Theos-Talk Archives (June 2007 Message tt00078)

This introduction text was written c.a. ten years ago and presented to a
Theosophy study group.  In the light of subject 
discussed I present this text again.

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Some thoughts on The first Stanza of Völuspá.
Paragraphs by Sveinn Freyr - Iceland.

1.  In ancient times from which we have legends but not historical
records, there were in existence philosophical and anthropological
schools for those seeking the esoteric path. Those who studied at these
schools were students in "The Ancient Wisdom Teaching". One of these
schools was the Ancient Northern School.

  2.  These schools presented the Teaching in different ways according
to the mentality of the peoples and the cyclic inheritance from far
past periods. The Ancient Northern School had branches in Scandinavia
and Russia, and relations with The School in Tíbet.

  3.  In The Northern School the teaching was mostly given orally and
instructions from texts were in brief sentences that needed further
introduction. Written text was learned by heart. The Teaching was
ethical and metaphysical but emphasis was also on faculty training.

  4.  We do not have many old texts that directly connect us to The
Northern School. But one of the most important is "The Book of The
King". The content of that book is commonly known by the name "Völuspá."
The Teaching is also classified as "Mímisspá" and "Völuspá".

  5.  The word Mímisspá means The Speech of The Cosmic Spirit of The
Heavenly Man. The word Völuspá means The speech of The Prophetess. In
this connection it is proper to mention that the meaning of the word
Prophetess is not always the same. Sometimes the story is told and
sometimes a challenge is made. It is left to the intuition of the
student to know the difference there between.

  6.  Völuspá is written in 66 or 67 numbered verses. Usually each verse
has eight sentences. The Poem is also written in a slightly different
way in two other books One by Snorri Sturluson ( 1179 - 1241 ) who
called the Wisdom Poem "Ancient Sciences" and in another book;Hauksbók.
There are minor differences in texts between the verses in these books.

  7.  In the period when Snorri Sturluson wrote, all men who were
considered wise had learned Völuspá by heart and many other wisdom
poems now lost to us. Snorri was adopted when young and brought up in
a "Scholastic Centre" where these "Ancient Sciences" were known an
taught.

  8.  The Book of The King begins with Mímisspá The Commanding Speech
of The Valfather to all beings of all ranks in the high worlds, to
prepare for a new and another descend to the three denser worlds of
personality evolution. The period of rest had come to an end. Humanity
as a whole, was at this time not in the three worlds of person
evolution.

9.  Mankind had experienced a nature catastrophe in the end of the last
World Period of cyclic evolution of races in the physical world. And on
a mass scale had entered the etheric dimension of the physical world
and the next world; the Astral World. From the Astral World men had
also in periods and on a mass scale ascended up to the lower Mental
World.

  10.  From the lower Mental World men ascended to the higher Mental
World and then from there to the realms of the Souls. At that point in
the cyclic periods of descend and ascend; the rebirth and death of the
human race, there came a long period of rest for the many.

11.  The physical, the astral, and the lower mental worlds were vacant
of men when The Command of The Heavenly Man for descent was given. But
its etheric "presence";  the etheric substances were imbued with the
past and Humanity would have to deal with that in the coming descent
and in its next effort to ascend out of the denser worlds.

12.  It is because of this difficult task ahead that The Valfather
advises men to learn by knowing and understanding the history of the
far past ancient cycles, and instructs us to learn a lesson from
the "ancient misconduct of men". It is to this task that He gives us
insight in His far past and the constitutions of the worlds and the
subdivisions. It is for this prime reason that The Teaching in Völuspá
is given, and emphasis is laid on ethics, understanding of the
evolution and the work of the etheric builders.

13.  We are told that The descent of Humanity to the personality
worlds took place when the sun was in "The South". And prior to the
decent; that the balance of the poles was not in order. That the Zodiac
magnet was not in order. That the physical world was going through a
revolt. And that the many etheric builders were active.

14.  Ýmir, The Cosmic Born Heavenly Man had descended with His host to
lead men to the denser worlds of forms. He manifested in the highest
subplanes of the physical world taking on with men the burden of all
who suffer and the struggle with all who strive. Ýmir is Mímir
personified. A Cosmic Spirit personified in human etheric form in the
highest ethers of our planetary system, The Father of Valhöll.

15.  When The Giant Ýmir took hold of His Etheric Palace Valhöll;
another Cosmic born Giant from The Cosmic Forces of Chaos was summoned
by that Force to confront Him. That Giant took hold with His host in
the lowest subplanes of the threefold dense worlds and The Battle was
in hand. Men must battle with etheric gravity and evolutionary
resistance and build on a higher scale in each new World Period.

16.  The battlefield is in the threefold person-worlds of men and the
battle is about men, their values, what they live for; the harvest in
the end of subcycles and in the end of The World Period. The battle is
between two opposite Cosmic Born Giants of extreme power, and is about
the question if; men can or can not live by ethical principles and by
the way, of wise love and understanding. Every man and every group will
be tested when fully grown and mentally mature.

17.  We are given insight in the far past Cosmic Cycles which have
their lesser reflections in the Solar Systemic periods of descent and
ascend. In these ancient cycles our Valfather has taken part and so
have we done with him. These Systemic Cycles pattern down to many and
varied lesser cycles which have a reflection to the Cosmic period.

17.  We are given insight in the far past Cosmic Cycles which have
their lesser reflections in the Solar Systemic periods of descent and
ascend. In these ancient cycles our Valfather has taken part and so
have we done with him. These Systemic Cycles pattern down to many and
varied lesser cycles which have a reflection to the Cosmic period.

  18.  It is in the Pattern of Planetary descent and ascend that we have
the World Periods of Races, manifesting at first on the physical plane
the embryonic "primitive" race and subraces. (This may be compared to
the period when a human being, lives in the first seven years and works
trough the etheric brain cells used in the last incarnation.) And then
in the end the highest race and subraces of culture and spiritual
achievement.

  19.  It is in The World Periods of Races that Nations are born.
Nations are borne and descend to their Global place of location and
manifest through their inherent etheric glandular system; in some ways
similar to that of a man. Nations keep within their etheric builders
the seeds of events from ancient periods. Nations can call on humans,
and groups of humans in the higher worlds to fulfill their destiny.
Thus will The Acient Wisdom Schools be remanifested.

  20.  There are many translations of the text from "The Book of The
King". Most are done also in an effort to get the powerful rhythm which
is in the original text. The powerful rhythm can not be transferred in
a translation. The first Stanza has eight sentences. The translation
here given is numbered, one number for each sentence. The Icelandic text
is also given.

  21.  - 1. Silence to all  - 2. Of Holy kind  - 3. Greater and lesser  -
4. Of all ranks in High Worlds  - 5. I, The Father of Valhöll will  -
6. Tell you well  - 7. Ancient misconduct of men  8. As memory relates.

  22.  - 1. Hljóðs bið ek allar  - 2. Helgar kindir,  - 3. Meiri ok
minni  - 4. Mögu Heimdalar;  5. Vildu, at ek, Valföðr - 6. Vel fyr
telja  - 7. Forn spjöll fira - 8. Þau er fremst um man.

  23.  By those who classify the text in two main parts (Mímisspá and
Völuspá), the first verse and also the second verse belong to Mímisspá;
The Speech of The Heavenly Man. The command to men of all ranks in the
High Worlds is not only to those in the world of souls, it is also to
many of those who have not yet in this Greater Cycle descended to the
world of souls (and from there to personality evolution) and dwell in
the Diamond World, the world of Spirit or Monad.

  24.  The events and the many factors that relate to the misconduct of
men are dealt with in the later verses classified to Völuspá. The
misconducts we are told, are mainly threefold Misuse of magic
knowledge, greed, and perverted desires. These misconducts eventually
led to the decline of effort to culture and corrupted civilisation.
Wars broke out between the two opposite hosts of The Giants. None had
victory.

25.  We will now prepare to take a look at the next Stanza. In That
Stanza The Valfather tells his birth in former solar systems. About the
Nine Worlds and the Nine Subdivisions of each world. And about the Most
Subtle World.  At this point we can deplore that we do not have the
detailed text of Sæmundur Fróði. What we have are memory notes from
those who learned at the "Scholastic Center"."Fragments from the notes
of the Headmaster".

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