BLACK SUN - the Mythological Background of National Socialism

Book excerpt: BLACK SUN sheds new light on the sources of Nazi ideology by examining its occult roots in the world of myths, symbols, and fantasies. It traces this development from the writings of various mystics in the early 20th century who propagated the mythology of a superior global ideology whose heroes would fight the forces of moral decadence and greed. The book uses rare archival photographs and sources to chronicle how the Nazis used these mythological foundations to develop Nazism as a political religion. While BLACK SUN documents the nationalist mystical beliefs that infused National Socialism, the book also reveals the disturbing perpetuation of these beliefs among certain political groups today, in Germany and worldwide, reflecting an ongoing search for salvation, inspiration and messianic leaders. This eye-popping expose' juxtaposes the polarization in German national history between an obsession with capturing light in all its symbolic uses in order to battle the "darkness" of the Others. The final lesson that Black Sun implies -and what makes it a provocative and interesting book for a number of audiences, whether scholars and students of history, or iconography- is the danger of not knowing one's own history. In this sense, the title signals not only the recurrent theme of evil throughout history, but also the need to shed light upon all its manifestations.