She snapped her head back into an upright position and passed the photographs and notes back to Daniel. As he took them from her, Debbie began to detail her opinion about them.
“You say found this stone lying in the ruins of the old sunken city of Mirpur in Pakistan? Mmmmh! Going by the Norse rune that appears on one side of the stone, and this is only my personal opinion of course, but based on a long-considered academic theory, Odin, the principal Norse god, was in fact some sort of historical nomadic leader of men whose legend led to his deification over the course of time. During the Dark Ages, the epoch following the fall of the Roman Empire, his legend, or story, and depending on how it was interpreted, was repeatedly recounted over generations throughout the Germanic and Scandinavian lands. In the form of spoken tales and poetry, his story led to him being included as an important figure in many of the Norse and Viking sagas of the age. His subsequent elevation to god status amongst these cultures created part of an ever-evolving etymology for a pantheon of pagan gods that most of the pre-Christian western and northern European peoples worshipped in some form or the other depending on their unique religious beliefs and these peoples then practiced those beliefs as their own world view.
The success of this can be seen with Odin’s Æsir, a family of gods to be found within the Norse mythology, being interpreted as ‘Asia-men’ who travelled continuously through Europe’s borders before creating a new settlement in what is now Scandinavia. The most famous example of this ‘story’ can be found in the works of Snorri Sturluson, a 13th Century Icelandic politician, poet and historian. In the prologue of his magnum opus, the ‘Prose Edda’, written around 1220AD, he promotes a convincing and compelling concept that this pantheon of Norse gods we know or are aware of, were originally historical leaders and kings. Odin, the father of these Norse gods or Allfather, is introduced to the reader as a historical person originally hailing from Asia Minor, and Sturluson traces his ancestry all the way back to being a descendant of Priam, the famous King of Troy during the Trojan War. As Odin’s wandering travels take him northwards to then finally settle in what we now regard as being the Nordic countries, he establishes a lineage that can be claimed by the royal families that were ruling in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. I have a quote from the ‘Prose Edda’ in my notebook if you bear with me for a second or two.”
Debbie reached into her cloth satchel and removed a thick notebook that seemed to be bursting to break free of the string bindings tied tightly around it and keeping its pages together. Slips of coloured paper protruded at different points on three sides of the notebook, and as she laid it flat to untie it from its bindings, Daniel noticed that the coloured pieces of paper had handwritten notes on them and they were, in fact, miniature bookmarks to denote the location of information within. She placed the notebook in her lap and hummed to herself as she flicked the well-worn pages back and forth in her search for the quote. Daniel couldn’t help but not notice that the contents of the book were a mass of hand-written notes, press cuttings, drawings, occasional photographs, maps, copy inscriptions and diagrams. Daniel appreciated that this notebook probably contained a detailed history of one person’s entire research in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery.
“Here it is” said Debbie as she stood up and held out the notebook for Daniel to inspect.
‘And whatever countries they passed through, great glory was spoken of them, so that they seemed more like gods than men.’
As Daniel read the quote, Debbie tapped the notebook with her fingers.
“The more that I think about your stone and what it might be, I should have additional information in here that could maybe provide some of the answers to what you are looking for. This Snorri Sturluson used a clever method and adopted the concept of Euhemerism into his writings to validate his own work, and by doing so, he took the mythology concerning the divinity of the gods of a religion that was on the wane and historicised it to legitimise the standing Scandinavian leaders of his era, post-conversion to Christianity.”
Daniel just blinked blankly back as Debbie and Debbie realised that she was going to have to explain matters in non-academic parlance.
“Simply put, Euhemerism is a name given to historical events that have become myths, legends and folklore as a result of exaggeration, amendment and alteration via their repeated retelling over time. As these stories are told, the more elaborate they become and are often used to validate situations or circumstances. It’s named after the ancient Greek mythographer Euhemerus who lived in the late 4th Century BC. Euhemeristic views are to found in some of the earlier writings of classical scholars such as Xenophanes, Pindar, Herodotus, Hecataeus of Abdera and Ephorus, but then again, these views are constantly found in many later writings such as Virgil’s Aeneid and non-classical era works like those of Snorri Sturluson. There is a school of thought that believes that most mythological tales are based on actual historical events, and if you peel back enough of the layers of the story, the truth is usually somewhere within it waiting to be found. Quite a few famous archaeological discoveries have been made on the back of applying Euhemerism to a particular story.
Some good examples are the discoveries made during the 19th Century by the likes of Heinrich Schliemann who repeatedly argued that many of the famous myths had embedded historical truths. And to prove that he was right and his opinion was correct, he took the historical reality of the many places and famous characters that are mentioned in the works of Homer, excavated Troy and then went on to claim that he had discovered some of the fabled artefacts from the pages of Greek mythology such as the Mask of Agamemnon and Priam’s Treasure. More recent examples have been the searches made by people like Otto Rahn in the 1930s and his desperate efforts to find the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and the Spear of Destiny for his Nazi overlords. If memory serves me right, Otto Rahn was convinced that the Holy Grail was hidden within a castle at Montségur in France. Most of the Nazi’s perverse mystical and occult ideology was based on a long-held belief that the Germanic peoples were the descendants of a mythological race and accordingly, the Nazis then went to great lengths to historicise numerous events to validate their claims, and to do that, they financed searches all over the world for certain items that are mentioned in stories, fables, myths, legends and religions.”
She started to flick through her notebook again until she found a page containing an ornate drawing of a tree with what looked like someone being crucified upon its branches. Daniel could see minute handwritten notes, as well as a table of rune symbols, adjacent to the drawing. In the middle of the rune table was a depiction of the rune that was on the white stone. Debbie pointed to the drawing of the tree and then in the direction of the table of rune symbols.
“In many of the Norse writings, runes will only reveal themselves to those who prove themselves worthy of experiencing their fearful insights and understanding their wondrous abilities. In the ‘Hávamál’, a poem that Sturluson incorporates into his writings, Odin crucifies himself upon the branches of Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life, pierces himself in the side with a spear, and then peers into the dark waters that are to be found around the base of the tree. He resists or refuses any help and assistance and continually stares at the waters and calls upon the runes to reveal themselves to him. Odin, teetering on the precipice that separates the living from the dead, endures this self-inflicted torture for nine days and nights. At the end of the ninth night, shapes begin to form in the waters around him and the runes emerge from the murky depths and appear before Odin. His self-sacrifice has been accepted by them and he is rewarded by the runes revealing themselves to him and divulging their wondrous secrets. The symbol, Perth, is on one side of your white stone for some reason, but I am slightly puzzled why it is there. It is one of the most important of the runes but its meanings are somewhat ambiguous and and subject to various interpretations.
Learned scholars have always interpreted this passage from the ‘H
ávamál’ in the Prose Edda, as analogous to the crucifixion of Christ, and many of them have taken an opinion that the description of Odin’s ordeal is actually a sacrifice of himself to himself to achieve the sum of all knowledge from the runes, but for him to have a better understanding of his role in the hearts of man. Through death, followed by a rebirth, Odin demonstrates that by personal sacrifice and accepting whatever hardships that may arise, including death, nothing can stand between a man and the attainment of his goals.”
Debbie scoffed as she flicked the hair away from the sides of her face. “You have got me now questioning myself Mr. Lauridsen. I am here working at the site of Pergamon and looking for fresh clues and evidence as to the whereabouts of one of the most important libraries of the ancient world, and when this library existed, it’s shelves are alleged to have contained some of the most important documents known to the classical history era. You come to me for advice and show me photographs of a stone that you have recently discovered, but now, having seen images of this stone, I am about to express a Euhemeristic theory of my own.”
“I’m sorry, but I am not following you here. How have I caused you to question yourself by showing you some photographs of that white stone? I’ve only asked you for your professional advice.” replied Daniel.
Her dark eyes blazed in anger at Daniel then cooled rapidly as she caught her temper while her mind tried to rationalise what was starting to irritate her so much. Debbie contemplated all the reasons for her annoyance and found that the answers in her memory took her back to her childhood and the family excursion that triggered her love of ancient history in the first place. Flashback images of her father playfully chasing her around the girth of an ancient yew tree in a churchyard in the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland, became all too vivid. Her father playing peek-a-boo with her by peering round the trunk of the tree, and then sitting her down under the vast canopy of its spreading needles while recounting to her the story, the myth, the fable and legend that they had been playing at the birthplace of the man responsible for the death of Jesus Christ – Pontius Pilate. Debbie fondly remembered the soft tone of her father’s voice as he enthralled his daughter with the tale.
“I have always dealt in hard fact, Mr. Lauridsen, and my own work, my research, has always been conducted by following the evidence found at the places where our ancestors once lived. The clues that they left behind have been paramount to the success of many of the important discoveries that have been made in the last two hundred years or so. It is always about interpretation and then following the directions that any leads point to. But I meet you today, and you go and show me photographs of a white stone with strange markings, and then ask for my advice. You tell me the story of how you happened to be in possession of this stone, what your own research has thrown up, and then purely by chance, our meeting coincidentally just so happens to be here, at Pergamon, the precise location where a white stone such as yours is mentioned in the Holy Bible.”
By now, Daniel was becoming concerned where this one-sided conversation was leading, but before he could interrupt it for clarification, Debbie continued with her explanation.
“Do you know your Bible, Mr. Lauridsen? Have you read the contents?”
“I know the story and the main points but I haven’t read it as a book. My dealings with it were as a child at school and as an adult by attendance at church services and then hearing passage readings from the scriptures.” replied Daniel.
“The Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Holy Bible begins with Jesus Christ instructing a scribe, John of Patmos, to write to the seven churches of Asia with a special message for each of the congregations. The messages for each of the churches are all very different to one another, but individually, each one appeals to the respective congregations to keep firm with their faith, overcome their fears and temptations, follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit and accordingly, they will all be ultimately rewarded by Christ. These seven churches were located in what is now modern day Turkey and were to be found at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Here at the city of Pergamon, often referenced as the alleged site of the throne of Satan, Christ admonishes the congregation for the sins of their sexual immorality, the worshipping of false idols and straying from their religious path in Revelation 2:12–17:
‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.’
Her voice lowered and the tone became very succinct as she spoke in a very brusque and accusatory manner.
“I know my Aramaic and one side of your stone has the phrase ‘bar alaha’ written on it meaning ‘son of god’. The other side of the stone has the Norse rune Perth inscribed on it. Perth apparently is about possessing wisdom and having faith. You tell me Mr. Lauridsen? Is this some sort of practical joke? Has someone convinced you into making mischief and trying to make me look a damned fool?” She sprung up and advanced quickly on Daniel while raising her right hand to slap him.
Daniel caught her hand as she went to strike him. He then caught hold of her other hand as she attempted to strike him again. As he held her hands together in his left hand, he asked her what she was doing.
“What the hell are you doing? I came here to ask you for your help and you suddenly go crazy on me?
“Because you are taking me into conflict with everything that I hold dear. My study, my research, my life’s work and as a result of what seems to be a malicious prank.”
Daniel let go of her hands as he pushed her away from himself. In a rare moment of anger, he stepped back and shouted at the woman.
“I haven’t a fucking clue what you are talking about. I came here to ask you for your opinion about a fucking stone I discovered in Pakistan, and for your information, at least four people have been fucking killed since I found it and started to make enquiries about its purpose. Various people, and I don’t know who they fucking are, have tried to kill me in Pakistan and Afghanistan to get possession of this stone, and now that I am here in Turkey trying desperately to evade the various fuckers who obviously want this stone for some reason, I sought you out for information as someone told me you could probably give me answers as to why this stone seems to be so fucking important to so many fucking people!”
The venom of his sudden outburst startled Debbie and she began to retreat away from Daniel.
“What do you mean that four people have been killed? What are you talking about?”
Daniel just looked disdainfully at the now frightened woman standing in front of him, and then sat down on a broken white marble column. He slowly ran his left hand through his hair and then rubbed his face as if trying to clear away a hidden mist that prevented him from seeing clearly.
“I’ll start again and I’ll tell you the real events and happenings of my past week.” and Daniel recounted in its chronological order everything that had happened to him since he found the stone at Mirpur. As Debbie listened, she moved slowly towards Daniel and sat down beside him on the white marble column. She reeled in horror at the events in the hotel room and car park and put her hand to her face in shock as she learned of the brutal and senseless murder of Jnyandeep Medhansh and his grand-daughter. The possibility that a car bomb explosion in Srinagar was possibly connected appalled her but she was intrigued by the simple cleverness of his escape out of Pakistan and over the border into Afghanistan and then the coincidence of encountering a Fromandkorpset unit, the subsequent exoneration from being a murder suspect and then his arrival at Pergamon with the LIDAR equipment.
Debbie asked Daniel where the stone currently was and he explained that he had arranged for its delivery to a friend in the Faroe Islands for safekeeping.
“If people
want this stone for themselves, they are going to have to go to the middle of the North Atlantic to get it and I’ll be waiting for them when they get there.”
“Did you ever read the John Buchan novel ‘The 39 Steps’ when you were younger?” asked Debbie. Daniel thought about it and replied that he had when he was at school.
“I thought as much. Your subconscious has triggered a childhood memory and that’s where you have got the idea of sending something somewhere to prevent others from obtaining it. In that novel, the protagonist of the adventure, Richard Hannay, posts a notebook to himself to avoid it falling into the clutches of foreign spies. Do you see yourself as a modern day Richard Hannay?”
“No, I don’t. I just see myself as someone who has got caught up in something nasty and I now want answers. Speaking of having answers, why did you just try to slap me and you haven’t explained this supposed personal Euhemerist theory I was forcing you to make?”
“I tried to slap you because I thought you were ridiculing me, my work and what I am. It is very easy to make a mockery of my field of expertise, and sometimes experiencing contemptuous and dismissive behaviour is part and parcel of my life. I honestly thought someone had set you up with a very elaborate hoax to play upon me, because the story you tell, and what is written on this white stone, causes all sorts of differing conflicts with well-established hypothesis and the understanding of accepted history. I felt that you were trying to induce me into giving an opinion, my own personal Euhemerist theory, which could then be used against me as a matter of derision.
The reason I do what I do was because my father used to take me to places of interest when I was a young girl growing up. Every other weekend we would go and visit castles, archaeological sites, palaces, historic monuments and country houses. I used to love these day outs and I always wanted to learn more and more about the places I had been to or the people that I heard about. I must have been about 9 or 10 when my father took me to a small village near to the city of Perth in Scotland called Fortingall. There, in the village churchyard, stands a massive yew tree that is estimated to between 4000 and 7000 years old and is reckoned to be the oldest living tree in Europe, if not the world. Anyway, there exists a local legend associated with this yew tree, and that under its branches, Pontius Pilate was born.
Thor's Haven Page 17