Part 7/10:
The summer of 1936 saw a Nazi-backed expedition venture into Karelia, captivated by ancient myths and potently woven folklore. Led by IIA van Grunhagen, whose interest in Karelia's "sorcery" was piqued by Himmler, this expedition sought to gather what they believed to be lost Aryan knowledge.
The team documented chants and rituals of local elders, oblivious to the cultural theft underpinning their mission. The use of technology, notably the magnetophone, allowed them to capture what they viewed as the sacred practices of these remote peoples, a move viewed as sacrilegious by the locals. The recordings they amassed underscored both the beauty and tragedy of cultural appropriation, all in servitude of a fascist agenda.