Re: About "Gnaeus"


"António Marques" <m.ap@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:45bf5739$0$1811$88260bb3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(snip)

Antonio wrote:
I'm reminded of a Mircea Eliade interview where he said he encouraged his students precisely to look back to their own religious / cultural background, where they'd be able to find not only many answers but also questions, all worthwhile pursuing.

My own experience with Christianity left me feeling alienated and much
harmed by the hostilities, hatefulness and condemnations of their practitioners.
Increasingly, over time, I began to feel as though I had no spiritual home...
that I was an outcast...a someone without a story...a someone without any
Gods whose stories could bring light into my life. It wasn't until I began to
investigate the Germanic mythology that I began to feel truly at home,
truly connected and spiritually uplifted.

The following is copy I wrote to a man named William Reaves. He
translated into English Rydberg's Teutonic Mythology Volume II.
Up until then only Volume I was available to the English speakers.
Anyways, the following will give you some indication of how my
life changed once I began my investigation into the Pre-Christian
religion of the Central and Northern Europeans:

***start repost***

So, why am I all hyped up about Rydberg? Well...when I was a kid, and
for most of my adult life, I believed the Norse Myths were just
that...stories which belonged to the Swedes, the Norwegians and the
Icelanders. I never considered them "my" stories. The Bible was what
was pressed on me. And that book always felt foreign to me. It
belonged to the Israelites...not me! I also noticed other cultures
had their own stories. So, for the longest time, I felt like a person
without a story of my own. He has a story,...she has a story...they
have a story...but what about "my" story? I honestly began to believe
I had none...no story for Heidi....(boo-hoo-hoo)...I'm a person without
a story...(waaaaahhhhh....sob...deep sigh.)

Well...imagine my surprise and utter delight when I found out those
"Norse" stories were actually "Germanic" stories...they covered a large
part of Continental Europe, too. In my mind, I had discovered gold...a
treasure trove of stories which I could finally claim as my own! I
finally have a story, too! Yeaaahhhhh! What was withheld was given
back to me! Imagine my joy...my elation! ;-)

Then I went stumbling along trying to make sense of the Eddas. I read
H.R. Ellis Davidson, I read Crossley-Holland, I read all sorts of
articles and discussions. I ended up with a confusing mess on my
hands! Argghhh...

Now...enter Rydberg....the depth and breadth of his research...the
crystal clear logic. Pieces of a puzzle are falling into place. The
lore is making much more sense! His arguments are strong, extremely
well supported and are virtually unassailable. Some of my intuitives
are being expressed and re-enforced in his own writings. Some of my
previously held notions have been overturned. A lot more needs to be
investigated.

Bottom line: I'm witnessing *genius* ... a genius I have not come
across in any other writings about the lore that I've read thus far.
This is why I'm also ever so grateful you went through the Herculean
task to translate Ryderg's remaining Volume II into English.

This work is of incredible value to me. If I were offered a million
dollars to get rid of Rydberg...I'd keep Rydberg. I could not be
persuaded by *any* offers of wealth to get rid of the treasure that
Rydberg placed before my eyes.
This is how strongly I feel about "my" story! ;-)

And, of course, since you are that translator, you're worth your weight
in gold! I thank the Gods for you! I thank the spirit which moved you
to take on this monumental task! You placed a treasure into my hands,
and it is priceless! No other person has made me as happy as you have
done, William! The joy that you brought into my life brings tears to
my eyes!

The story means something...and thank-you from the depth and breadth of
my soul for bringing meaning into that story.

My heart is full. ;-)

Take care,
Heidi

.

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