Individuality of Skythianos

Skythianos is the name by which a Boddhisattva and member of the White Lodge was known in the middle ages, no other named incarnations of this Individuality are known.

Skythianos or Scythianos (see note on spelling under Aspects, also sometimes Skythianus or Scythianus) was the leader of the Northern stream of development after Migrations from the Atlantean epoch (the Southern stream was led by 'Manu').

Skythianos is:

"is the name given to one of the greatest initiates of the Earth" (1909-08-31-GA113),
who "had chosen the region of Europe upto Siberia for his activity" (1909-11-14-GA117)
and "lived for a while surrounded by the ancient Scythian people" ..
whereby he was the head of the initiation center "which excerts a particular influence upon the inner regions in order that it may be properly prepared to receive the illuminating influences from the MoG".

.

Together with Buddha and Mani he is also one of the three teachers of the rosecrucian knowledge for the Current fifth cultural age in Central Europe.

Aspects

teachings (see 1909-08-31-GA113)
- "Skythianos, whose teaching deals not only with the reincarnation of men but with the powers which rule from eternity to eternity. So shall the central Being of the world, the Christ, be ever more and more understood. ..
- most probably linked to Skythianos (without being explicitly stated): "an increasingly comprehensive understanding of the Christ by the aid of spiritual cosmology"
- He inspired the leaders of the ancient European cultures, which were based on the receptiveness for an element that stood in the middle between that which one could call recitative-rhythmical speech and a sort of singing, accompanied by a peculiar music that was based on the interplay of pipe-like instruments. (see also Orpheus)
relationship between Skythianos, Buddha and Manes
- see the quotes below: the legend referenced by Rudolf Steiner (in 1904-11-11-GA093 and 1911-01-2x-GA264) connects the three Bodhisattvas that are later described (in 1909-08-31-GA113 and 1910-06-12-GA121) in the context of the council called by Manes regarding the knowledge for the European rosecrucian culture, the Jupiter Mysteries for the consciousness soul. See White Lodge#What
- incarnation where Skythianos, Buddha (Terbinthus) and Manes/Mani (Corbicius, slave and 'Son of widow') are connected (Acte Archelai, 1911-01-2x-GA264)

See Schemas below and also Colchis Mysteries and Kalevala
The Scythians or Scyths, are said (wikipedia) to have been an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people who had migrated from Central Asia to the Pontic Steppe in modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia from approximately the 7th century BC until the 3rd century BC.
Notes
- spelling: because of the Scyths, it would be most logical to use Scythianos, but most English sources (oa translations of Steiner lectures) use Skythianos, so we settled for that on this site
- In the notes from a lecture by V. Sease (see below) is mentioned "In the sixth epoch, Skythianos will replace Christian Rosenkreutz as the leader of humanity." The source for this statement has not been found. However, in 1904-06-09-GA091 is stated that "Master Morya will be the first human Manu to establish and guide the sixth rooth race" (see also: Sixth epoch#Culture.2C leadership.2C continent)

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.432A is a variant with an adapted and extended area for the Northern stream, based on study of quotes about the leader of this stream, the Bodhisatta from the White Lodge known under the name Skythianos. Relevant lecture references include Siberia, Finland, St-Petersburg as well as the area around the Black Sea. The 1914-11-09-GA158 on Kalevela speaks of the seeding of the slavic soul (and the origin of the term 'russian') in the light of future receptiveness for the Christ Impulse. Compare with the location of the Colchis Mysteries near the Black Sea, and the other initiation centers on Schema FMC00.437. Furthermore, note also that Beinsa Douno often spoke of the mission of the Slavs and the Bulgarian people.

Schema FMC00.432 shows a geographical view on the Current Postatlantean epoch, with the center of culture over millenia moving across the Southern most advanced stream described extensively by spiritual science. Meanwhile the Northern stream developed differently, as expressed in the Northern Scandinavian and Germanic mythology and ancient Mystery tradition, with initiation centers such as the Hibernian, Druidic and Trotten Mysteries (see Schema FMC00.437).

For more on the northern and southern streams, see Christ Impulse - meeting of two streams#Southern and Northern streams

Also shown are for reference are the Gobi desert and Tibet, see the migrations on Schemas FMC00.205 and variants on Atlantean epoch. For the geographical movement of the epicentrum of cultural height across the globe, see Schema FMC00.211 on Human races.

Observe that the Colchis Mysteries were located near the Black Sea in current Georgia, which is exactly on the border of the north and south streams as tentatively (and not exactly) indicated on the schema. See also Schema FMC00.437.

Schema FMC00.437 provides a simple overview positioning key Mysteries of the Northern stream, with - in red - a few of the important Mystery Centers as described by Rudolf Steiner (see quotes and references on the right). The dotted line represents the Southern stream in the fourth cultural age of the current Postatlantean epoch. The arrows represent the impulse for the age of the intellectual soul coming from the Colchis Mysteries (to both south and north).

Lecture coverage and references

Skythianos is mainly covered in GA113 and 158, but is also mentioned in GA volumes 93, 109, 117 (L9), 121 (L9), 216 and 264

Acte Archelai

(SWCC, excerpt from reference in Gruwez (2014))

A man called Skythianos, a Saracen, lived in the time of the apostles in Scythia and travelled to Egypt .. and wrote four books with the titles Mysteria, Kephalaia, Evangelium and Thesaurus .. he went to Palestine and when he died the books came into the hands of Terebinthus, who went to Babylon where he had a widow as his pupil. Later he would call himself Buddha. When he died, the books of wisdom became the possession of this widow. She had a young slave named Corbicius. When Corbicius was twelve years old and she sensed her approaching death, she gave the slave freedom and gave him the four books of wisdom. He changed his name to Mani, studied the wisdom books and began preaching.

1904-11-11-GA093

It is said that there once lived a merchant in the Near East who was very learned.
He compiled four important works: first, Mysteria, secondly, Capitola, thirdly, Evangelium, and lastly Thesaurus.

It is further related that at his death he left these writings to his widow who was a Persian.

This widow, on her part, left them to a slave whose freedom she had bought and whom she had liberated. That was the said Mani, who then drew his wisdom out of these writings, though he was also initiated into the Mithraic mysteries. Mani is called the ‘Son of the Widow’, and his followers are called the ‘Sons of the Widow.’ However, Mani described himself as the ‘Paraclete’.

1909-11-14-GA117

from lecture 9, on the European population in pre-Christian time:

Their cultural elements were influenced by that great initiate who had chosen this region up to Siberia for his activity, and is called Skythianos. He inspired the leaders of the ancient European culture. This culture was based on the receptiveness for an element that stood in the middle between that which one could call recitative-rhythmical speech and a sort of singing, accompanied by a peculiar music that was based on the interplay of pipe-like instruments. That was a strange element whose last remainder lives in the bards and skalds. What the Greek myth of Apollo and Orpheus tells has developed from there.

1909-08-31-GA113

1909-12-15-GA244 - QA198.1

In ancient times, when the poets (in DE 'Skalden') as initiates were teaching the people, the Bodhisattva of these ancient initiates was Skythianos. About 150 BC we see many esotericists who observed him. He was a great adept, but not the Christ, and they saw him as the reborn Individuality that has lived in the so-called Egyptian Jesus.

1910-06-12-GA121

Hence there were always these two centers in the evolution of humanity, the one ruled more by the Spirits of Venus, and the other ruled more by the Spirits of Jupiter. The Spirits of Jupiter were specially observed in those Mysteries in which — as those of you will know who took part in my course of lectures at Munich last year — the three Individualities met together, the three spiritual Beings, Buddha, Zarathustra or Zarathas in his later incarnation, and that great leader of humanity whom we describe by the name of Skythianos. That is the Council which, under the guidance of One still greater, set itself the task of investigating into the mysterious forces which must be developed for the evolution of humanity, whose starting-point was taken from that part which is originally connected with the Jupiter forces and which was preordained in the map of the Earth already mentioned.

1911-01-2x-GA264

notes from memory by Elisabeth Vreede (book p 195-196), contains the following

the story of Skythianos and Terbinthus (or Buddha) .. the latter a pupil of the former.. who fled to Babylon after violent death of the first (Skythianos) ..
only one old woman as pupil, left the books to foster child of 12 .. Son of a Widow .. who appeared later at age 24 as Manes, founder of Manicheism

1914-11-09-GA158

see Kalevala#1914-11-09-GA158

2014-07-14 - Virginia Sease

lecture in Montréal on 14 July 2014, report by Eric Philips-Oxford, based on notes taken by Louis Casgrain; see notes here or here, extract below (RSL sources not checked)

Skythianos Past, Present and Future

quote A (parsed extract)

[MoG - see also Hibernian Mysteries]
During the 4^th post-atlantean epoch, Skythianos’ extraordinary capacities and his power to observe everything that was happening everywhere on earth allowed him to view the Mystery of Golgotha as it was taking place. He could follow these events and inspire his pupils to be aware of what was going on in Palestine. He drew special attention to the 3 years during which the great Sun Spirit lived in the body of Jesus – from the baptism by John to the Crucifixion and beyond. The three essential elements he imparted to his pupils dealt with: Good Friday and the subsequent deposition of the body from the cross; Holy Saturday and Christ’s descent into the underworld to release the souls living there in “dull consciousness”; and Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. Prior to the Holy Saturday event, individuals were of course reincarnated but had lost the ability to travel consciously through the planetary spheres during the time between death and a new birth. This is why the Greeks said that it was better to be a beggar in this world than a king in the underworld. Their fear of death was more a fear of losing consciousness than it was a fear of the pain of death.
Many painters of the Italian Renaissance have depicted this descent of Christ into hell, showing how Christ breaks down the doors of hell and causes a myriad of little demons to scurry for cover in crevices and caves while Christ leads Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others out of the netherworld.
When the Resurrection took place on Easter Sunday, Christ, in the Resurrection Body, was at first an etheric entity, as is shown by the fact that Mary Magdalen did not recognize him but initially took him to be the gardener. Skythianos could perceive all these events and impart them to his pupils. By the 4^th and 5^th centuries, these pupils had become the individualities we know as the Celtic monks of the Irish tradition. Columba, Gallus, Alcuin and others spread the stream of Celtic Christianity throughout Europe. They had had an experience of Christ at the time of the Golgotha event and were aware of what had happened there. Sergei Prokofieff has investigated this matter in his book entitled “The Spiritual Sources of Eastern Europe and the Future Mysteries of the Holy Grail.”
[lecture source unknown]
During an earlier incarnation, two special pupils had been initiated by Skythianos into the mysteries of 1.) The human being, and 2.) The human body. The first of these two initiations involved the mysteries of the flesh and the blood, and the individuality thus initiated later became Joseph of Arimathea. The second pupil, initiated into the mysteries of the flesh, was Nicodemus. According to mystery knowledge, both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were present at the deposition from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea actually entered the grave that received the body of Christ.
Another tradition is based on the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (which was eventually not included in the canon of books of the New Testament). According to the Gospel of Nicodemus, on the day before the Resurrection, Joseph of Arimathea was captured and thrown into an underground prison. On Easter Sunday, Christ appeared to him and offered him a chalice – symbolizing the mystery of the blood. Owing to his high degree of spiritual development, Joseph of Arimathea was able to perceive the chalice (i.e. the human heart) while in his prison cell, and this actually brought about a transformation of his own blood. He was then given the following task: upon his release from prison he was to found a community of Guardians of the Grail. These mysteries of the Grail (mysteries of the flesh and the blood) thus traveled from Hibernia (Ireland) to Central Europe and finally to Eastern Europe. Each of the places where individual Celtic monks established residency became a centre for this mystery Grail stream.
Rudolf Steiner mentions how the mystery stream of Skythianos working through these monks reached Russia and how a Grail mood was established there. In this way the Slavic peoples took in the impulse carried by Skythianos and Joseph of Arimathea, and this created within them a predisposition towards an inner Grail consciousness. They held their souls open to receive the Christ impulse.
Six or seven centuries before the Mystery of Golgotha, there existed a culture on the steppes north of the Black Sea which included the Sarmatian and Scythian tribes. These were nomadic peoples who lived according to a matriarchal social structure. They also had some connection with the early Greek colonies, as reported by the Greek historian Herodotus. The Celts also later made their way into this same region.
...
The Scythians thrived on the north shore of the Black Sea, and acted as link between the cultures of Europe and that of the Caucasus. A mystery centre was established there led by Scythos, who received into himself the being of Skythianos. Although the two remained distinct entities, we can say that Scythos was inspired by the being of Skythianos, and that the two were thus interconnected. In a lecture given on November 9, 1914 [editor: on Kalevela, see link above] Rudolf Steiner states that the culture of the Eastern Slavic peoples evolved under the guidance of one of the great initiates of the West.
...
During all these developments, Manes, Buddha, Zarathustra/Master Jesus and Skythianos were present. Although he indicated that there was an interweaving of the activity of Master Jesus and that of Skythianos, Rudolf Steiner always refrained from revealing many details concerning the being of Skythianos – discretion is indeed the very characteristic of this great being.
Skythianos works at present by creating a pathway towards Christian Rosenkreuz, the being who is the leader of humanity from 1413 to 3573. In the present age of Michael, Christian Rosenkreuz is our earthly helper while Michael is our spiritual helper. Christian Rosenkreuz’ task is to bring human beings to the realization that they are responsible for their own spiritual development and for the transformation of the earth.
The development of the consciousness of the individual human being is to go through two fundamental steps: 1) study; 2) the development of the higher levels of consciousness (Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition). But the development of the earth is to be accomplished through such practices as biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine, three-folding of the social order, etc.
There is a collaborative working between Skythianos and Christian Rosenkreuz. Skythianos is the guardian of the mysteries of the physical body, and the great challenge of mankind lies precisely in the mystery of the human physical body. Just because modern science can do something with the physical body does not mean that it should do so. At some future point, the etheric forces will have to penetrate into the physical body to such a degree that they will begin to transform it, and then the physical body will possess different faculties and possibilities. One step in this direction can be seen in the art of eurythmy.
[lecture source unknown]
In the sixth epoch, Skythianos will replace Christian Rosenkreuz as the leader of humanity. He will then carry as his fundamental impulse the mystery of the Word. It is essential that we establish the “I” consciousness during our 5^th period – for in the 6^th epoch human beings will be incapable of saying words injurious to other human beings or to beings of other kingdoms of nature, such as animals. Skythianos is connected with the power of recitation and the music of the word.

full text, unparsed, copied here as working reference

As we experience the threat of potential war and the chaos surrounding us on a daily basis, we are prompted to ask the question: “Is there a plan in all this?” Although it would be hubris to claim to be able to give a full answer to this question, we can at least attempt to understand the exceptional destinies of beings who are true leaders of humanity. The fact that there are certain individuals who develop more quickly than others is in truth part of a greater plan, since these individuals are called upon to become teachers for mankind.
Rudolf Steiner spoke very little about Skythianos, and what he did say seems quite mysterious. Skythianos is one of the most important teachers of humanity and connects the remote past with the present and the future of mankind. Rudolf Steiner pointed to a great council which took place in supersensible world during the 4th century A.D. This council was called by Manes – or Mani (not to be confused with Manu, who is another being). Manes gathered 3 other leading individualities around himself: Buddha (who, after having risen to Buddhahood from the condition of Bodhisattva, was still in the sphere of the Earth), the individuality called Master Jesus (who is also the Zarathustra entity), and Skythianos (who was and remains the most hidden of these great individualities).
The purpose of this council was to ensure that the mystery wisdom connected with Atlantis would continue to thrive and to influence the development of humanity. During this council held in the supersensible world it was decided that a new spiritual impulse would be implanted into human evolution 4 or 5 centuries later, during the Middle Ages. This would be the Rosicrucian impulse, and together with Christian Rosenkreuz, these 4 other entities will always be present to guide earthly man’s evolution. The fundamental task of these great leaders of mankind was and remains the preservation of the wisdom of the Atlantean epoch. (c.f. lecture of August 31, 1909).
Skythianos worked from the far western region of Europe, and his impulse was gradually to spread through Europe all the way into what would later become Russia. Indeed, there were two great streams of humanity that originated out of Atlantis, and both started from the far western region of Europe (Ireland). The first of these was the southern mystery stream, whose leader was Manu. This stream made its way across Europe to Asia and became the ancient Indian culture. The second was the northern stream, led (or inspired) by Skythianos. It also moved eastward into Europe and as it spread generated several secondary mystery streams, such as the Nordic mysteries and the central European mysteries.
Skythianos’ first task was to establish the Hibernian mysteries for the purpose of preserving the ancient wisdom of Atlantean times. It was his goal to ensure that the close connection of human beings with the hierarchies which had existed on Atlantis not be lost. In time, other mystery centres were founded with the same mission, for example in northern and central Europe. As human beings became more and more immersed in physical reality, Skythianos lifted this centre into the etheric world, from which its influence streamed down into the Hibernian mysteries, thus establishing what we know as the Celtic mysteries.
The Atlantean peoples had had a high degree of clairvoyance and had enjoyed a direct perception of their connection with spirit beings. However, that clairvoyance could not develop beyond a certain point due to the increasing materialisation of conditions on earth. The faculty of clairvoyance was forced to withdraw into the most secret of the Western mystery schools. It is a characteristic of Skythianos that he remains concealed to the greatest degree from ordinary human consciousness.
Skythianos had the task of entering deeply into the mystery of the human body. It was actually only in the Middle Ages that the name “Skythianos” began to be used to refer to this great being, though it would seem that the name had originated even earlier. According to Rudolf Steiner, he who truly knows European mystery culture must raise his gaze upwards towards the being of Skythianos. This great teacher preserves the secret wisdom of Atlantis and the secret of the human body “from eternity to eternity” – meaning from before Old Saturn to beyond Vulcan.
During the 4th post-atlantean epoch, Skythianos’ extraordinary capacities and his power to observe everything that was happening everywhere on earth allowed him to view the Mystery of Golgotha as it was taking place. He could follow these events and inspire his pupils to be aware of what was going on in Palestine. He drew special attention to the 3 years during which the great Sun Spirit lived in the body of Jesus – from the baptism by John to the Crucifixion and beyond. The three essential elements he imparted to his pupils dealt with: Good Friday and the subsequent deposition of the body from the cross; Holy Saturday and Christ’s descent into the underworld to release the souls living there in “dull consciousness”; and Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. Prior to the Holy Saturday event, individuals were of course reincarnated but had lost the ability to travel consciously through the planetary spheres during the time between death and a new birth. This is why the Greeks said that it was better to be a beggar in this world than a king in the underworld. Their fear of death was more a fear of losing consciousness than it was a fear of the pain of death.
Many painters of the Italian Renaissance have depicted this descent of Christ into hell, showing how Christ breaks down the doors of hell and causes a myriad of little demons to scurry for cover in crevices and caves while Christ leads Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others out of the netherworld.
When the Resurrection took place on Easter Sunday, Christ, in the Resurrection Body, was at first an etheric entity, as is shown by the fact that Mary Magdalen did not recognize him but initially took him to be the gardener. Skythianos could perceive all these events and impart them to his pupils. By the 4th and 5th centuries, these pupils had become the individualities we know as the Celtic monks of the Irish tradition. Columba, Gallus, Alcuin and others spread the stream of Celtic Christianity throughout Europe. They had had an experience of Christ at the time of the Golgotha event and were aware of what had happened there. Sergei Prokofieff has investigated this matter in his book entitled “The Spiritual Sources of Eastern Europe and the Future Mysteries of the Holy Grail.”
During an earlier incarnation, two special pupils had been initiated by Skythianos into the mysteries of 1.) The human being, and 2.) The human body. The first of these two initiations involved the mysteries of the flesh and the blood, and the individuality thus initiated later became Joseph of Arimathea. The second pupil, initiated into the mysteries of the flesh, was Nicodemus. According to mystery knowledge, both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were present at the deposition from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea actually entered the grave that received the body of Christ.
Another tradition is based on the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (which was eventually not included in the canon of books of the New Testament). According to the Gospel of Nicodemus, on the day before the Resurrection, Joseph of Arimathea was captured and thrown into an underground prison. On Easter Sunday, Christ appeared to him and offered him a chalice – symbolizing the mystery of the blood. Owing to his high degree of spiritual development, Joseph of Arimathea was able to perceive the chalice (i.e. the human heart) while in his prison cell, and this actually brought about a transformation of his own blood. He was then given the following task: upon his release from prison he was to found a community of Guardians of the Grail. These mysteries of the Grail (mysteries of the flesh and the blood) thus traveled from Hibernia (Ireland) to Central Europe and finally to Eastern Europe. Each of the places where individual Celtic monks established residency became a centre for this mystery Grail stream.
Rudolf Steiner mentions how the mystery stream of Skythianos working through these monks reached Russia and how a Grail mood was established there. In this way the Slavic peoples took in the impulse carried by Skythianos and Joseph of Arimathea, and this created within them a predisposition towards an inner Grail consciousness. They held their souls open to receive the Christ impulse.
Six or seven centuries before the Mystery of Golgotha, there existed a culture on the steppes north of the Black Sea which included the Sarmatian and Scythian tribes. These were nomadic peoples who lived according to a matriarchal social structure. They also had some connection with the early Greek colonies, as reported by the Greek historian Herodotus. The Celts also later made their way into this same region.
Herodotus recounts in detail some of the Scythian mythology, such as the story of Heracles. This great hero goes in search of mares he has lost. As he travels to find these lost horses, he comes to a range of mountains east of the Dnieper River. There he meets with a female creature called the Mixoparthenos, whose form is that of a woman with two serpents for legs, the heads of which curve back upwards. She is forced to hold these serpents in her hands to keep her balance. (This mythological figure can be found engraved in thousands of places in that part of the world: in gold, silver, and bronze; on coins, plates, swords and other weapons, etc. At the time, this was a living imagination, a symbol of balance.) Heracles is forced to mate with this creature in order to regain possession of his lost mares. From this union three children are born, the youngest of whom is named Scythos. Scythos is the only one strong enough to bend Heracles’ bow, and subsequently becomes king and the progenitor of the Scythian people.
The Scythians thrived on the north shore of the Black Sea, and acted as link between the cultures of Europe and that of the Caucasus. A mystery centre was established there led by Scythos, who received into himself the being of Skythianos. Although the two remained distinct entities, we can say that Scythos was inspired by the being of Skythianos, and that the two were thus interconnected. In a lecture given on November 9, 1914, Rudolf Steiner states that the culture of the Eastern Slavic peoples evolved under the guidance of one of the great initiates of the West.
According to the “U” shaped diagram often used by Werner Glas to illustrate the sequence of the seven cultural epochs of the post-atlantean era, we see how there is a correlation between the 3rd and 5th epochs, between the 2nd and 6th epochs, and between the 1st and 7th epochs. We also see from this diagram how the 4th epoch stands alone:
Rudolf Steiner at one time did call the 7th cultural epoch the “American” cultural epoch, but did so only once, so we do not feel justified in using that terminology here.
We shall once again point out the fact that the 4th period had to stand alone. What is to develop in our 5th post-atlantean cultural epoch is logical thinking, which is then to begin to evolve into a higher state of consciousness. In order for this logical thinking to appear in human evolution in our 5th epoch, a seed had to be planted during the 3rd period, the Egypto-Chaldean epoch, the period of the development of the sentient soul. And a means had to be found to transform it into the consciousness soul.
During the 3rd post-atlantean period a remarkable musical element flowed into human evolution. Rudolf Steiner describes this music as having developed thanks to the working of Skythianos, who in this way influenced the leaders of the European peoples. This music, half singing, half recitative, was accompanied by pipe-like instruments. The last remnants of this lived on in the Greek and Celtic bards. And indeed, it was this particular music which prepared the human soul for the development of the logical thinking of our 5th period.
The myth of Apollo and Orpheus harks back to this strange kind of musical experience. All consciousness comes from the sphere of light, as do music and song. The Orpheus myth speaks of this Skythianos-inspired experience belonging to the 3rd period (2907 BC -747 BC) in a way that could be understood by the people of the 4th post-atlantean period: Orpheus, whose singing and harp playing charms even the Gods, travels to the underworld to retrieve his loved one, Eurydice, who had been bitten at the heel by a serpent. The hound of hell lets him pass, and he sings with such pathos that the gods of the underworld allow him to lead Eurydice back to earth – provided, however, that he not look back at her. On his way back to the upper world, Orpheus, not hearing anything behind him, is afraid he has been tricked and turns around. He returns once again to the netherworld and plays so movingly that even the stones weep.
Why was Orpheus not to look back? It is because the forces implanted in mankind during the 3rd period by Skythianos had to remain dormant during the 4th period until they could re-emerge, transformed, in the 5th epoch. It was then that the Rosicrucian impulse would have to develop.
During all these developments, Manes, Buddha, Zarathustra/Master Jesus and Skythianos were present. Although he indicated that there was an interweaving of the activity of Master Jesus and that of Skythianos, Rudolf Steiner always refrained from revealing many details concerning the being of Skythianos – discretion is indeed the very characteristic of this great being.
Skythianos works at present by creating a pathway towards Christian Rosenkreuz, the being who is the leader of humanity from 1413 to 3573. In the present age of Michael, Christian Rosenkreuz is our earthly helper while Michael is our spiritual helper. Christian Rosenkreuz’ task is to bring human beings to the realization that they are responsible for their own spiritual development and for the transformation of the earth.
The development of the consciousness of the individual human being is to go through two fundamental steps: 1) study; 2) the development of the higher levels of consciousness (Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition). But the development of the earth is to be accomplished through such practices as biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine, three-folding of the social order, etc.
There is a collaborative working between Skythianos and Christian Rosenkreuz. Skythianos is the guardian of the mysteries of the physical body, and the great challenge of mankind lies precisely in the mystery of the human physical body. Just because modern science can do something with the physical body does not mean that it should do so. At some future point, the etheric forces will have to penetrate into the physical body to such a degree that they will begin to transform it, and then the physical body will possess different faculties and possibilities. One step in this direction can be seen in the art of eurythmy.
In the 6th epoch, Skythianos will replace Christian Rosenkreuz as the leader of humanity. He will then carry as his fundamental impulse the mystery of the Word. It is essential that we establish the “I” consciousness during our 5th period – for in the 6th epoch human beings will be incapable of saying words injurious to other human beings or to beings of other kingdoms of nature, such as animals. Skythianos is connected with the power of recitation and the music of the word

2014-08-31 - Dimitar Mangurov

'Skythianos', lecture at the conference "The Soul of Europe", Varna, 31.08.2014 see PDF version here and youtube and EN translated versions here on an internet blog where someone (sirpasipuli on blogger) added the comment below:

anonymous

Skythianos is deeply connected with the people who left Atlantis on their northern path out of Atlantis or/and also remained in the northern areas, like Wikings, Sami or Karelians (Karelians live bouth in todays Russia and Finland) these all are not national tribes or states, only later it became, what we can se as States and Nations like Norway, Dänemark, Sweden or Finland today. Finland f.ex. is very old, but as a state or nation just a 100 years.
The Slave population is a very young group, it transformed out of a kind of tripple turn in the midst of Europe, a kind of triskel....in the metamorphosis of evolution, till creating todays West-slaves and Southern-slaves and the Eartern-slaves that also define states and state names by now.
To my understanding there is stil a strong component of transformation within the Slav population of Europe, that will have to be transformed in many various ways till 3573...
One of these tasks is creating soul qualities, till the spiritself can be prepared. This is a task for everyone, but within the route/the spiritual education of ourselves, the slaves will have to create a real brotherhood (what I can not see yet).
In Bulgaria there are smaller groups exercising, started with Beinsa Douno ...but this is just the beginning. They already have a strong message, with singing and chanting with meditative music, that can transform into selfhealing processes.

Discussion

Related pages

References and further reading

Herbert Wimbauer: 'Skythianos und die Zeitenwende' (1982)
Ate Koopmans: Skythianos (en de geestelijke leiding van de mensheid, en de moderne techniek) (three articles in NL in 'Mededelingen van de Antroposofische Vereniging in Nederland', 1983-84)

Scyths

Willem Frederik Veltman: 'Het Rijk der Scythen' (in NL, article in 'Vrije Opvoedkunst', 1994)
Tamara Talbot Rice (1904-1993): 'The Scythians' (original in EN 1957, also in DE as 'Die Skythen: ein Steppenvolk an der Zeitenwende')
- available freely online here
- references sources as Herodotus, Xenophon and more recent scholars E.G. Minns, Rostovtzeff
- includes a chapter on the Scythian legacy in Slavic Russia

Barry Cunliffe : 'The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe' (2019)