Hitler's Priestess
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Savitri Devi |
| Publisher | New York University Press |
Publication date | 1998 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 269 |
| ISBN | 0-8147-3110-4 |
| OCLC | 38113227 |
| 320.53 | |
| LC Class | JC481 .G57 1998 |
Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism is a book by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke. It is a biography of fascist writer Savitri Devi. It was first published by New York University Press in hardcover in 1998.
Contents
[edit]The book recounts Savitri Devi's life, beliefs, and legacy and influence on neo-Nazism.
- Introduction: Discovered Alive in India: Hitler's Guru!
- Hellas and Judah
- Āryāvarta
- Hindu nationalism
- The Nazi Brahmin
- The Duce of Bengal
- Akhenaten and Animal Rights
- The Hitler Avatar
- Defiance
- Pilgrimage
- The ODESSA Connection
- Inside the Neo-Nazi International
- Last Years and Legacy: Nazis, Greens, and the New Age
In the conclusion, Goodrick-Clarke argues that Devi is an important influence of the neo-Nazi overlap with deep ecology and New Age concepts, and that:[1]
Deep ecology, biocentrism, nature worship and New Age paganism reflect a hostility toward Christianity, rationalism and liberalism in modern society. Although these radical movements have their roots in left-wing dissent, their increasing tendency towards myth and despair indicate their susceptibility to millenarian and mystical ideas on the far right. Neo-Nazi and fascist activists now actively seek to infiltrate the ecological and esoteric scene. The cybernetic encirclement of man and his complete divorce from nature could well foster a more fundamental alienation. In a congested and automated world, Savitri Devi’s sentimental love of animals and hatred of the masses may find new followers. The pessimism of the Kali Yuga and her vision of a pristine new Aryan order possess a perennial appeal in times of uncertainty and change.
Publication history
[edit]It was published by New York University Press in hardcover in 1998 (ISBN 0-8147-3110-4)[2] and in paperback in October 2000 (ISBN 0-8147-3111-2).[3] Its author, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, is a British historian who had published a book on the relationship between occultism and Nazism prior, The Occult Roots of Nazism.[1]
Reception
[edit]Booklist noted the book positively, saying Goodrick-Clarke had done "a fine job revealing Devi's strange and, ultimately, brutal personality".[4] Publishers Weekly praised it as providing "plenty of information and insight about this little-known but influential figure", saying the most interesting material in it was the contents about her writings; the writing was however noted as "stiff and matter-of-fact".[2] Daniel K. Blewett writing for Library Journal praised it for showing one of the "many oddities" of "the whole terrible Nazi experience", calling it useful for understanding the ideology of neo-Nazis; they deemed it suitable but not essential for libraries.[5]
Jeffrey Kaplan writing for Nova Religio called Goodrick-Clarke a "uniquely qualified biographer" of Devi, and praised the work as a "remarkable intellectual biography". He singled out the coverage of her Hindu activism as "thoroughly researched", and argued Goodrick-Clarke was at his best in his coverage of her writings.[1] Kaplan said the book's conclusion was "controversial", where "the author’s distaste for the anti-rationalism represented by this convergence is clear".[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Kaplan, Jeffrey (1998). "Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Occult Neo-Nazism". Nova Religio. 2 (1): 148–149. doi:10.1525/nr.1998.2.1.148. ISSN 1092-6690.
- ^ a b "Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Occult Neo-Nazism". Publishers Weekly. 245 (15). New York City: 64. April 13, 1998. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ "Hitler's Priestess". New York University Press. Archived from the original on November 8, 2004.
- ^ McCombie, Brian (April 15, 1998). "Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth and Neo-Nazism". Booklist. 94 (16). Chicago: 1400. ISSN 0006-7385.
- ^ Blewett, Daniel K. (1998). "Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth and Neo-Nazism". Library Journal. 123 (8). New York City: 116. ISSN 0363-0277.
Further reading
[edit]- Arvidsson, Stefan (2001). "Review of Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism". History of Religions. 40 (4): 393–396. ISSN 0018-2710. JSTOR 3176376.
- Eatwell, Roger (1999). "Review of Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism". The American Historical Review. 104 (3): 1024–1025. doi:10.2307/2651164. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 2651164. Archived from the original on November 20, 2004.
- Katz, Nathan (1999). "Review of Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 67 (4): 890–892. ISSN 0002-7189. JSTOR 1466283.
- Marchand, Suzanne (2001). "Review of Handbuch zur "Volkischen Bewegung," 1871–1918; Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindi-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism, Goodrick-Clarke Nicholas". The Journal of Modern History. 73 (2): 436–438. doi:10.1086/321054. ISSN 0022-2801.