Stephen Flowers
Encyclopedia
Stephen Edred Flowers is an American
Runologist
and proponent of occult
ism and Germanic mysticism
. The Bonham, Texas
-born author has over two dozen published books and hundreds of published papers on a disparate range of subjects. He is also known by the pen-name Edred Thorsson. Flowers advocates "Esoteric Runology" or "Odianism", an occultist version of Germanic Neopaganism
.
and Celt
ic philology under professor and scholar Edgar Polomé at the University of Texas at Austin
from 1973-1984. In 1981-1982 he studied the history of occultism at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages
and Medieval
Studies in 1984 with a dissertation entitled Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Elder Tradition. From 1984-1989 he was a lecturer in the Departments of English and Germanic Languages at the University of Texas and was last known to be teaching Classical Philology
at Austin Community College
.
movement in North America
. and has also been very active in Left-Hand Path
occult organizations.
Flowers joined the Church of Satan
in 1972 though he reportedly never became involved with the organization beyond his receiving their newsletter, "The Cloven Hoof." On November 11, 1983 he founded a small group to explore what he saw as the dark, futuristic undercurrent of Odinism called The Order of Shining Trapezohedron or "O.S.T." which was closed on January 13, 1984. The O.S.T. served as a segue into his involvement with the Temple of Set
, an organization in which he currently holds the degree of Ipsissimus VI°. Within the Temple of Set he served as Grand Master of the Order of the Trapezoid from January 1987 until June 1996.
Flowers was one of the original members of the Asatru Free Assembly
. In 1979 Flowers founded the Rune-Gild, an initiatory order focused on "the revival of the elder Runic" tradition, advocating "Rune Magic".
Flowers currently is the executive officer, or Yrmin Drighten of the Rune-Gild. As a project of the Rune-Gild, Flowers founded the Ásatrú
organization the Ring of Troth in 1987 (which is now simply called the Troth
). Flowers is no longer affiliated with the Troth. Flowers has also had contact with the Armanen-Orden
, the Order of the Triskelion and other occult orders.
Flowers is currently the director of the Woodharrow Institute of Germanic Studies and the owner and operator of Runa-Raven Press.
, Old Norse and German
into the English language
, making many of them available to a wider range of readers.
following his Open Letter to the Leadership of the Asatru
/Odinist/Troth Movement wherein he detailed his involvement with the Temple of Set.
Sweyn Plowright, a former member of the Rune-Gild who resigned from the organization in 2000, has referred to the philosophy of Flowers as being "neo-Satanic" and antinomian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Runologist
Runology
Runology is the study of the Runic alphabets, Runic inscriptions and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.-History:...
and proponent of occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
ism and Germanic mysticism
Germanic mysticism
Germanic mysticism or Germanic occultism may refer to* Ariosophy* more generally, various schools of Esotericism in Germany and Austria* various modern systems of runic magic...
. The Bonham, Texas
Bonham, Texas
Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo....
-born author has over two dozen published books and hundreds of published papers on a disparate range of subjects. He is also known by the pen-name Edred Thorsson. Flowers advocates "Esoteric Runology" or "Odianism", an occultist version of Germanic Neopaganism
Germanic Neopaganism
Germanic neopaganism is the contemporary revival of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Germany and Austria. A second wave of revival began in the early 1970s...
.
Education
Flowers did his graduate work in GermanicGermanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic philology under professor and scholar Edgar Polomé at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
from 1973-1984. In 1981-1982 he studied the history of occultism at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
and Medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Studies in 1984 with a dissertation entitled Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Elder Tradition. From 1984-1989 he was a lecturer in the Departments of English and Germanic Languages at the University of Texas and was last known to be teaching Classical Philology
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
at Austin Community College
Austin Community College
The Austin Community College District is a regional community college district with eight campuses and 12 centers located in and around the city of Austin, Texas, United States....
.
History
Flowers was instrumental in the early establishment of the Germanic NeopaganGermanic neopaganism
Germanic neopaganism is the contemporary revival of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Germany and Austria. A second wave of revival began in the early 1970s...
movement in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. and has also been very active in Left-Hand Path
Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path
The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path are a dichotomy between two opposing philosophies found in the Western Esoteric Tradition, which itself covers various groups involved in the occult and ceremonial magic. In some definitions, the Left-Hand Path is equated with malicious Black Magic and...
occult organizations.
Flowers joined the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
in 1972 though he reportedly never became involved with the organization beyond his receiving their newsletter, "The Cloven Hoof." On November 11, 1983 he founded a small group to explore what he saw as the dark, futuristic undercurrent of Odinism called The Order of Shining Trapezohedron or "O.S.T." which was closed on January 13, 1984. The O.S.T. served as a segue into his involvement with the Temple of Set
Temple of Set
The Temple of Set is an initiatory occult society claiming to be the world's leading left-hand path religious organization. It professes Setian philosophy and magical practice.-History:...
, an organization in which he currently holds the degree of Ipsissimus VI°. Within the Temple of Set he served as Grand Master of the Order of the Trapezoid from January 1987 until June 1996.
Flowers was one of the original members of the Asatru Free Assembly
Asatru Folk Assembly
The Asatru Folk Assembly, or AFA, an organization of Germanic neopaganism, is the US-based Ásatrú organization founded by Stephen McNallen in 1994. Gardell classifies the AFA as folkish....
. In 1979 Flowers founded the Rune-Gild, an initiatory order focused on "the revival of the elder Runic" tradition, advocating "Rune Magic".
Flowers currently is the executive officer, or Yrmin Drighten of the Rune-Gild. As a project of the Rune-Gild, Flowers founded the Ásatrú
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
organization the Ring of Troth in 1987 (which is now simply called the Troth
The Troth
The Ring of Troth, now called simply The Troth, is an American-based international Germanic neopagan organization. The Troth was founded on December 20 , 1987 by former Asatru Free Assembly members Edred Thorsson and James Chisholm. However, neither is any longer involved with the organization...
). Flowers is no longer affiliated with the Troth. Flowers has also had contact with the Armanen-Orden
Armanen-Orden
The Armanen-Orden is an Arman Heathen organisation active in the German countries. It was founded in 1976 by Adolf Schleipfer and his then-wife Sigrun von Schlichting as the reorganisation of the Ariosophical Guido von List Society, though its doctrine is not limited to List's teachings...
, the Order of the Triskelion and other occult orders.
Flowers is currently the director of the Woodharrow Institute of Germanic Studies and the owner and operator of Runa-Raven Press.
Work
In addition to being a prolific writer, Flowers is known for translating obscure texts and manuscripts written in IcelandicIcelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
, Old Norse and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, making many of them available to a wider range of readers.
Criticisms
In 1989, Flowers was expelled from the Odinic RiteOdinic Rite
The Odinic Rite is a religious organization, practicing a form of Northern Indo European religion termed Odinism after the chief god of Norse mythology, Odin...
following his Open Letter to the Leadership of the Asatru
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
/Odinist/Troth Movement wherein he detailed his involvement with the Temple of Set.
Sweyn Plowright, a former member of the Rune-Gild who resigned from the organization in 2000, has referred to the philosophy of Flowers as being "neo-Satanic" and antinomian.
External links
- New Dawn Magazine Wisdom for the Wolf-Age: A Conversation With Dr. Stephen Flowers - magazine interview
- Woodharrow Institute of Germanic Studies
- Rune Gild
- Temple of Set
- Order of the Trapezoid