This archetype of the Fallen King who shall one day return, or the Kingdom that disappears, only to rise again in a new, Golden Age, is a very common one, and one as I have shown in another article to be integral to the Grail legend. It was also one used quite effectively by the last of the Merovingian kings who effectively held the throne of the Austrasian Empire - this magazine's mascot, Dagobert II. Dagobert's entire life, as historically recorded, is mythological and archetypal. His name betrays the divine origins of his bloodline. "Dagobert" comes, of course, from Dagon. Now the word "Bert," as the author L.A. Waddell has shown, has its roots in the word "Bara," or "Para," or Anglicized, "Pharoah," a "Priest-King of the Temple (or House.)" So Dagobert's name literally means "Priest-King of the House of Dagon." Interestingly, a rarely-found but nonetheless authentic variation on Dagobert's name was "Dragobert," emphasizing his lineage from the Beast of the Deep Waters, the Dragon Leviathan.
Dagobert made use of the myth of the Returning King early on in life. His father had been assassinated when he was 5 years old, and young Dagobert was kidnapped by then Palace Mayor Grimoald, who tried to put his own son on the throne. He was saved from death, but an elaborate ruse was laid out to make people think otherwise. Even his own mother believed he was dead, and allowed his father's assassins to take over, placing Grimoald's son on the throne. Dagobert was exiled to Ireland, where he lay in wait for the opportunity to reclaim his father's throne. This opportunity showed itself in the year 671, when he married Giselle de Razes, daughter of the count of Razes and niece of the king of the Visigoths, allying the Merovingian house with the Visigothic royal house. This had the potential for creating a united empire that would have covered most of what is now modern France. This marriage was celebrated at the Church of St. Madeleine in Rhedae, the same spot where Sauniere's Church of St. Madeleine at Rennes-le-Chateau now rests. There is an existing rumor that Dagobert found something there, a clue which lead him to a treasure buried in the nearby Montsegur, and this treasure financed what was about to come. What came was the reconquest of the Aquitaine and the throne of the Frankish kingdom. As Baigent, et. al write in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, "At once he set about asserting and consolidating his authority, taming the anarchy that prevailed throughout Austrasia and reestablishing order." The Fallen King had risen from his ashes, born anew as Dagobert II, and had come to once more establish firm rule and equilibrium in his country. The similarities to the Parzival/Grail story don't even need to be repeated.
Sadly, Dagobert II would himself play the role of the fallen king just a few years later, in 679, and the circumstances are decidedly strange. You see, since the time of the Merovingian King Clovis I, the Merovingian Kings had been under a pact with the Vatican, in which they had pledged their allegiance to the Mother Church in exchange for Papal backing of the their united Empire of Austrasia. They would forever hold the title of "New Constantine," a title that would later morph into "Holy Roman Emperor." But that "allegiance" on the part of the Merovingians towards the Church began to wear thin after a while. Obviously, given their infernal and divine origin, their spiritual bent was slightly different from that of organized Christianity. In addition, as direct descendants of the historical Christ himself, they would have possessed access to the secret teachings of Christ, no doubt shockingly different from the one promoted by the Church, and reflecting more the "secret doctrine" of the rebellious gods that we've talked about in this article. Any public knowledge of this or the blood relationship between Christ and the Merovingians would have been disastrous for the Church. Christ would therefore be a man, with antecedents and descendants, instead of the "Son of God - Born of Virgin" concept promoted by the church. Seeing in Dagobert a potential threat, the Roman church entered into a conspiracy with Palace Mayor Pepin the Fat.
On December 23, while on a hunting trip, Dagobert was lanced through the left eye by his own godson, supposedly on Pepin's orders. There are many aspects to this event that appear to be mythologically significant. For one, it took place in the "Forest of Woevres," long held sacred, and host to annual sacrificial bear hunts for the goddess Diana. Indeed, this may have taken place on such a hunt. This was near the royal Merovingian residence at Stenay, a town that used to be called "Satanicum." Then there is the date itself, almost precisely when the astrological period of Capricorn begins. Capricorn, as we have mentioned, is based on Enki, the horned sea-god that spawned the Merovingian bloodline. It is also close to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day in the year, when the Sun was said to "die," mythologically, and turn black, descending into the Underworld. This "Black" period of the Sun is associated with the god Kronos, another horned sea-god, ruler of the underworld, and king of Atlantis who figures repeatedly in this Grail/Rennes-le-Chateau mystery. Secondly, the murder is said to take place at midday, which, as I have mentioned in another article, is an extremely significant moment in time for mystery schools of the Secret Doctrine, like Freemasonry. The parchments found by Berenger Sauniere and the related poem, "Le Serpent Rouge," make a special mention of it. This is when the sun is highest in the sky. Hiram Abiff was murdered at midday, while resting from his work, just as Dagobert was murdered at midday while resting against a tree. The fact that it was done by a family member is significant too. This is similar to the "Dolorous Stroke" that wounds the Fisher King in the Grail story, something which also took place at midday and was inflicted by the King's own brother. In the Grail story, the brother who wounds the Fisher King is himself known as the "Dark Lord," and during the fight he is wounded in the left eye, precisely as Dagobert was wounded. The same thing happened to Horus in Egyptian mythology, fighting his uncle, Set. The "Left Eye of Horus" came to symbolize the hidden knowledge of the gods, just as the "left hand path" does today. Dagobert's death appears to follow the same patterns as many of other "Fallen Kings" or murdered gods whose death must be avenged. And it is meant to symbolize the concept of the "Lost or Fallen Kingdom" the same way the Dolorous Stroke does in the Grail story.
Clearly it meant the end for the Merovingian kingdom. All subsequent Merovingian kings were essentially powerless, and they were officially thought to have died out with Dagobert's grandson, Childeric III. 49 years later, Charles Martel's grandson, Charlemagne was anointed Holy Roman Emperor. But in 872, almost 200 years after his death, Dagobert was canonized as a Saint, and the date of his death, December 23, became "St. Dagobert's Day." Write Baigent, et. al.:
"The reason for Dagobert's canonization remains unclear. According to one source it was because his relics were believed to have preserved the vicinity of Stenay against Viking raids - thought this explanation begs the question, for it is not clear why the relics should have possessed such powers is the first place. Ecclesiastical authorities seem embarrassingly ignorant on the matter. They admit that Dagobert, for some reason, become the object of a fully fledged cult... But they seem utterly at a loss as to why he should have been so exalted. It is possible, of course that the Church felt guilty about its role in the king's death."
Guilty, or afraid? For surely they knew that this "Priest-King of the House of Dagon," with his divine lineage, so beloved by his people that they worship him like a god 200 years later, would of course be avenged for his treacherous murder. Surely they knew, as most Dagobert's Revenge readers know, that the Merovingian bloodline didn't die out, surviving through his son Sigisbert, and continues to jockey for the throne of France to this very day in various royal bloodlines throughout Europe. Surely they knew that this kingdom would rise again, and that the Lost King would return someday. The seeds of their return have already been planted. France is united into the political mass that Dagobert had envisioned it be when he united Austrasia. And the "Holy Roman Empire," which the Merovingian Kings were clearly attempting to form with the help of the Vatican, has now become a reality, in the form of the European Union. During WWII and immediately after, the Priory of Sion, that secret order dedicated to the Merovingian agenda, openly campaigned for a United States of Europe. They even proposed a flag, consisting of stars in a circle, that is identical to the flag used by the European Union today. (This flag was carried by a divine white horse, a symbol of Poseidon and world monarchy.) Furthermore, the World Empire of the Atlantean Kings who spawned the Merovingians is closer now than it has been since the gods left the earth during the Deluge. The United Nations, a feeble example, will surely give way at some point to a united world government strong enough and glorious enough to be called an Empire. The Fallen Kingdom of the Gods is clearly returning, and the new Golden Age is upon us. And if this author's hunch is correct, this is, indeed, a glorious time to be alive.
And it came to pass that Jesus gathered the Sons of Light by the shore of the river, to reveal to them that which had been hidden; for the space of seven years had passed, and each one was ripe for truth, as the flower opens from the bud when the angels of sun and water bring it to its time of blossoming.
And all of them were unlike one to the other, for some were of age, and some had still the dew of youth on their cheeks, and some had been raised according to the traditions of their fathers, and others knew not who their father and mother had been. But all shared in a clearness of eye and a suppleness of body, for these were signs that for seven years they had walked with the angels of the Earthly Mother and obeyed her laws. And for seven years the unknown angels of the Heavenly Father had taught them through their sleeping hours. And now was the day come when they would enter the Brotherhood of the Elect and learn the hidden teachings of the Elders, even those of Enoch and before.
And Jesus led the Sons of Light to an ancient tree by the side of the river, and there he knelt at the place where the roots, gnarled and hoary with age, spread over the river edge. And the Sons of Light knelt also, and they did touch with reverence the trunk of the ancient tree, for it was taught to them that the trees are the Brothers of the Sons of Men. For their mother is the same, the Earthly Mother, whose blood runs in the sap of the tree and in the body of the Son of Man. And their father is the same, the Heavenly Father, whose laws are written in the branches of the tree, and whose laws are engraved in the forehead of the Son of Man.
And Jesus reached out his hands to the tree, and said: "Behold, the Tree of Life, which stands in the middle of the Eternal Sea. Look not only with the eyes of the body, but see with the eyes of the spirit the Tree of Life at a source of running streams; at a living spring in a land of drought. See the eternal garden of wonders, and at its center the Tree of Life, mystery of mysteries, growing everlasting branches for eternal planting, to sink their roots into the stream of life from an eternal source. See with the eyes of the spirit the angels of day and the angels of night which protect the fruits with flames of Eternal Light burning every way.
"See, oh Sons of Light, the branches of the Tree of Life reaching toward the kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And see the roots of the Tree of Life descending into the bosom of the Earthly Mother. And the Son of Man is raised to an eternal height and walks in the wonders of the plain; for only the Son of Man carries in his body the roots of the Tree of Life; the same roots that suckle from the bosom of the Earthly Mother; and only the Son of Man carries in his spirit the branches of the Tree of Life; the same branches that reach to the sky, even so to the kingdom of the Heavenly Father.
"And for seven years have you labored throughout the day with the angels of the Earthly Mother; and for seven years you have slept in the arms of the Heavenly Father. And now your reward shall be great, for it shall be given unto you the gift of tongues, that you may draw to you the full power of your Earthly Mother, and have command over her angels and dominion over all her kingdom; and that you may draw to you the blinding glory of your Heavenly Father, that you may command his angels and enter into life everlasting in the heavenly kingdoms.
"And for seven years these words were not given unto you, for he who uses the gift of tongues to seek after riches, or to hold sway over his enemies, he shall no longer be a Son of Light, but a whelp of the devil and a creature of darkness.
For only the pure water can mirror forth the light of the sun; and that water which has become dank with filth and murk can reflect nothing. And when the body and the spirit of the Son of Man have walked with the angels of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father for seven years, then is he like the running river under the noonday sun, mirroring forth dazzling lights of brilliant jewels.
" Hear me, Sons of Light, for I will impart to you the gift of tongues, that by speaking to your Earthly Mother in the morning, and to your Heavenly Father in the evening, you may go closer and closer to oneness with the kingdoms of earth and heaven, that oneness for which the Son of Man is destined from the beginning of the times.
"I will make known unto you deep and mysterious things. For I tell you truly, all things exist by God and there is none beside him. Direct your hearts, therefore, that you may walk on the right paths, where his presence is.
"When you open your eyes in the morning, even then before your body has been called by the Angel of Sun, say to yourselves these words, letting them echo in your spirit; for words are like dead leaves when there is no life in them of the spirit. Say, then, these words: 'I enter the eternal and infinite garden of mystery, my spirit in oneness with the Heavenly Father, my body in oneness with the Earthly Mother, my heart in harmony with my Brothers, the Sons of Men, dedicating my spirit, my body, and my heart to the holy, pure and saving Teaching, even that Teaching which of old was known to Enoch.'
"And after these words have entered into your spirit, on the first morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'The Earthly Mother and I are one. Her breath is my breath; her blood is my blood; her bone, her flesh, her bowels, her eyes and ears, are my bone, my flesh, my bowels, my eyes and ears. Never will I desert her, and always will she nourish and sustain my body.' And you will feel the power of the Earthly Mother flowing through your body like the river when it is swollen with rains and courses mightily with a great noise.
"And on the second morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Earth, make fruitful my seed, and with your power give life to my body.' Even as your seed creates new life, so courses through the earth the seed of the angel of Earth: in the grass, in the soil, in all living things that grow from the soil. Know, oh Sons of Light, that the same angel of Earth that makes your seed into sons also makes the tiny acorn into this mighty oak, and makes the seed-bearing wheat to grow for bread for the Son of Man. And the seed of your body need not enter the body of woman to create life; for the power of the angel of Earth can create the life of the spirit within, as well as the life of the body without.
"And on the third morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Life, enter with strength the limbs of my body.' And with these words embrace the Tree of Life, even as I embrace this brother oak, and you will feel the power of the angel of Life flow to your arms, and to your legs, and to all the parts of your body, as the sap flows in the tree in the spring, even as it runs out of the trunk, so will the angel of Life flood your body with the power of the Earthly Mother.
"And on the fourth morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of joy, descend upon earth, pouring forth beauty and delight to all the children of the Earthly Mother and the, Heavenly Father.' And you will go forth into the fields of flowers after rain and give thanks to your Earthly Mother for the sweet odor of blossoms; for I tell you truly, a flower has no other purpose than to bring joy to the heart of the Son of Man. And you will listen with new ears to the song of the birds, and see with new eyes the colors of the sun in its rising and its setting; and all these gifts of the Earthly Mother will cause joy to well forth within you, as a spring wells forth of a sudden in a barren place. And you shall know that no one comes before the Heavenly Father that the angel of joy lets not pass; for in joy was the earth created, and in joy did the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father give birth to the Son of Man.
"And on the fifth morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Sun, enter my body and let me bathe in the fire of life.' And you will feel the rays of the rising sun enter into the center point of your body, there in the center where the angels of day and of night mingle, and the power of the sun shall be yours to direct to any part of your body, for the angels dwell therein.
"And on the sixth morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Water, enter my blood and give the Water of Life to my body.' And you will feel, like the rushing current of the river, the power of the angel of Water enter your blood, and like the rivulets of a stream, send the power of the Earthly Mother through your blood to all the parts of your body. And it shall be for healing, for the power of the angel of Water is very great, and when you speak to her, she will send her power wherever you command, for when the angels of God dwell within the Son of Man, are all things possible.
"And on the seventh morning after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Air, enter with my breath and give the Air of Life to my body.' Know, oh Sons of Light, that the Angel of Air is the messenger of the Heavenly Father, and no one comes before the face of God that the angel of Air lets not pass. For we do not think of the angel of Air when we breathe, for we breathe without thought, as the sons of darkness live their lives without thought. But when the power of life enters into your words and into your breathing, then for every time you invoke the Angel of Air, so do you also invoke the unknown angels of the Heavenly Father; and you will go closer and closer to the heavenly kingdoms.
"And on the Sabbath evening, say these words: 'The Heavenly Father and I are One.' And close your eyes, Sons of Light, and in sleep enter into the unknown realms of the Heavenly Father. And you will bathe in the light of the stars, and the Heavenly Father will hold you in his hand and cause a spring of knowledge to well up within you; a fountain of power, pouring forth living waters, a flood of love and of all-embracing wisdom, like the splendor of Eternal Light. And one day the eyes of your spirit shall open, and you shall know all things.
"And on the first evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Eternal Life, descend upon me and give eternal life to my spirit.' And close your eyes, Sons of Light, and in sleep contemplate the oneness of all life everywhere. For I tell you truly, in the daylight hours are our feet on the ground and we have no wings with which to fly. But our spirits are not tied to the earth., and with the coming of night we overcome our attachment to the earth and join with that which is eternal. For the Son of Man is not all that he seems, and only with the eyes of the spirit can we see those golden threads which link us with all life everywhere.
"And on the second evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Creative Work, descend upon earth and give abundance to all the Sons of Men.' For this most powerful of the angels of the Heavenly Father is the cause of movement, and only in movement is life. Work, Sons of Light, in the garden of the Brotherhood to create the kingdom of the heavens upon earth. And as you work, so will the angel of Creative Work nurture and ripen the seed of your spirit, that you may see God.
"And on the third evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Peace, peace, peace, Angel of Peace, be always everywhere.' Seek the angel of Peace in all that lives, in all you do, in every word you speak. For peace is the key to all knowledge, to all mystery, to all life. Where there is no peace, there does Satan reign. And the sons of darkness covet most of all to steal from the Sons of Light their peace. Go, therefore, on this night to the golden stream of light that is the garment of the angel of Peace. And bring back to the morning the peace of God that surpasses understanding, that with this perfect peace you may comfort the hearts of the Sons of Men.
"And on the fourth evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Power, descend on me and fill with power all my deeds.' I tell you truly, just as there is no life on earth without the sun, so there is no life of the spirit without the Angel of Power. What you think and what you feel, these are like the dead scriptures, which are only words on a page, or the dead speech of dead men. But the Sons of Light will not only think, will not only feel, but will also do, and their acts will fulfill their thoughts and feelings, as the golden fruit of summer gives meaning to the green leaves of spring.
'And on the fifth evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Love, descend on me and fill with love all my feelings.' For it is by love that the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother and the Son of Man become one. Love is eternal. Love is stronger than death. And every night should the Sons of Light bathe in the holy water of the angel of Love, that with the morning he may baptize the Sons of Men with kind deeds and gentle words. For when the heart of the Son of Light is bathed in love, only kind and gentle words speak forth.
"And on the sixth evening after Sabbath, say these words: 'Angel of Wisdom, descend on me and fill with wisdom all my thoughts.' Know, Sons of Light, that your thoughts are as powerful as the bolt of lightning that stabs through th6 storm and splits asunder the mighty tree. It was for this that you have waited seven years to learn how to speak with the angels, for you know not the power of your thoughts. Use, then, wisdom in all you think and say and do. For I tell you truly, that which is done without wisdom is as a rider less horse, mouth foaming and eyes wild, running crazed into a yawning chasm. But when the angel of Wisdom governs your deeds, then is the path to the unknown realms established, and order and harmony govern your lives.
"And these are the communions with the angels which are given to the Sons of Light, that with bodies purified by the Earthly Mother and spirits purified by the Heavenly Father, they may command and serve the angels, continually, from period to period, in the circuits of the day, and in its fixed order; with the coming of light from its source and at the turn of evening and the outgoing of light, at the outgoing of darkness and the coming in of day, continually, in all the generations of time.
"The truth is born out of the spring of Light, falsehood from the well of darkness. The dominion of all the children of truth is in the hands of the Angels of Light so that they may walk in the ways of Light.
"Blessings on all the Sons of Light who have cast their lot with the Law, that walk truthfully in all their ways. May the Law bless you with all good and keep you from all evil, and illumine your hearts with insight into the things of life and grace you with knowledge of things Eternal."
And the crescent moon of peace rose over the mountain and slivers of light shone in the waters of the river. And the Sons of Light as one man knelt in reverence and thanksgiving for the words of Jesus, as he taught them in the ancient ways of their fathers, even as Enoch was taught of old.
And Jesus said: "The Law was planted to reward the Children of Light with healing and abundant peace, with long life, with fruitful seed of everlasting blessings, with eternal joy in immortality of Eternal Light.
"With the coming of day I embrace my Mother, with the coming of night I join my Father, and with the outgoing of evening and morning I will breathe their Law, and I will not interrupt these Communions until the end of time."