der eigentümlichen Konfiguration der nordischen Mythologie herauskommen. Daher rührt die große Bedeutung der nordischen Mythologie für das Verständnis des eigentlichen, inneren Wesens der skandinavischen Volksseele. Daher kommt auch die große Bedeutung, welche dieses Verständnis der Mythologie hat für die weitere Fortentwikkelung dieses Erzengels, der allerdings die Anlage in sich hat, in einer gewissen Weise, aufzusteigen zu dem Range eines Arche. Aber dazu ist mancherlei notwendig. Dazu ist notwendig, daß in ganz bestimmter Weise sich jene Anlagen entwickeln, die heute in gewisser Beziehung zurückgetreten sind hinter dem dämmernden, schattenhaften Einfluß des Zeitgeistes, der sich vor die Impulse des Christentums hingestellt hat. So sonderbar ähnlich manche Dinge der germanischnordischen Mythologie den Darstellungen der griechischen Mythologie sind, so muß doch gesagt werden, daß es keine andere Mythologie der Erde gibt, welche in ihrem eigentümlichen Aufbau, in ihrer eigenartigen Durchführung ein bedeutsameres oder klareres Bild der Weltenevolution gibt, als diese nordische Mythologie, so daß dieses Bild als eine Vorstufe des geisteswissenschaftlichen Bildes der Weltenentwickelung gelten kann.

Die germanische Mythologie ist in der Art, wie sie ausgebildet worden ist aus der Anlage des Erzengels heraus, in ihren Bildern am bedeutsamsten ähnlich dem, was nach und nach als das geisteswissenschaftliche Weltbild für die Menschheit erwachsen soll. Es wird sich darum handeln, wie jene Anlagen werden können, die einstmals ein Erzengel mitgebracht hat in die Welt, wie sie werden können, nachdem dieser Erzengel die Erziehung des Christus-Zeitgeistes genossen hat. Diese Anlagen werden zu einem wichtigen Gliede im führenden Zeitgeist werden können, wenn in der richtigen Weise im späteren Alter der Volksentwickelung verstanden wird, dasjenige auszubilden, was diese Volksentwickelung als Anlage in einem früheren Zeitalter enthält. Damit haben wir nur hingedeutet auf ein wichtiges Problem, auf eine wichtige Evolution eines europäischen Erzengels; wir haben sozusagen darauf hingedeutet, inwiefern er eine Anlage zu einem Zeitgeiste hat.

An diesem Punkte wollen wir einen Augenblick stehen bleiben und dann unsere Betrachtung so fortsetzen, daß wir versuchen, aus der Konfiguration der Volksseele heraus in eine esoterische Betrachtung der Mythologie einzutreten. Damit wird, als ein besonderes Kapitel, die Schilderung der ganzen interessanten Eigenart gerade der germanischen und namentlich auch der nordischen Mythologie vor unsere Seele geführt werden.

Seventh Lecture

If you follow the spirit of the reflections we have been engaged in here over the last few days, you will find it understandable that not only are the processes on our earth, and above all in human evolution, guided and directed by the beings and forces of the various hierarchies, but that the beings of these hierarchies themselves undergo a kind of evolution, a kind of development. We spoke in the last lectures about how the beings of this or that hierarchy intervene in a guiding way, how they organize themselves together, for example, the races as spirits of form in normal and abnormal development.

Now let us ask ourselves this question: Do these spiritual beings with whom we are dealing also advance in their own development? Precisely in relation to certain spiritual beings, we can experience during our epoch of development the spectacle of them advancing, so to speak, one step further in their own evolution, in their own development. Since the Atlantean catastrophe, since the post-Atlantean development began, we have been living in an age in which certain archangelic beings, certain beings from the hierarchy of the Archangeloi, are ascending into the hierarchy of the Archai or the spirits of the times. This is extremely interesting to observe, because when we consider how the folk spirits, the folk souls, which we call archangels, ascend to a higher rank, we begin to gain a true understanding of what is actually happening in the greater world. This ascension is connected with the fact that, since Atlantean times, a second type of people, of human stream, has been sent into the distribution of humanity that we must regard as the distribution of races. We must look far back, back to the earliest Atlantean times, if we want to grasp the time when the division into the five main races we have spoken of took place, if we want to ask: When did those people who then formed the black or Ethiopian race arrive at the specific point in Africa, and when did those peoples who make up the Malay race come to southern Asia? We would have to look back to early Atlantean times. But later, other currents were sent after these earlier ones.

So while the earth was already populated with the foundations of these races, others were sent into the already populated areas of the earth. Here we are dealing with a later stream, a stream from the later Atlantean period. If we want to understand what happened in Europe, Africa, and America in terms of racial distribution while Atlantis was gradually crumbling, and what was sent later, toward the end of the Atlantean era, and what was sent only later, in the post-Atlantean development, we must be clear that that we are dealing with that powerful human stream that advanced as far as Asia, as far as the Indian region, and that — as has often been indicated — masses of people remained behind at various points, from which the various peoples of Asia, Africa, and Europe then emerged. We are therefore dealing with an earlier distribution and a later advance, a second stream. The purpose of this second stream was to send out communities of people from west to east, each under the leadership of an archangel. But these archangels were the guiding spiritual powers of these sent tribes, which were more or less developed, which, in other words, were more or less close to being elevated to the rank of zeitgeist. We must look to the Far East for the stream of peoples whose archangel was the first to rise to the rank of zeitgeist. This was the stream of peoples that joined with the original population of India, the stream of peoples that formed the ruling people in India and laid the foundation for the first post-Atlantean culture after the archangel of this community of peoples had been elevated to the spirit of the age, to the first spirit of the age or Arch& of the post-Atlantean cultural period. This Zeitgeist then guided the ancient sacred culture of India and made it the dominant culture in the first post-Atlantean period. The other peoples of Asia, which gradually developed, were for a long time merely under the guidance of archangels.

Even the peoples of Europe, who had been left behind during the migration from west to east, were still under the guidance of archangels for a long time after the archangel of India had already risen to the rank of Arch&, who intuitively influenced the great teachers of India, the holy Rishis, who, they were able to fulfill their high mission in the manner already described. This spirit of the times worked for a long time, while the people living north of ancient India were still under the guidance of the archangel. After the spirit of the times in India had fulfilled its mission, it was elevated to the leadership of the entire evolution of post-Atlantean humanity.

In the period we call the ancient Persian period, we then have the spirit of personality, the spirit of the age, which is the intuitor of the great Zarathustra or Zoroaster, the Zarathustra of ancient times. This is another example of how an archangel, that is, a folk soul, rises to the rank of a spirit of the age. This is precisely the spectacle we are witnessing in our own epoch, as we said at the beginning of our present account, namely that the archangels, through the mission they are carrying out, are working their way up to become guiding and ruling spirits of the age.

A later ascent then takes place, that of the Egyptian people with their archangel on the one hand, and the Chaldean people with their archangel on the other. There the event takes place in which the archangel of the Egyptian people rises to the rank of a leading spirit of the times and, so to speak, takes over the guidance and direction of what was formerly the responsibility of the Chaldean archangel, so that the leader in the Chaldean-Egyptian period becomes the third leading, powerful spirit of the times, which has gradually developed from the rank of the Egyptian archangel. But this is also the time when another significant development takes place: the development that runs parallel to the Egyptian-Chaldean culture, and to which we had to refer in particular in the last lecture.

We have seen that everything belonging to the Semitic tribes takes on a special significance, and that within Semitism, Yahweh or Jehovah had singled out this particular race and chosen it as his special people. Because he had chosen a single race as his special people, he needed, as this race gradually grew up, first of all a kind of archangel as his representative to the people, so that in the growing Semitic people, in primeval times, we have an archangel standing under the constant inspiration of Yahweh or Jehovah, who later himself grows into a spirit of the times. We therefore have, so to speak, apart from the ordinary, progressive spirits of the age in the ancient Indian, ancient Persian, and ancient Chaldean peoples, a spirit of the age that plays a special role for itself by working within a single people. We have a spirit of the times that, in a certain sense, appears in the mission of a national spirit; we have a spirit of the times that we must call the Semitic national spirit. It had a very special task. This will become clear to you when you consider that this particular people was actually singled out from the normal course of development and given special guidance, that special arrangements were made, so to speak, to guide this people. Through these special institutions, this people had received a mission that was truly of special importance and significance for the post-Atlantean era, which differed from the mission of all other peoples and ethnic groups. This mission of Semitism can best be understood by considering it in conjunction with the various missions that the other peoples had in the post-Atlantean era.

There are two spiritual currents in humanity. One spiritual current, if one wants to describe it correctly, is that which proceeds from pluralism, or one could also say from monadology, which therefore sees the origin and source of existence primarily in a multiplicity of beings and forces. You can now look around the world and in some way you will see that the peoples of the post-Atlantean era have proceeded from multiplicity of the divine. Begin with the trinity of ancient India, which later developed into Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Look at German mythology and you will find the trinity of Odin, Hönir, and Lödur, and so on. Thus you will find a trinity everywhere, and this trinity divided into a multiplicity. But you will not only see this peculiarity where, so to speak, myths and teachings about gods occur, but also in philosophies, where it confronts us as monadology. This is the one current which, because it proceeds from multiplicity, can assume the greatest possible diversity. One could say that in the post-Atlantean era, from the far east in India and across Asia to Europe, this service to multiplicity, which is basically expressed in our spiritual worldview by our recognition of a sum of the most diverse entities and hierarchies, has gained its most diverse representations and forms.

This service to diversity had to be countered by a synthetic, summarizing movement, a movement that proceeded strictly from the monon, from monism. The actual inspirers, the initiators of all monotheism and monism, of all unity of God, are the Semitic peoples. It is in their nature, and — if you remember what was said this morning — it is in their blood to represent the one God, the monon.

When human beings look out into the vastness of the universe, they would not get very far if they always emphasized that there is only one unity, one monon, underlying the world. Monism or monotheism taken alone is something that can only represent a final ideal. But this could never lead to a real understanding of the world, to a thoroughgoing concrete worldview. Yet in the post-Atlantean era, the current of monotheism also had to find its expression, so that a people was given the task of providing the ferment, the impulse for this monotheism. This task was given to the Semitic people. You can therefore see how, with a certain abstract severity, an abstract relentlessness, the monistic principle is represented in this people in particular, and all other peoples, insofar as they combine their various divine beings into a unity, receive the impulse for this from this side. The monistic impulse has always come from this side. The other peoples have pluralistic impulses.

It is extremely important to bear this in mind. Anyone who studies the continuing influence of the ancient Hebrew impulses can still see monotheism at work today in the learned rabbis and in learned rabbinism in its most extreme form. It is the task of this people in particular to give the impulse that the world principle can only be a unified one. One could therefore say that all other nations, peoples, and zeitgeists had an analytical task, a task of presenting the world principle divided into different entities, such as the extreme abstraction of the monon in India, which soon disintegrated into a tripartite structure, or the unity of God in Christianity, which disintegrates into three persons. The other peoples all have the task of analyzing the world's foundation and thereby creating a great deal of content for the individual parts of this world's foundation, filling themselves with rich imaginative material that can lovingly embrace the phenomena. The Semitic people have the task of seeing beyond all multiplicity and synthetically devoting themselves to unity, which is why the power of speculation, the power of synthetic thinking, for example in Kabbalistic thought, is greatest precisely because of this impulse.

What could ever be spun out of unity through the synthetic, summarizing activity of the ego has been spun out over the millennia by the Semitic spirit. This is the great polarity between pluralism and monism, and this is the significance of the Semitic impulse in the world. Monism is not possible without pluralism, and pluralism is not possible without monism. We must therefore recognize the necessity of both.

The objective language of facts often leads to completely different insights than the sympathies and antipathies that prevail here or there. That is why we must understand the individual national spirits. While the leaders of the individual peoples in Asia and Africa had long since risen to the rank of Zeitgeists or spirits of personality, and in some cases had even been given the right to transform themselves from spirits of the age into the next higher stage, into spirits of form — as, for example, the spirit of the age that worked in ancient India had, in a certain sense, already risen to the rank of spirits of form — the individual peoples of Europe were still long guided by their individual archangels. It was not until the fourth post-Atlantean period that the archangel of Greek culture emerged from among the various peoples of Europe, who had been guided by their archangels, and assumed a leading position by becoming the dominant spirit of the Greek era, the fourth guiding epoch of the post-Atlantean period, so that we see the archangel of Greek culture rising to the rank of an archangel, a spirit of personality. What this archangel of Greek culture had prepared for emerged, once he had become the spirit of the age, for the world in Asia, Africa, and Europe, whose center had become the Greek people. While his archangel had developed into an arch, the spirit of the age of the Egyptian and Persian peoples had risen to a kind of spirit of form. What we now come to is something extremely interesting in the course of post-Atlantean development. Through all the development that the archangel of Greek culture had undergone earlier, he was able to go through what enabled him to take on a very special leading position as the spirit of the age in a relatively quick manner. Therefore, something highly significant happened in the fourth post-Atlantean cultural period.

We know that at that time the event occurred which we call the acceptance of the Christ impulse by humanity. The Christ impulse was taken up, the mystery of Golgotha took place. The impulse that was given there was to gradually spread throughout the earth over the course of the following centuries and millennia. This required not only that this event took place, but also certain guiding and leading beings from the ranks of the hierarchies. And then something highly remarkable and interesting happened: at a certain moment in time, which roughly coincides with the coming of the Christ impulse to Earth, the spirit of the age of Greece renounced its ascent into the realm of the spirits of form, which had become possible for it at that time, and became the guiding spirit of the age, which then continued to work throughout the ages. It became the substitute, leading spirit of exoteric Christianity, so that the leading spirit of Greek culture stands before the Christ impulse of the Ark. This is why Greek culture disintegrated so rapidly during the period in which Christianity developed, because it had, so to speak, surrendered its leading spirit of the age so that it could become the leader of exoteric Christianity. The spirit of ancient Greece became the missionary, the inspirer, or rather the intuitor of the spreading exoteric Christianity. So here we have before us a concrete example of the resignation we have been talking about. Because it had fulfilled its mission so extraordinarily well in the fourth post-Atlantean cultural period, the spirit of Greece was able to ascend to a higher realm, but it renounced this and thereby became the leading spirit of the spreading exoteric Christianity, through which it worked across the various peoples.

Such a renunciation takes place once again, and this second renunciation is again of particular interest, especially for those who call themselves students of spiritual knowledge. Essentially, while over in Asia, extending into Egyptian and Greek culture, the individual archangels develop into time spirits, in Europe we have individual peoples and tribes guided by their various archangels. While the corresponding archangels, who had once been sent from the West to the East, had risen to the ranks of the spirits of the age, we still had an archangel in Europe who was active among the Germanic and especially the Celtic peoples, who at the time when Christianity began were still spread over a large part of Western Europe, as far as present-day Hungary, through southern Germany and across the Alps. These peoples had the Celtic folk spirit as their archangel. The peoples of the Celtic spirit were also widespread far up into the northeast of Europe. They were guided by an important archangel who, soon after the Christian impulse had been given to humanity, had renounced becoming an Arch&, a spirit of personality, and decided to remain at the level of an archangel and in future to subordinate himself to the various spirits of the times that would arise, for example, within Europe. This is why the Celtic peoples, as a united people, gradually disappeared, precisely because their archangel had practiced a special resignation and taken on a special mission. This is a characteristic example of how, in such a case, remaining behind contributes to the initiation of special missions. What became of this archangel of the Celtic peoples when he renounced becoming a spirit of personality? He became the inspiring spirit of esoteric Christianity, and his inspirations are particularly evident in the teachings and impulses that underlie esoteric Christianity, true esoteric Christianity. In Western Europe, there was a mysterious place for those who were initiated into these secrets, where inspiration came from this guiding spirit, who had originally undergone significant training as an archangel of the Celts, who had renounced ascension and taken on another mission: to be the inspirer of esoteric Christianity, which was to continue through the mysteries of the Holy Grail, through Rosicrucianism. Here you have an example of renunciation, of a being of the hierarchies remaining behind, and at the same time you have an example where you can immediately recognize in concrete terms what such a remaining behind means. Even though this archangel could have risen to the rank of an archangel, he remained at the rank of an archangel and instead led the significant stream of esoteric Christianity, which is to continue to work through the most diverse spirits of the times. Whatever the spirit of the times may be, this esoteric Christianity will be a source for everything that can change and metamorphose under the influence of the various spirits of the times. So here we have another example of how such resignation takes place, while we otherwise experience the great spectacle of the folk spirits rising to become spirits of the times, especially in our own epoch.

Now we have — in the European region — the various Germanic peoples. These various Germanic peoples of Europe, who were originally guided by an archangelic being, were called upon to gradually come under the guidance of various archangels and to form national individualities in various ways. It is, of course, extremely difficult—difficult only because it can easily arouse passion and jealousy in a certain respect—to speak impartially about these things. Therefore, only quiet hints can be given about certain mysteries of this development. From the sum of these archangels emerged the Arch&, the leading spirit of our fifth cultural epoch of the post-Atlantean time. He emerged after one of the archangels of the Germanic peoples had undergone a certain training for a long, long time. The spirit of the times that was the spirit of the Greek-Latin epoch became the spirit of the times that, as you know, was occupied in later times with spreading exoteric Christianity. Later Roman history was also guided by a kind of zeitgeist that had risen from the archangel of Romanism and joined forces with the Christian zeitgeist in its effectiveness. These two were the educators of that archangel who led the Germanic peoples, who belonged to their leading archangels, who then rose to become the Zeitgeist of the fifth post-Atlantean cultural period. Much was necessary, but above all, a strong individualization and mixing of the various ethnic elements in Europe had to take place. This was only possible because, while over in Asia and Africa the archangels had long since risen to become spirits of the age, in Europe the leadership still lay with the archangels themselves, and the individual peoples were guided by their national souls, unconcerned with the spirits of the age and completely devoted to the impulses of the national spirits themselves. When the Christian impulse swept over humanity, there was a confusion of individual folk spirits filled with free spirit in Europe, each of which went its own way and, in essence, made it difficult for a zeitgeist leading the individual folk spirits to emerge in the fifth cultural epoch. To make possible the people who inhabit the French region, Roman, Celtic, and Frankish folk elements mixed together. Through this mixing, the whole leadership naturally took on a certain form. It passed, so to speak, from the individual leading archangels, who had been given other tasks, to others. We have already mentioned the mission given to the leading archangel of the Celts. We could do the same for the other peoples and describe the missions of the archangels. Thus, among the peoples that arose through mixing, other archangels came and took up their rule as the various elements mixed together. Thus, for a long time — even in the Middle Ages — the leading element among the archangels in central and northern Europe was basically the common spirit of the times that preceded the Christ impulse, which only gradually influenced them. The individual folk spirits in Europe became, in many cases, servants of the Christ spirit of the times. The archangels of Europe placed themselves at the service of this common Christ spirit of the times, while the individual peoples were hardly in a position to raise any of the archangels to the rank of a spirit of the times. It was not until the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries—beginning around the twelfth century—that the leading spirit of the fifth post-Atlantean period began to emerge, under whose influence we still stand today. It belongs to the great leading spirits of the age, just like those that were the great leading spirits during the Egyptian-Chaldean-Babylonian, ancient Persian, and Indian epochs. But this spirit of our fifth post-Atlantean cultural epoch worked in a very peculiar way. It had to enter into a kind of compromise with one of the old spirits that had been at work before the Christian impulse, namely with the Egyptian spirit, which, as we have heard, had in a certain sense risen to the rank of a spirit of form. This is why our fifth post-Atlantean cultural period, in which we now live, is dominated by a spirit of the times that is in a certain sense very much subject to the influence and impulses of the spirit of the ancient Egyptian culture, which is, so to speak, a spirit of form in its very earliest stages.

This has given rise to the many divisions and fractures of our age. Our spirit of the age in the fifth post-Atlantean cultural period strives to rise in a certain relationship to spiritual heights and to bring the fourth post-Atlantean cultural period up to a higher level. But therein lies what is materialistic tendency, materialistic inclination, and depending on the various archangelic beings, the various folk souls have a greater or lesser inclination toward this materialistic tendency, and under the guidance of this spirit of the times of the fifth post-Atlantean cultural period, a more or less materialistic people emerges, which, so to speak, gives the spirit of the times a more materialistic nuance. An idealistic people, on the other hand, is one that gives the spirit of the age a more idealistic nuance.

Now, from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, something actually developed more and more that worked in a certain relationship alongside the Christian spirit of the age—which is the continuing Greek spirit of the age—so that, in fact, in a remarkable way, what we call the Christian spirit of the age flows into our culture, connected with an actual spirit of the age of the fifth post-Atlantean cultural period, and there the old Egyptian culture, whose spirit of the age continued up to a certain level of the spirits, works in again. what we call the Christian spirit of the age, combined with an actual spirit of the fifth post-Atlantean cultural period, and there the ancient Egyptians are at work again, whose spirit has risen to a certain rank among the spirits of form. But it is precisely because such a trifolium is at work in our entire cultural era that it has become possible for the most diverse nuances of cultural and folk soul currents to emerge in the fifth epoch. It has become possible for the spirit of the age to display the most diverse colors and nuances in its work. The archangels, who received their commands from the spirit of the age, worked in the most diverse ways.

Those who live in the north will be interested in something we will discuss in more detail in the following considerations. They will be particularly interested in the question: How did the archangel who was once sent with the Nordic peoples, the Scandinavian peoples, to this region work, and from whom did the various archangel beings of Europe—namely Western, Central, and Northern Europe—receive their inspiration? In the outside world, it can only be considered foolishness to point directly to that point on the European continent from which the greatest impulses once radiated in all directions, to that point which was the seat of sublime spirits before the Celtic folk spirit established a new center as a Celtic archangelic being in the stronghold of the Grail. From that point, which in ancient times was the center for the radiation of European spirituality, there also radiated that which the Nordic folk archangel initially received as his mission. For the outside world, as I have said, it must seem like folly when we designate as the point from which radiates that which works toward the various Germanic tribes the area that today lies over central Germany, but is actually located above the earth. If you were to draw a circle so that the cities of Dermold and Paderborn fell within it, you would arrive in the region from which the mission of the most exalted spirits emanated, spreading their mission throughout Northern and Western Europe. Because this was the great center of inspiration, the legend later arose that Asgard was actually located at this point on the surface of the earth. However, it was there that the great center of inspiration lay in ancient times, the center that later transferred its main activity to the center of the Holy Grail.

The peoples of Scandinavia, with their first archangels, received very different predispositions at that time, predispositions that today are actually only expressed in the peculiar configuration of Norse mythology. Anyone who compares Norse mythology in an occult sense with other mythologies that have ruled over the Earth may know that this Norse mythology represents the original predisposition of the archangel who was sent here to the north, the original disposition that remained unchanged in its formation, as we would see, so to speak, in a child if certain talents, latent genius, and so on remained at the childhood stage. In the archangel who was sent to Scandinavia, we have those dispositions that then emerge in the peculiar configuration of Norse mythology. Hence the great significance of Norse mythology for understanding the true, inner essence of the Scandinavian national soul. Hence also the great significance of this understanding of mythology for the further development of this archangel, who certainly has the potential, in a certain sense, to rise to the rank of an archangel. But for this to happen, a number of things are necessary. It is necessary that those predispositions, which today have receded in a certain sense behind the dim, shadowy influence of the spirit of the times, which has placed itself in front of the impulses of Christianity, develop in a very specific way. As strangely similar as some things in Germanic-Nordic mythology are to the representations of Greek mythology, it must nevertheless be said that there is no other mythology on earth which, in its peculiar structure and unique execution, gives a more meaningful or clearer picture of world evolution than this Norse mythology, so that this picture can be regarded as a preliminary stage of the spiritual-scientific picture of world evolution.

The Germanic mythology, in the way it has been developed from the archetype of the archangel, is in its images most significantly similar to what will gradually emerge as the spiritual scientific world picture for humanity. It will be a question of how those elements that an archangel once brought into the world can become, how they can become after this archangel has enjoyed the education of the Christ spirit of the age. These predispositions can become an important link in the leading spirit of the age if, in the later stage of the development of the people, it is understood in the right way to develop what this development of the people contains as a predisposition from an earlier age. We have thus only hinted at an important problem, at an important evolution of a European archangel; we have, so to speak, pointed out the extent to which he has a predisposition for a spirit of the age.

Let us pause here for a moment and then continue our consideration by attempting to enter into an esoteric consideration of mythology from the configuration of the national soul. This will bring before our soul, as a special chapter, the description of the whole interesting peculiarity of Germanic and, in particular, Nordic mythology.