Welcome to Unexplained Extra with me Richard McClane Smith, where for the weeks in between episodes, we look at stories and ideas that, for one reason or other, didn't make it into the previous show. The last week's episode, The Wandering, focused on the peculiar story of forestry worker Robert Taylor, who in nineteen seventy nine claimed to have been attacked by a mysterious machine while out walking through decmant woods
just outside Livingstone in Scotland. For many, Taylor's story is compelling because it's simply unfathomable that such a modest and taciturn man would go to the trouble of making such a bizarre story up. Certainly, most people connected with the case, from the police to Taylor's colleagues and family, found Taylor to be very sincere in what he believed had happened to him, concluding that a hallucination brought on by a
medical condition was the most likely explanation. Much of the belief in Taylor's integrity is due to his status as a veteran of the Second World War, during which he was one of the first people to witness the horrors of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp after it had been liberated. Making a very brief appearance in the episode was Heinrich Himmler, who, as Breich's fuer of the Shut Staffel or SS, the paramilitary organization of the German Reich, was ultimately responsible for
running the camp. Himmler has long been a source of fascination for historians, sociologists, and psychologists alike as one of the leading members of the National Socialist German Workers Party commonly referred to as the Nazi Party. This fascination stems mostly from the not unreasonable perception of Himmler as a
distinctly callous, depraved, and brutal individual. It was Himmler, after all, who, in nineteen forty one made the agreement with Adolf Hitler that they should annihilate all Jews and just for those who are unsure of the history. Then very much proceeded to put that agreement into practice. This reputation was compounded by his position as head of the SS, whose members were among the most fervent supporters of Hitler's ideas and policies.
But there is another reason that many are fascinated with himla, namely his and the Nazi Party in general's association with the occult. It is an association that, in ways, along with what people often think of when they hear the term Nazi, has clouded one of the fundamental truths about Himla and the Nazi regime. A lot has been made about the National Socialists association with the occult, with many fantastical rumors springing up in the wake of their defeat
in the Second World War. Some have claimed that Adolf Hitler and his party derived their power from the Spear of Destiny, a legendary Christian relic said to have pierced the side of Jesus Christ. According to legend, whoever possessed the spear held the destiny of the world in their hands. Others are claimed that Hitler in fact got his power from real, a mythical substance created by a race of subterranean people that were said to have magical healing properties.
Some believe that Hitler was simply possessed by a demon.
Though these rumors may be a little far fetched, there is some truth to the occult connection, namely through the National Socialist Party's association with the Tuley Society and a number of other secret societies that explored extreme belief system in conjunction with the wider Vulkish movement, an ethno nationalist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that sought to define true Germans as something racially pure and
distinct from others. The Order of the New Templars or o NT was one such organization, founded in nineteen oh seven by Lance von Liebenfel. The ONT were the first to adopt the use of a swastika as a symbol of white supremacy, with its teachings based on an ideological system known broadly as ariosophy, which was developed by Liebenfel
and another occultist named Guido von Liszt. The belief system was based largely around the concept of an aryan race comprised of only white people, who they considered to be not only biologically distinct from all others, but also magically
superior to any other race on earth. Any of Leibenfels and Lists ideas were later incorporated into the TULI Society, members of which would go on to establish the German Workers Party, that in turn would be reorganized by Adolf Hitler in nineteen thirty three into the National Socialist German Workers Party. Above all of them, However, there was one racist that would prove especially influential. Carl Maria Villegut was
born in Austria in eighteen sixty six. At seventeen, he was conscripted into the Austria Hungry Army, from where he began a lengthy and fairly distinguished career as a soldier. But it was for his bizarre belief that he would really make his mark. At some point, Villegut became convinced that he was not only descended from an ancient line of wise Germanic kings, but that as a clairvoyant, he
had the power to access their ancient ancestral memories. In nineteen nineteen, he was encouraged by Lands von Lebenfeld of the O n T to share his beliefs, and Villegud did not disappoint him. According to Villegut, the true history of Germany began in two hundred twenty eight thousand b c e. In a time where there were three sons in the sky and giants, dwarfs and other mythical creatures
roaming the land. Villegut's own blood line supposedly began in seventy eight thousand b c e. And was instrumental in the formation of an apparent ancient religion which betrayed the true people of Germany, as he saw them as a superior race of beings whose ultimate destiny was to become the dominant race on earth, and Villegut, as a direct descendant of the ancient kings of this race of people,
was the perfect man to get them there. Over the next few years, as Villegate's delusions intensive fight, he became increasingly erratic and violent toward his wife, Malvine. In nineteen twenty four, she succeeded in having him committed to a psychiatric asylum, where he was diagnosed with possible schizophrenia and
declared insane. Throughout his four years stint in hospital, however, Villigerate continued to correspond with his newfound supporters in the o NT and by the time of his release in nineteen twenty seven, had developed a reputation as a bona fide mystical Germanic sage. In nineteen thirty three, after leaving his wife and moving to Munich, shortly after Adolf Hitler and his National Socialists secured complete control of the German Reich,
he was introduced to Heinrich Himmler. Is there something interfering with your happiness or preventing you from achieving your goals? Better help will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist. Sign up today and start communicating in less than forty eight hours. You'll get timely and thoughtful responses. Plus, you can schedule weekly video or phone sessions so you won't ever have to sit in
an uncomfortable waiting room. You can also log into your account any time to send a message to your counselor. Better Help is not a crisis line nor self help. It is professional counseling done securely online, with a broad range of expertise available, and with better helps commitment to facilitating great therapeutic matches, they make it especially easy and free to change counselors to help you find the right fit.
This podcast is sponsored by better Help and Unexplained. Listeners get ten percent off their first month at better help dot com. Forward slash unexplained, that's better help dot com. Forward slash Unexplained. Join the over one million people taking charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional. Better Help wants you to start living a
happier life today. Instantly impressed by Villigate's apparent knowledge of ancient Germanic traditions and religions, Himmler appointed him under the name Carl Maria Weisshall as the head of the Department for pre and Early History, based in the Race and Settlement Main Office, a department whose sole function was to vet members of the SS to make sure they were,
as they saw it, sufficiently racially pure. Himmler regularly sought Villigate's advice in a variety of matters, even helping to pick out Favelsburg Castle in the northeast of what was then the province of Westphalia as the ideal location for
the SSS countryside headquarters. According to Nicholas Gudric Clark in his nineteen eighty five book The Occult Roots of Nazism, Villigerate had foreseen that the castle would become a magical German stronghold in the future conflict between Europe and Asia. Villigerate encouraged others in the SS to adopt his so called erminist faith and officiated at pagan wedding ceremonies for numerous SS officers, and was also entrusted with designing the SS totten cop Frink or Death's head ring that was
bestowed on members of the SS by Heinrich Himmler himself. However, that is more or less where Villigerates, and perhaps any meaningful association between the Occult and the National Socialists ends. After the truth of Villigerate's psychological diagnosis came to light
in nineteen thirty eight. The following year, Himmler had him quietly retired from the SS to avoid any embarrassment, though its influence is to be found elsewhere, most prominently in the party's iconography, such as their use of the ostika and the SS logo itself, which was taken from a runic symbol created by Guido von Liszt, as well as in a series of alleged parapsychological experiments conducted on behalf
of the German military, which I may explore another time. Broadly, its hold over the party was minimal and largely superficial. In fact, in nineteen forty one, Hitler ordered his staff to clean up this astrology rubbish, as he put it, after his deputy Rudolph Hess, a known advocate of astrology and the occult, flew to Scotland in an effort to
single handedly broker of peace with Great Britain. As a result, Hitler had his head of propaganda, Joseph Gebel's, pass a law known as Action Hess, banning any occult organizations from giving public performances, in an effort to crack down on their influence. There is little doubt that those like Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler believed in their racial superiority. As for whether they genuinely believed it had been magically bestowed
upon them is another question. Perhaps more likely, all the stories of destiny and racial purity were merely the perfect metaphors with which to embolden their supporters in their efforts to remodel the world and their image. Either way, it is easy to see why the apparent link with Hitler's Germany and the occult is so compelling. As Peter Staudenmeyer wrote in a twenty seventeen article for Aon magazine, a fixation on diabolical forces can distract attention from the social
forces that shape reality. Attributing the horrors of Nazi Germany to obscure occult sources is all too often a convenient way of absolving ourselves from the hard work of understanding the past. In a similar vein, I personally prefer to avoid using the term Nazi when applied to the era
of the National Socialist German Workers Party. The term Nazi was never actually used by the National Socialists to refer to themselves, but was in fact coined as a pejorative term by opponents of the party as a play on the phrase national Socialist and the abbreviation of the name Ignatius that was often used colloquially to mean a foolish or clumsy person. Just for clarity, I have absolutely no problem with coining a pejorative term to use for the
party and its affiliates. However, I prefer not to use it in this context, simply because I believe it detracts from one harsh and fundamental truth. The term Nazi, when applied to people such as Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler, is often done in a way that positions them as something of such monsters unfathomable evil. They become almost something other than human, something that is all too easily dismissed
as a momentary aberration in the history of humankind. In effect, to use the term Nazi in this context runs the risk of forgetting these people and their supporters were very much human beings. This is complicated further when applied to people and regimes in the present day. There are, of
course those who will proudly declare themselves naziats. However, for those who would be appalled at the idea of being associated with the label, even if they found themselves supporting people and policies that might not seem out of place and Hitler's Germany, I believe they might struggle to recognize the severity of what they were doing, for the simple reason that because we have learned to understand the Nazis as something so impossibly monstrous, virtually nobody could possibly believe
that they themselves might be one. If you enjoy Unexplained and would like to help supporters, you can now do so via Patreon. To receive access to add free episodes, just go to patron dot com, Forward Slash Unexplained Pod to sign up, or if you'd like to make a one time donation, you can go to Unexplained podcast dot com Forward Slash Support. All donations, no matter how large
or small, are greatly appreciated. Unexplained The book and audiobook, featuring ten stories that have never before been covered on the show, is now available to buy worldwide. You can purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Waterstones, among other bookstores. All elements have Unexplained, including the show's music, are produced
by me Richard McClain smith. Please subscribe and rate the show wherever you listen to podcasts, and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation of your own you'd like to share. You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast dot com or Twitter at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at Facebook dot com, Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast