Henrik Bogdan – författare

Hilma af Klint och August Strindberg var båda esoteriker, men vad är esoterism? Under senare delen av 1800-talet kom så kallade esoteriska strömningar att etablera sig i kulturella och intellektuella kretsar i Europa, inte minst i Sverige. Hemliga läror, riter och praktiker som alkemi, astrologi, ockultism och teosofi där tron på ett korresponderande kosmos, en levande natur och transmutationsupplevelser dominerar. Men esoterismen sträcker sig betydligt längre tillbaka i den svenska historien. Trots att de esoteriska idéströmningarna länge utpekades av kyrkan som kätteri och därför verkade i det dolda, har de haft betydande inflytande på den svenska kulturen.  

I denna antologi samlar vi några av Sveriges främsta experter inom ämnet för att utforska esoterismens historia i Sverige och hur dess riter, praktiker och traditioner kom att influera författare och konstnärer som August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Viktor Rydberg, Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen och Carl Milles.

The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing branch of contemporary scholarship. However, most research has focused on English and French speaking areas and has not addressed the wider spread and significance of occultism. Occultism in a Global Perspective presents a broad international overview. Essays range across the German magical order of the Fraternitas Saturni, esoteric Satanism in Denmark, sexual magic in Colombia and the reception of occultism in modern Turkey, India and the former Yugoslavia. As any other form of cultural practice, the occult is not isolated from its social, discursive, religious, and political environment. By studying occultism in its global context, the book offers insights into the reciprocal relationships that colour and shape regional occultism.

The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing branch of contemporary scholarship. However, most research has focused on English and French speaking areas and has not addressed the wider spread and significance of occultism. Occultism in a Global Perspective presents a broad international overview. Essays range across the German magical order of the Fraternitas Saturni, esoteric Satanism in Denmark, sexual magic in Colombia and the reception of occultism in modern Turkey, India and the former Yugoslavia. As any other form of cultural practice, the occult is not isolated from its social, discursive, religious, and political environment. By studying occultism in its global context, the book offers insights into the reciprocal relationships that colour and shape regional occultism.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, so-called esoteric movements became increasingly popular in cultural and intellectual circles in Europe, not least in Sweden. Secret teachings, rituals and practices in alchemy, astrology, occultism and theosophy were predominant, with a belief in correspondences in the cosmos, living nature and transmutations. But esotericism goes back much further in time in Swedish history. Although such esoteric ideas were long considered heresy by the Church and thus driven underground, they have had a significant impact on Swedish culture.

In this anthology, we bring together some of Sweden s foremost experts on the subject to explore the history of esotericism in Sweden and how its rituals, practices and traditions came to influence writers and artists such as August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Viktor Rydberg, Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen and Carl Milles.