The Mission of the Folk-Souls: In Relation to Teutonic Mythology

11 lectures, Oslo, June 7–17, 1910 (CW 121)

“It is particularly important...especially at the present time, to speak about the mission of the individual folk souls...because the destiny of humanity in the near future will bring people together in far greater measure than has hitherto been the case in order to fulfil a mission common to the whole of humanity. But the members of the individual peoples will only be able to offer their proper, free, and positive contributions if they have, above all else, an understanding of their own native origin, an understanding of what we might call the self-knowledge of their people, their folk.”— Rudolf Steiner

In the mythologies of all ancient cultures, humanity is portrayed as intimately interwoven with the activity of lesser and greater gods, spirits, devas, and elemental beings—as members of the grand symphony of creation. Who are these gods, pictured so vividly in various myths and legends? And how are they connected with the mission of humanity as a whole and the diverse peoples of the Earth?

In his preface to this lecture course, Steiner argues that a true basis for a “psychology of peoples” cannot be given by the “anthropological, ethnographical, or even historical studies” of conventional science, but requires “a basis...in spiritual reality.” It is precisely this spiritual reality—the creative activity of the beings of the hierarchies in connection with the destiny of humanity—that forms the heart of these lectures and of Steiner’s view of folk psychology more broadly.

These lectures form Rudolf Steiner’s most comprehensive and profound account of the mission of folk souls.

The Mission of Folk Souls is a translation of Die Mission einzelner Volksseelen im Zusammenhange mit der germanisch-nordischen Mythologie (6th rev, ed.), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Basel, 2017 (GA 121). Cover image: Old Sun. The Awakening of the Archangels, by Zvi Szir.