The secrets of the Externsteine

The Externsteine fissured rocks form one of the best-known ritual and spiritual sites in Germany. Every year, almost one million people visit the impressive formation near Horn-Bad Meinberg and Detmold in the myth-enshrouded Teutoburg Forest.

The Externsteine fissured rocks - once an important spiritual site for our ancestors - are an outcropping of 13 sandstone pillars found in a landscape that is otherwise largely devoid of rocks. They form the most spectacular geological monument in the Teutoburg Forest. The bizarre, naturally occurring formations, which reach up to 37.5 metres in height, also constitute a unique cultural monument, attracting more than 600,000 visitors every year.

Archaeological discoveries found in their immediate vicinity date from the Paleolithic (around 10,000 BC) and Mesolithic periods. The precise point in time when people first began to use the rocks for pagan rituals has not yet been conclusively established. Various modern-day groups still believe that the Externsteine rocks are imbued with energies from the earth and spiritual properties.`

According to the latest findings, the Externsteine rocks are a pre-Christian sacred site which is several hundred thousand years old. After serving as a shrine for the Germanic tribes, the rocks became a place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. An inscription reveals that the Bishop of Paderborn consecrated the grotto in the western columns as a Christian chapel in the early 12th century. The relief carved into the rocks on the left hand side of the entrance, thought to represent the descent of Jesus from the cross, is an important piece of art history. Since the start of the New Age movement, a colourful mix of white witches, druids, pagans and various other esoteric groups have once again begun to congregate at the Externsteine to celebrate the solstices and Walpurgis Night. Ancient Germanic gods such as Odin and Freya are also worshipped at the pagan ritual site.


Contact:
E-Mail: e.kespohl@horn-badmeinberg.de
Internet: http://www.horn-badmeinberg.de/