In recent years, I have become convinced:
The work you hold in your hands is a unique treasure.
I hope this might eventually be recognized even among those who see reason to doubt the manuscript's origin story or historical authenticity.
From the first time I read Codex Oera Linda, I have been unable to put it out of my mind or perform the usual order of operations: “note the useful information, set it aside, move on.” I find myself continually drawn, continually revisiting — always considering this time well spent and walking away with something new and valuable each time.
In my own journey, after many years of reading and rereading those rare and priceless earliest historical accounts from men like Herodotus, Thucydides and Siculus, to Jordanes and the works of Homer and the Greek legends, the signs were everywhere:
I could not help but intuitively sense a broader cohesive picture existing seemingly just out of direct view... a grand historical narrative, a unifying storyline capable of explaining the strong connections between supposedly disconnected peoples, and one that sees the forest for the trees from a perspective capable of providing much more clarity across the sweep of time and space.
Evidence of a sprawling seagoing “empire” or confederacy of peoples — connecting much of the known world, engaging in robust oceanic trade and helping to spread several aspects of “civilization” as we know it today — is legion and, in my view, extremely convincing. And yet, the people at the center of this empire or confederacy have been little more than a gigantic looming question mark.
A people that, though they certainly were not exclusively Trojan or Greek or Roman, Indian or Scythian or Iranian, seemed to have such an outsized impact on each of these. And yet, their story always seems to be told from the outside looking in, never in their own words written by their own hands — setting the stage for what may be one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries. I am not ready to state that this work is the definitive answer to this mystery, but there is no doubt of its potential as a compelling piece of evidence, worthy of very real and serious consideration. It is my hope that Ott's excellent translation[1] — greatly superior to previous efforts, from all I am able to discern — might help kickstart such earnest consideration.
Although it so effectively fills in gaps and provides answers to some of the biggest outstanding questions with regard to the historical picture, its significance goes well beyond the purely historical. The manner in which Codex Oera Linda speaks to the nature and development of language, for example, speaks to deeper truths that transcend mere labels of fiction or nonfiction. And this is just one example of many such “essence” truths, of a simple and powerful sort, elegantly touched upon in the work, so many of which have been misplaced, forgotten or consciously set aside in this age of muddied and convoluted thinking.
Wise hands wrote these words, of this much I am now certain.
Its sections are authored in a spartan, laconic style, which seems fitting — yet it still manages to convey depth, passion and feeling. It contains parables and timeless life lessons, yet never feels pretentious or sermonizing. It offers up historical context that has the potential to forever change our understanding of the world, and does so while powerfully speaking to the most fundamental elements of human nature. Most importantly — and I do not know how else to cleanly phrase this — it is a breath of fresh air. There is strength and health here, of a type I believe we might fruitfully learn and draw from, now more than ever.
If elements of the work seem jarring to our modern sensibilities and prejudices, I suggest reading with a truly open mind — coupled with a recognition that many of our fashionable modes of thinking and looking at the world were largely formulated in such a short slice of recent time. We represent but the blink of an eye in contrast to the sum total of recorded history, and this practice of looking to the past and its leading personalities with self-assured condescension may be one we come to regret. Such timeless wisdom as one finds in Codex Oera Linda is vastly more important than the temporal products of our own modern minds, so prone to be carried away with themselves, so enamored with novelty, so prone to bend and sway with the prevailing political and cultural winds.
It is said that complexity is the way of the intelligent and simplicity is the way of the wise. This work tells in simple yet fascinating detail the story of a deeply rooted, unswervingly noble and just people, for whom good conduct was far more than a performative facade for the sake of those looking on. Considering the consequences of one's actions seems to be intrinsic to their character and nature, the core of their individual and collective being. They seem to recognize this mindset as the necessary core of any nation or community seeking to stand the test of time — a recognition that makes the story of their eventual fall all the more powerful and telling, conveying profound and timely lessons.
Just as it was my privilege to create video productions on the topic,[2] it is equally so my privilege to write this foreword and to be able to work with an individual such as Jan Ott. Prudent, sober, insightful and gifted, we all owe him a sincere debt of gratitude for helping bring this work back into public consciousness, at long last.
May it be instructive, intriguing and edifying — a sower of good seed in the hearts and minds of all who read it.
— Asha Logos, 2021
Notes
- ↑ Since 2022 a combined effort of Jan Ott and Bruce Stafford
- ↑ Our Subverted History — The Oera Linda Book, parts 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, released between September 2020 and March 2021 on various platforms: YouTube ([5.1] | [5.2] | [5.3]), Odysee ([5.1] | [5.2] | [5.3])
