A 19 year old, rather odd, psychologically troubled man was in Vienna roaming the ancient Heldenplatz trying to sell his postcard sized pictures and paintings. He wasn't being too successful and went into the Hofburg Museum, perhaps for shelter or maybe even inspiration.
As he wandered through the exhibits, not really paying too much attention, he heard a tour guide addressing some foreign tourists. This simple, almost coincidental meeting, may well have changed the course of the world.
As the young man later said, "The guide pointed to an ancient spearhead ... and then I heard the words which were to change my whole life: 'There is a legend associated with this spear that whoever claims it, and solves it's secrets, holds the destiny of the world in his hands for good or evil.'"
In this instance the destiny of the world was to be changed in an evil way, for the man was Adolf Hitler.
As for the spearhead it has been named many things including the Sword of St. Maurice, the Spear of Destiny and also the Holy Lance or Spear of Longinus. The latter was supposedly the spear a Roman Centurion had used to pierce the side of Jesus as he was crucified on the cross. The spear was said to have magical powers with 45 emperors having carried it on the battlefield to ensure victory.
Hitler wrote of the spear: "I knew with immediacy that this was an important moment in my life. And yet I could not divine why an outwardly Christian symbol should make such an impression upon me. I stood there quietly gazing upon it for several minutes quite oblivious to the scene in the Schatzkammer around me. It seemed to carry some hidden inner meaning which evaded me, a meaning which I felt I inwardly knew yet could not bring to consciousness ... the spear appeared to be some sort of magical medium of revelation for it brought the world ideas into such close and living perspective that human imagination became more real than the world of sense.
I felt as though I myself held it in my hands before in some earlier century of history - that I myself had once claimed it as my talisman of power and held the destiny of the world in my hands. Yet how could this be possible?"
Somehow the spear / symbol had awakened something within Hitler - perhaps a past life.
In one report, after taking mescalin, Hitler is said to have tapped into the Akashic Records where he glimpsed images of his past lives as if part of a movie. He also saw himself as a character of Wagner's opera Parsifal where he was the villain, Klingsmor, the embodiment of evil.
Adolf Hitler, as we know, rose to prominence in Germany. Prior to Word War II on the 12th of March 1938, as he prepared to enter Vienna to announce the annexation of Austria, he felt he desperately needed the Holy Lance - so that his grip on power could not be loosened.
As the crowds shouted Sieg Heil, with Nazi salutes all around him, his mind is said to have been fixed on taking hold of the Spear of Destiny, which he first saw in 1913. Hitler and Himmler went to where the spear was displayed. Himmler returned alone while Hitler spent time with the spear or Holy Lance. He 'knew' he now had the whole world in his hands.
It's strange how one of Christendom's most sacred relics ended up with the Hitler empire. The spear, along with imperial crown jewels, were transported under SS guard to Nurenberg where they were exhibited for the public to view at St.Katherine's Church.
Hitler is often said to have had occult leanings and the Spear of Destiny is sometimes described as having acted like a divining rod for dark forces seeking entry into our world of matter. Who's to say if there is any truth in this: but a man, who Mussolini thought looked like Charlie Chaplin and described him as 'a mad little clown,' certainly made his mark in history.
Further Reading:
Visualisation Helped Man Escape From WW2 Prison
The Old Soldier Coincidence Story
WWI Grandfather's Bugle Found On Market Stall
Photos:
René Hanke (GFDL) via Wikimedia Commons
Bundesarchiv, Bild 119-5243 via Wikimedia Commons
Hitler took mescaline? This post is fascinating. I remember reading the Spear of Destiny years ago, but will now have to go back and read it again!
ReplyDeletethis post is way beyond fascinating.....
ReplyDeleteFABULOUS post, Mike. Loved this little unexpected window into one of history's most gruesome and truly evil-embodying figures...interesting human angle. Who knows...maybe he *was* the one to slash a sword through Christ. Wouldn't that just be like him?
ReplyDeleteCheck out this latest post, Mike, I think you'll like it. (I think you should see the footage, too...you will appreciate it, I think) ;-)
"Lights Over Jerusalem"
http://taicarmen.wordpress.com/
best!
TC
P.S. It's fascinating that Hitler would take a drug which revealed such intimate visions of truth to him...and still go for being that villain!
ReplyDelete