Holy Europe by Aki Cederberg

I have had the pleasure of reading Holy Europe by Aki Cederberg. I will straight away say that it is a great book, and I encourage you to read it. It is one of those books that it felt as well as read. Just as his first book, Journeys in the Kali Yuga (review), it is a travel account with plenty of valuable spiritual and historical insights.

Subversion of Nordic History

In the beginning of the book the author makes it clear where he stands in the great struggle of our time – he is on our side (the pro-European side).

‘Lately, we have been witness to never-ending attempts at subverting the Nordic peoples’ understanding of themselves, their connection with their native soil and ancestors, as well as attempts to dismantle their traditions, history, and spiritual world. Historical research has been falsely presented by the media to further political ends.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 15.

He shares similar sentiments throughout the book, which lends credibility to his views.

Lithuania

As author details his journeys in Lithuania, he introduces Romuva (the native Lithuanian religion) thus:

‘As is the case throughout much of European paganism, in the Lithuanian tradition the pantheon of numerous gods and goddesses forms a multifaceted, polytheistic world. And yes, simultaneously, these gods and goddesses are often seen as emanations of a central godhead. This supreme deity remains unknowable to man – he can approach it only through its various aspects. The manifest world is thus a magical place, populated by the different personalities and aspects of god, forces both creative and destructive.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 27.

I also got plenty of inspiration for places to visit for my next trip to Lithuania (I will go there again soon to plan coming linen and wool garments for Legio Gloria). Pictured below: Fashion Designer & Esotericist in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Lucifer’s Court

I was happy to discover that the author dedicated a chapter to his travels in southern France – following in the footsteps of Otto Rahn. Speaking of which, Lucifer’s Court (review) and Crusade Against the Grail (review) were some of the first esoteric books I read. We will return to Otto Rahn in a coming review.

‘Rahn was a Luciferian. For him, Lucifer was not the devil of the Christians, but the light bearer cast out of heaven, whose enemy was the false Jehovah and the Demiurge, who sought to control and keep mankind locked in ignorance, stupidity, and suffering. Lucifer was Apollo of the Greeks, the Balder of the Germans, the Lugh of the Celts, the Abellio of the Pyrenees – the protector of higher powers and the bringer of light.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 75.

One theory is that the Grail is a stone that fell from Lucifer’s crown when he fell from heaven.

Pictured below: Checking in from another part of southern France (Bayonne). One day, I must travel to Montségur.

Finnish Soul Complex

Sweden and Finland share a long history together, and I have always held the Finnish in high esteem. Thus, it was interesting to become further acquainted with Finnish spirituality. The author dedicates a chapter to this.

‘The conception of the soul in the Finnic spiritual tradition is threefold: it is divided into a bodily soul, called löyly or henki (lit. “breath”); a personal soul, itse (“self”); and an external guardian spirit attached to a person called luonto (“nature”) or haltia.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 293.

He notes that the guardian spirit is very similar to the Germanic Fylgja.

‘The spiritual tradition of a people is not an ideological system, but its native and natural way of approaching the holy and revealing timeless truth. It is the spirit of a people manifesting to itself. Among the Finns, this is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the sauna. The sauna is a Finnish temple, a place between worlds. Löyly, the word that describes the steam rising from the hot stones when one pours water on them, means spirit, breath, and life. It is synonymous with the physical part of the threefold soul-complex. This vital force, the “sweat of old Väinämöinen” and the guardian spirits, is what we invoke in the sauna.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 326.

As a life-long enjoyer of the sauna, this was an interesting insight. I will meditate upon this later in autumn as I sauna.

Gabriele D’Annunzio

The author made a pilgrimage to pay homage to the great Gabriele D’Annunzio. In the chapter detailing this visit he also noted the following (which I found hilarious):

‘In Venice, D’Annunzio threatened to “throw himself in the canal” unless a suitably serene villa was found for him somewhere in northern Italy.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 231.

True to style. Good stuff! I will be sure to visit some of these sights one day as well. When in Italy I will, of course, also pay homage to Evola.

European Unity

As I have noted before, European unity is a must. This does not mean that we have to accept the EU as it looks today. Rather, it must be undergo a great transformation. Our shared history and shared destiny must imbue this transformation. The author states it beautifully:

‘Beyond surface-level cultural differences we seem to share a spirit in common, a similar understanding of the primary forces uniting and invigorating us, and a similar vision of what a united Europe should be. Of course, it would be wholly different from the globalist union ruled by market forces and bureaucracy that we have today. Petty regional disputes and even pettier financial would no longer cloud the vision of the greater spirit uniting us. That spirit would be the guiding light of Europe, anchoring it in eternal principles, in an understanding of both the distant past and the farthest future.’

Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Pages 269-270.

Well formulated. I am in complete agreement.

Conclusion

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It contains plenty of interesting insights. I now have plenty of places (the ones mentioned above are just a few of the countries discussed in the book) in Europe that I must visit in the coming years. Onwards!