THE TERRIBLE ONE'S HORSE: CHAPTER 19

WHY I BELIEVE THE IRMINSUL IS STILL STANDING: A NOTE ON THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF A PAGAN GERMANIC SHRINE BY CHARLEMAGNE

In A.D. 772, Charles the Great supposedly destroyed the Saxon Irminsul, either the “great/giant pillar” or (less likely) the “pillar of [the god] Irmin”.  The Irminsul may well have represented a world tree like that of Odin’s Yggdrasill.  Although we have several references to the actual nature of this pillar, most authorities have assumed it was made of wood, and was, therefore, quite likely to have been the trunk of a large tree, set upright in the ground as a sort of axis mundi.  A case has also been made for the pillar being similar to the Jupiter-Giant columns which are, however, more specifically found in Celtic territory during the Roman period.

While I agree that the Irminsul was probably NOT a Jupiter-Giant column, the chief characteristic of the latter did give me an idea which I have not run across in any of the literature pertaining to the Saxon world tree.  For the Jupiter-Giant columns WERE MADE OF STONE.

As far as I know, Jacob Grimm was the first to suggest that the actual location of the Irminsul was not at Eresburg/Heresburg, now Obermarsburg, but should instead be sought “some 15 miles deeper into the Osning forest” at Eggesterstein, now Externsteine.  Much has been written on this last location, and indeed there is an unusual rock carving there which some think may relate to the Irminsul.

When I went to look at the photos of this amazing place (see http://www.ruengener.eu/anschauen/externsteine/anschauen_04.html), I was struck immediately by an extraordinary thought: the tallest and most slender of the stones at Externsteine is quite obviously A NATURALLY OCCURRING COLUMN OR PILLAR.

Now, I readily admit this may be a faulty observation – one brought about by a mere over-active imagination.  However, if we dare to think a bit “outside the box”, might we not choose to identify this very tall column of rock with the original Irminsul?

What to make, then, of the claim that Charlemagne chopped down or otherwise toppled the Saxon’s holy pillar?  Well, it is conceivable that what he did there was destroy whatever pagan temple had been built at the precinct of the column.  Eventually, as was true of most if not all pagan sacred sites, it was then thoroughly Christianized.  Metaphorically, the Irminsul was destroyed to make way for the Tree or, rather, the Cross of Christ.  But if I’m right and this huge rock pillar is the true Irminsul – not some log stuck in the ground that Charlemagne would have had no difficulty dismantling – then the axis mundi of the Saxons is still standing.

Although it is possible Hermes/Mercury was brought into connection with the Irminsul in the early sources because of a fanciful link between (H)Irmin and Hermes, it is worth remembering that Wotan/Wodan/Odin was identified with the Roman Mercury.  This is why, of course, we now have Wednesday or Woden’s Day rather than Mercredi, as in the French.  It is entirely possible that the stone pillar-tree at Externsteine belonged to Wotan.

Confirmation of the Externsteine as the Irminsul might be found in a decent treatment of the place-name's etymology.  We have the following early forms recorded:

lapis agisterstein

lapis agistersteyn

Egisterstein

Exsterstein

Egersterstein

Exterenstein

Lapis, of course, is merely an explanative term for –stein.  The important part of this word are the agi-ster/steren components.  There are really only two possibilities for agi-, and only one makes sense given the probable meaning of –ster/steren.  The following are from utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/ielex/U/OHG.html:

W-Germanic   Old Frisian: eg/ig n.fem edge ASD Frisian: eher n.str.neut ear GED   ig n edge ASD Middle Flemish: egge n edge W7   selvage/selvegge n ravel-resistant fabric edge W7 Old Saxon: eggia n.str.fem tip, edge GED Old High German: aga n magpie GED   agana n.str.fem chaff, ear of grain GED   ahir n.str.neut ear GED   ecka/ekka n.str.fem tip, edge GED/ASD   ehir n.str.neut ear GED Middle High German: ag(e)ne/ane n awn CDC   eck n.neut edge ASD   ecke n.fem edge ASD German: Ähre n.fem ear LRC   akut adj acute, urgent LRC   Äther n ether W7   Eck n.neut edge ASD   Ecke n.fem edge, corner ASD   Essig n vinegar W7   Essigäther n ethyl acetate W7   Ester n organic acid/alcohol compound W7 N-Germanic   Old Norse: egg n.fem edge LRC   eggja, eggjað vb to urge, whet LRC   ögn n ear of grain W7 Old Icelandic: ax n.str.neut ear GED   egg n.str.fem tip, edge GED   ǫgn n.str.fem chaff GED Icelandic: egg n.fem edge ASD   ögn, agnar n awn, chaff CDC Danish: avne n awn, chaff CDC   eg n.masc/fem edge ASD Swedish: agg n.masc prick, resentment GED   agga vb.wk to prick, incite GED   *agn, agnar n awn, chaff CDC   egg n.masc edge ASD E-Germanic   Gothic: ahaks n tame white dove (sacrificial dove; also symbol of the Holy Spirit) GED   ahana n.fem awn, chaff GED   ahs n.neut ear (of grain) GED

W-Germanic   Old Saxon: egiso n.masc awe, terror GED Middle Low German: achte n.str.fem persecution GED   egelen vb to annoy W7 Old High German: agis/egis n.neut horror ASD   agi(so) n.masc awe, fear, terror ASD/GED   āhta n.str.fem persecution GED   akī n.fem awe, terror GED   egī n.fem awe, terror GED   egisa n.fem awe, terror GED   egis-līh adj awful, terrible GED   egiso/ekiso n.masc awe, terror GED/ASD Middle High German: ege n.fem awe, terror ASD   egese/eise n.fem horror ASD German: ekeln vb to ail, trouble; be disgusted ASD N-Germanic   Old Norse: agi n awe AHD/W7   ōgn n.fem awe, fright, terror GED   Óin prop.n Oin (Lay of Regin dwarf) TPE   ótti n.masc fear, dread LRC Old Icelandic: agi n.masc awe, terror; discipline GED/ASD   ōast vb.wk to be afraid GED   œgishjālmr n fearful helmet (transformed Fafnir into dragon) GED   œgja vb.wk to frighten GED Icelandic: agi n.masc terror; discipline ASD Norwegian: egse n.neut agitation GED Danish: ave n.masc/fem awe, terror; discipline ASD E-Germanic   Gothic: *af-agjan vb.wk.I to move, frighten GED   *-agan vb.ptpr.VI to fear GED   agei n.fem awe, terror ASD   agis n.str.neut awe, fear, terror GED   *agls adj disgraceful GED   aglyan vb to molest ASD   *ogan vb.ptpr to fear GED   un-agein adv fearlessly GED   usagjan vb.wk.I to frighten, terrify GED

So, we have either something akin to “edge”, or a meaning such as “terrible”.

The second component, appearing either as ster or stern or similar, can only be:

W-Germanic   Old Frisian: stēra n star GED Dutch: ster n star TLL Old Saxon: sterro n.masc star GED Middle Low German: sterne n.masc star GED Old High German: stern n.masc star GED   sterno n.masc star GED   sterro n.masc star GED German: Stern n.masc star LRC N-Germanic   Old Icelandic: stjarna n.fem star GED Icelandic: stjarna n.fem star ASD Danish: stjerne n star TLL Swedish: stjärna n star TLL E-Germanic   Gothic: *stairno n.fem star GED Crimean Gothic: *stern/stein n star GED/CGo Italic   Latin: aster n.masc star W7   astronomia, astronomiae n.fem astronomy LRC   astrum n.neut star W7   stēlla n.fem star GED Late Latin: asteriscus n.masc little star W7   astralis adj re: stars W7   constellatio n.fem ensemble of stars W7   constellatus vb.ptc studded with stars W7   stellaris adj re: stars W7 Old French: astronomie n astronomy AHD Middle French: constellation n.fem ensemble of stars W7   desastre n.masc disaster W7   disaster n.masc disaster W7 Old Italian: disastro n.masc disaster W7

The name Externsteine, therefore, most likely means the Stone of the Terrible Star – OR “Ygg’s Star’, this being a reference to Odin as Ygg(r), the Terrible One.  Ygg derives from the same Germanic root as what I’m proposing for the agi- of the Externsteine name.  The Norse world tree was called Yggdrasill, the Terrible One’s Horse, a reference to Odin’s “riding” or hanging upon the world tree.

Now, the question becomes: what is the Terrible or Terrible One’s star?  The observation window at Externsteine would point to the sun as deserving of this name.  And this could well be the Terrible One’s star, as we know Odin plucked out his eye as a “pledge” and used it to drink from Mimir’s Well (the sea) every morning.  My own choice for this star, however, would be the North Star, the “top” of the world pillar upon which the sky turned and which, symbolically, would have been viewed as holding up the sky-father Odin/Ygg.  Given that the Externsteine pillar was itself an earthly representation of the sky tree, we can understand there being other observation alignments to be found there.