Prince Hermann of the Cherusci
ᛉ 18 BCE - 21 CE ᛦ
Hermann (18 BCE - 21 CE), known as Arminius to the Romans, was the heir to the chiefdom of the Cherusci tribe. The Cherusci were a Germanic tribe that was generally friendly to the Roman Empire but were required to pay tribute in order to maintain peace. Part of this tribute was the sons of local noble families, as was often the case in early European politics. Hermann’s father, Segimer, gave up his two sons — Hermann and his brother — to Roman statesman Publius Quinctillius Varus to be raised in the Roman fashion.
Hermann was given the name Arminius, learned Latin, and was taught the Roman martial discipline that had conquered much of Europe by that point. He was a bright student, a disciplined warrior, and a brilliant leader. His skills were so useful to Rome that they granted him official citizenship, as well as the rank of eques – the equivalent of a knight in the Roman military. He earned this by serving with distinction in the Great Illyrian Revolt. Following this, he was sent home to Germany to aid Governor Varus in conquering the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine.
Arminius, or Hermann, returned to the land of the Cherusci in northern Germany. His people were still there, still practicing Ásatrú, their loyalty to the Æsir stronger than steel.
We do not know exactly why Hermann decided to side with his own people and fight the Romans. Perhaps he had wanted this since he was taken from his father, or perhaps seeing his Folk again stirred something in his soul – we may never know.
What we do know for certain, however, is that Hermann chose to stand with his Folk against encroaching tyranny and globalism. He immediately began plotting a way to unite the various tribes of the area in a bid to push Rome and her legions out of Germany forever.
When an emergency broke out in the Balkans, Governor Varus had to send eight of eleven legions east, leaving Germany with only three to keep the peace. Hermann saw this as a grand opportunity, and likely recognized it as a blessing from the Æsir themselves. He managed to unite many of the local tribes, a seemingly impossible task since they historically had bickered and warred with each other for generations.
In the autumn of 9 CE, Hermann tricked Varus into going to Kalkriese to put down a fake rebellion. When Varus arrived with his three legions, they were quickly swept away and annihilated by the might of Prince Hermann and five Germanic tribes in what is remembered as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. They united as one people, and became essentially unstoppable. Blessed by the Æsir once again, the Germans had won a victory that would change human history. This battle is seen as Rome’s greatest defeat, as it paved the way for Rome to pull out of Germany permanently. This defeat was so great that Emperor Augustus himself was driven nearly to madness. It is said that he paced around his palace, yelling “Varus, give me back my legions!”
After the battle, Prince Hermann’s army proceeded to eliminate every trace of Roman influence east of the Rhine. He even tried to invade Gaul to free our Celtic cousins from the Empire, but was blocked on the Rhine by Tiberius.
Prince Hermann led the Cherusci for only 12 years after his great victory. He married Germanic princess Thusnelda, who was later kidnapped by pro-Roman Germans and never saw Hermann again. She gave birth to Hermann’s son Thumelicus, who sadly grew up in Roman captivity.
This chain of events eventually led to the breaking of Prince Hermann’s great Germanic alliance, and his murder. He was killed by men of his own tribe, as they believed he was becoming too powerful and that Germany was becoming too unified. While his previous victories had ensured that Germany would remain free, the petty treachery of some of his Folk fractured Germany in a way that it would not recover from.
As we draw inspiration and awe from Prince Hermann’s victories, let us also reflect and learn from his murder. Even 1000 years ago, our Folk had the same weakness that we have today: when times are good, we seek conflict within and tear ourselves apart. Rome knew this, as Tacitus mentioned it in his work, Germania.
Prince Hermann had done the impossible and saved his Folk from slavery and ensured that their troth with the holy Æsir would not be broken by later Roman Christianity, but his own Folk sought conflict where there need not be any, weakening Germany for centuries to come. Had this betrayal not happened, our faith could perhaps have stood unbroken against the scourge of monotheism. If we can learn from this story, if we can take the blessings of the Æsir and keep them, we will continue to stand dauntless against whatever chaos stands to divide us!
Hail Prince Hermann!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!