Richard Rudgley: "We could very well see either a radical transformation of the EU or even its demise"

You‘re an expert of many things. Let’s talk first about Your wonderful book “Barbarians” and old civilizations, tribes, peoples of Europe. From 300 and 1000 AD or so. As we know, all modern European literature came from them, from Celts, Germanic, later – Romanic peoples. What did You discover for Yourself while writing this book? Did You travel a lot?

My book Barbarians was originally published in 2002 and was tied-in with a TV documentary series entitled Secrets of the Dark Ages that I wrote and presented for British television.

The series was also made into a DVD which should still be available and the book was republished by Arktos in 2014. I did travel to a number of European countries whilst shooting the series including Hungary, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. I also got to visit a number of places in Britain that I had never been to before. I learned first-hand from a number of experts just how creative (politically, technologically and artistically) the so-called barbarian peoples were and how much they shaped the history of Europe. The central aim of both the series and the book was to show the wider public that it was not just the ‘civilized’ Romans who transformed our continent but a host of other cultural forces as well. The pressure of the barbarians within its boundaries caused the Empire to implode, and the provinces to take the first steps towards becoming the countries that we see today on the map of Europe.

Is EU the new Roman Empire which will also burn down? Are we already in the process?

That is a very interesting question. I think there are certain parallels that can be made between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the current state of the EU. It is always difficult to predict future events but the EU appears to be showing signs of eroding, at least in its current form. There is a growing dissatisfaction among many European peoples with the EU. If this trend continues then we could very well see either a radical transformation of the EU or even its demise.

You also explore the world of psychedelics. Could you tell more about it? I only know that it’s a very important thing in Shamanism, Indian (from Americas) cultures. What about Europe?

I have written three books that are concerned with the cultural history of psychoactive drugs. Two of these have been republished by Arktos – Essential Substances (2014) and Wildest Dreams: An Anthology of Drug-Related Literature (2014). The human interaction with such substances is extremely archaic not only in faraway places like the Amazon Basin but also in Europe. It is often thought that Europe was primarily an alcohol-based culture (wine, beer etc.) and that other psychoactive drugs like cannabis and the hallucinogens came much later in the nineteenth century or even the 1960s, but these are just popular misconceptions. Opium and cannabis were widely used in European prehistory and in many parts of the continent preceded the use of alcohol, in some cases by millennia. Also important were a number of other psychotropic plants used by the European witches including belladonna (deadly nightshade), henbane and the mandrake root. We can say that the Europeans have had as rich and diverse interaction with drug plants as the inhabitants of any other continent.

What cults were main in Old Europe? Animals, trees, plants, water, fire, …?

The veneration of nature and its various embodiments was undoubtedly a profound part of all the spiritual streams of pre-Christian Europe. The various cults are too many to quantify but we can say that the ecological consciousness of the modern era can ultimately trace back its roots to this prehistoric legacy.

What do you think about geopolitical changes and the Fourth political theory?

The Fourth Political Theory (4PT) as expounded by Alexander Dugin is extremely interesting in my opinion. He writes that he cannot understand why people wouldn’t crack open a bottle of champagne upon hearing about the very idea of the 4PT. I agree. Even seriously contemplating the possibility of a radically different political theory is liberating in itself – it creates a new mental space in which to think. Sadly many people are indifferent to thinking outside this particularly large box and some seem to even abhor the very notion.  All of the main three political theories of the modern age are contingent and ultimately transient so it is a very good thing to speculate on what may come next. After all, both the ethnographic and historical records are full of numerous examples of past societies that not only survived but thrived before the political theories of the modern era even existed. Dugin argues that we should data mine this ancient treasure when looking to the future and as someone who trained as both a historian and ethnologist I agree with him on that point. Yet, as he himself says, exactly what the 4PT is and what it may become are still very much open questions. Geopolitics is a very interesting discipline and I am particularly interested in how this relates to notions of sacred geography derived from the myths of the past. This connection is, of course, also to be found in the writings of Dugin.  

What are you writing currently?

Aside from a number of articles I am currently writing two books for Arktos both of which will hopefully be published later this year. One is a series of interviews with both leading Identitarians and others who have influenced this new political movement. As you know Identitarianism has rapidly spread from France to a number of other countries in Europe and even beyond. The purpose of this book is to provide a sourcebook on this movement in which its leading thinkers and activists are represented in their own words rather than everything being filtered through my voice. My aim is to produce a book which is neither an endorsement of, nor an attack on, the movement but simply, as I say, to provide a much needed sourcebook which I hope will interest not only Identitarians but also political scientists, serious journalists and even opponents of the movement. The other book is concerned with metapolitics and European traditions and mythologies which can be traced back far in history – or, put another way, it explores the convergence of modern metapolitical trends and the pagan revival in its various forms.

Back to the beginning. What peoples must have their own countries right now? Basques, Catalans, Saamis, etc.? What do you think about Europe without EU but with, say, 100 countries?

Europe has an exceedingly rich and diverse indigenous linguistic and cultural legacy and it is essential that this be preserved wherever possible. Nationalist movements that are antagonistic to regional differences within their nations are not a good thing – so as a matter of principle I am very much in favor of regionalism – it is an integral part of the health of our continent.

Thank you for your questions.

Thank You for the answers.

Richard Rudgley

P.S.Read also a review of BARBARIANS: http://www.radikaliai.lt/knygos/3349-review-richard-rudgley-barbarians-arktos-media-2014.

Link to ARKTOS webpage of Richard Rudgley: http://www.arktos.com/our-authors/richard-rudgley.html.