The article is broken up into two parts. Here is the first part. I was put into 24hr. jail last night but I should have part two done tonight, hopefully.
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Igor Petrov.
Darkness over Illion or the Mystery of a Wandering Philosopher
In M.I. Vasilchikova's Berlin Diary, many readers will surely remember a completely episodic but vivid character:
“We have a strange man working at the DD [radio broadcasting service]. His name is Ilion. He walks around in rags, wears thick glasses, has an American passport, was born in Finland, but spent most of his life in Tibet, where he was close to the Dalai Lama and, as he boasts, never washed. Although his salary is quite decent, he still doesn't wash, which is not very pleasant for us around him. From time to time he teaches Katya Kleinmichel and me short phrases in Tibetan.”
Theodor Illion, which was actually the name of Vasilchikova's coworker, had become famous a few years earlier for his stories and books about his journey to Tibet, the mysterious underground city he visited there, and other mystical experiences. Illion's name can be found today in a variety of contexts, from scholarly editions of the correspondence of German Tibetologists with whom he was in contact to exuberant fantasies about Tibetan soldiers defending besieged Berlin in 1945.
Although the English Wikipedia article on him is quite detailed, no serious research into his life's work, as far as we can tell, has yet been done.
I will try to fill this gap. Initially, the reason that made me take a closer look at Illion was that I managed to find his post-war autobiography, which will be published below for the first time. But then I became fascinated by my own pursuit of him through the newspaper pages of the pre-war period: the text draws on publications in French, Belgian, Swedish, English, Turkish, Norwegian, Luxembourg, German, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Estonian, Dutch, Swiss and Austrian newspapers and magazines.
Part One
1931
On February 23, 1931, the French Le Figaro, in its list of newly published books, mentions En Cacahouetoulanie: reportages sensationnels et inédits, published by the Brussels publisher Esprit nouveau. That is, a sensational and unprecedented report on a country that could be called Zemleorechia (if translated literally) or Vsenasmarkia (if used figuratively). The only surviving library copy, according to the catalog, is preserved in Antwerp. In the journal "La Terre Wallonne" found a fairly detailed review of the book. According to the reviewer, the 104-page book reflects the spiritual quest of a young man who is somewhat disoriented and seeks an outlet in satirical criticism of society, rather naive but sincere.
This is the earliest publication of Illion of which I have been able to discover traces, and it does not yet deal directly with a future pillar of his work, although the author does put into the mouth of one of his characters the phrase that Catholicism, Brahmanism, and Lamaist Buddhism are essentially the same thing.
1933
Maison du Livre belge publishers announce another book by Illion: La grande guerre entre la Prunanie et la Figoulanie. That is, the Great War between Slivonia and Injiria (if translated literally) or... However, I will leave it to the reader to find the figurative meaning for himself. Whether the book was published is unclear; no library catalog shows any trace of it. One of the later memoirs about the cultural life of the early 30s in the Belgian capital mentions Monsieur Illion, a pacifist boy scout, vegetarian and author of the above-mentioned book, which did not sell well.
Until this moment Illion was not yet a traveler, but now he becomes one: in November he finds himself in Stockholm, where he visits the editorial office of the newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" and tells about himself (in a sense, this is his advertising trick - as we will see below, when arriving in a foreign city, the first thing he did was to visit the local newspaper, which usually resulted in a publication about him).
Fig. 1. Newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" from 03.11.1933. Source.
We learn from the article that Illion was born in Canada, raised in Japan, and studied in Paris, New York, Berlin and Istanbul. He is a writer, journalist, hiker, philosopher and vegetarian. He walks 5 Swedish miles (50 kilometers) a day, eating only black bread and milk. In the previous 8 weeks he had crossed Germany on foot, studying Nazism. He wanted to find out how a political refugee could get from Germany to Denmark. He is going to give a series of lectures in Stockholm.
1934
In April, Illion finds himself in England, where the Sunday Express takes an interest in him. It reports that Illion is about to make a trip to Tibet and is looking for companions.Apparently a small photo shoot was held in this connection. The captions to the photos refer to Illion as a "German traveler, philosopher and lecturer".
Fig. 2. Source
On July 5, Illion arrives in Istanbul. The Milliyet newspaper informs us that an English "traveling philosopher" is in the city traveling from London to the uncharted areas of Tibet. The next day an interview with him is published, in which Illion tells us that potential companions have not passed the tests and tries to recruit new ones who are ready to travel 50 kilometers daily on water and breadcrumbs.
Fig. 3. "Milliyet". 06.07.1934
Unfortunately, we do not have access to Danish newspapers: presumably they wrote about Illion on November 26. Anyway, on December 15, Illion, who returned from Tibet, is back in Stockholm, and even Swedish journalists loyal to him note that the trip was "förunderligt snabb" (surprisingly fast). On 17.12. Dagens Nyheter published a rather detailed interview with him, which was later retold by a Norwegian newspaper.
Fig. 4. 1st. Mai. 02.01.1935
In addition to being born in Canada and growing up in Japan, Illion finds himself an expert on South America. His journey to Tibet began in April and was accompanied by many adventures. In Turkey, he was arrested near a military zone. In Persia, he was
stung by a scorpion and had to run to exhaustion to get the poison out of his body. After illegally crossing the Soviet border and passing through the Pamirs, he approached Tibet, which he crossed from north to south, and entered India through the passes. In all, he traveled 9,000 kilometers on this journey: one-third by vehicle, one-third on horseback and one-third on foot.
1935
Illion still spends the beginning of the year in Sweden, notably speaking about his journey on Swedish radio on February 7. He then moves to Luxembourg, where he visits the editorial office of the newspaper Luxemburger Wort. On May 3, he appears in the pages of the newspaper.
A little interview with an avid traveler.
A young man of medium height sits before us. Behind the glasses, his lively eyes sparkle, seemingly beaming with pleasure when it comes to distant countries and long journeys. There is talk of traveling on foot, of the vastness and beauty of the world. After all, before us sits a wanderer of wanderers: Mr. T. Illion, born in Canada, but by origin of Scandinavian blood. He has traveled halfway around the world, and tells of his journey through wild Kurdistan to Tibet in much the same way as we tell of our walks in Luxembourg Switzerland. But the strong iron will that drives this man - The English newspapers call him a wandering philosopher - sometimes a brief commentary breaks through the veil of unsophistication. We feel that we have before us a man, a whole man with a nature like that of Hedin's - and indeed, a Scandinavian newspaper once conflated him with Gedin. The kinship of both travelers is not only in their outward appearances and similar goals of wanderings, but also in the way they plan their routes and with what determination they put their plans into practice. We have before us someone who feels an irresistible desire to get to know a distant people - and even though the Russian government forbade his passage, he enters Turkestan secretly and crosses it at night at an accelerated pace, sometimes 90 kilometers a night, to finally arrive in Tibet - that means something! And this man, in books, plays, movie scripts and newspaper articles describing his experiences and worldview, tells a delightful story about how once in England he was looking for two companions, ready, like him, to overcome all the hardships of the journey. Two young strong fellows responded. All three left London and walked 120 kilometers in one day, then they had to cross the continent in a rubber boat. They had to sleep in a regular tent, even in 16 degrees of cold. The two young heroes could not bear the strain of the overly severe examination, and Mr. T. Illion - by the way: he's a strict vegetarian, doesn't drink or smoke! - continued his journey alone. He has arrived in Scandinavia, from there through Germany to Luxembourg, wants to stay here for 14 days, and then go on to France, Czechoslovakia, Germany, then across the sea to Iceland, to realize his invention there in complete secrecy: the construction of a new type of submarine that will help him to travel all over the beautiful world. Two years he travels, the third year he rests, writes books, gives speeches, and thus earns his livelihood (his cost of living is very, very small. When once in Tibetan desolation he had no food, not even straw, he resolutely fed himself with sawdust). Money matters are the least of his worries. He is hopeful and strides forward, and if at times he has not obtained edibles along the way, he is sustained by hope and an air of wanderlust. A happy man, whose stories should have been listened to in order to create a secret spell lurking in the words "journey," "world," and "vastness," which every five or ten years would tear all people from their seats, drive them far away, and thereby make them happy.
Apparently, Illion not only kept his promise to visit Germany, but also charmed the German radio bosses, because since August, radio programs with Illion at the microphone have been regularly aired (in recordings). One of the first is entitled "Practical life wisdom of a traveler in Asia who does not need money. Swede T. Illion narrates." Further ones have more simple and attractive titles "Alone and incognito through Tibet", "Lamas and magicians in mysterious Tibet" and so on.
On August 2 Illion arrives in Iceland, where he intends to stay for three weeks, but stays a little longer. On September 1, the newspaper Vísir publishes a detailed account of his adventures; on September 4, he gives a lecture under the standard title "Alone and Disguised Across Tibet”. From Iceland he goes to Norway, where he arrives on September 10, on October 5 he appears on Norwegian radio with a report of the same name (here he recorded several reports, because in December, after his departure, the program "4 Months in Tibet" is broadcast) and then transits through Sweden (newspapers mention him on November 11) returns to Central Europe.
1936
For the first half of the year we do not have exact information, perhaps he is finishing the book "Rätselhaftes Tibet: in Verkleidung unter Lamas, Räubern und wahrhaft Weisen" ("Mysterious Tibet: in disguise among Lamas, brigands and true sages". Looking ahead: the book would be translated into 5 or 6 languages, notably an English edition of In Secret Tibet in 1937).
In July, Illion embarks on a new journey through Europe and this time visits Latvia first. On July 20, the newspaper Rigasche Rundschau publishes a story under the original title.
Not a fascist, not a socialist, but a vegetarian." T. Illion, who has traveled all over the world, introduces himself.
The door of the newsroom opens and a young man with glasses enters the room, introducing himself as Mr. Illion. This time, for the sake of variety, he has taken a little trip to our region and neighboring countries. You've heard of Illion, haven't you? That's right, it's the traveler to Tibet, whose name appears again and again in the radio programs of various countries. So: a visit that is generating a lot of interest and a special welcome.
"You do speak German, don't you, Mr. Illion?" "Not particularly," was the reply; "I speak English, Swedish, and French better, but I can speak German with a pinch of salt. But this "half and half" turns out to be such flawless German without the slightest accent that one can only marvel. The visitor's shrewd, intelligent eyes look at us through his glasses, and again and again a sly smile plays on his lips, for he likes to spice up his story with jokes and witticisms.
So, Illion was born in Canada, adopted by an American who was at the same time an honorary citizen of Italy, so that in one fell swoop he gained the certain convenience of belonging to three world powers at once. At the university he studied medicine and paid special attention to matters of psychology. His outstanding polyglot abilities enabled him to learn a dozen languages.
He is fluent in English, German, French and Swedish, and can speak in ten more languages in front of a radio microphone by draft. For example, in Denmark, Norway, Holland, Spain, Italy, etc. He says - and it sounds so simple - that during these performances he pronounces every word correctly and accurately (judging by his flawless handling of German, he does), but the rhythm of each individual language cannot be learned so quickly. It takes at least ten years.
Mr. T. Illion also speaks Tibetan, but this knowledge he used in Tibet only in conversation with the commoners. In front of the priests, he pretended to be a deaf-mute. And for good reason. The priests and monks would certainly recognize him as a stranger by the way he spoke. After all, he came to the forbidden country disguised and with dyed hair - if he was recognized as a European, he would be in great danger. One day it almost happened, when in one of the temples he began to walk around the relic from the wrong side. The lamas and other visitors took notice, and it took quite some time for him to regain their trust.
Mr. T. Illion also speaks Tibetan, but this knowledge he used in Tibet only in conversation with the commoners. In front of the priests, he pretended to be a deaf-mute. And for good reason. The priests and monks would certainly recognize him as a stranger by the way he spoke. After all, he came to the forbidden country disguised and with dyed hair - if they recognized him as a European, he would be in great danger. One day it almost happened, when in one of the temples he began to go around the relic from the wrong side. The lamas and other visitors took notice, and it took quite some time for him to regain their trust.
Mr. Illion has been twice to Central Asia and Tibet. As a physician and parapsychologist, he paid special attention to the occult mysteries of this country, known to us from a number of literary works. To unravel these mysteries - which, in Mr. Illion's opinion, are not mysteries at all, but trickery and charlatanism, one must enter Tibet unrecognized. After all, priests usually have a hypnotic effect on strangers whom they recognize, and thus deprive them of critical perception. Mr. T. Illion will recount his experiences in Tibet in a book soon to be published in four languages entitled "Alone and Disguised Through Tibet." The second book will describe a journey to Iceland.
The conversation turns to modern travel in general. Is it too complicated in a world with so many prohibitions, currency regulations, and other "traveler's conveniences"? Mr. Illion thinks not. He has traveled freely everywhere, and has been treated with consideration and friendliness by all agencies. He has described his travels in so many countries on the radio that no customs and other agencies would want to be honored with a "special mention" in his story. As a matter of principle, he does not talk politics. When asked if he is a fascist or a socialist, he replies: "I'm a vegetarian." And if some people ask him questions, wishing only to put their answer into his mouth, for example, that he was not received in Germany in a very friendly manner, he does not indulge such wishes, but replies that the reception in Germany was extremely friendly.
In Europe, Mr. Illion has visited 16 countries so far and has appeared on the radio almost everywhere.
His hometown is London, but he usually spends only two weeks there for Christmas, the rest of his time traveling.
[Clarification of 22.07.:] The travel researcher T. Illion asks us - to correct our retelling of his descriptions of Tibet - to point out that he in no way shares the view that all phenomena observed among the lamas in Tibet are based on trickery. Undoubtedly there are some genuine parapsychological phenomena among them. But many are just illusions based on suggestion.
From Latvia Illion moves to Estonia, from there to Finland, in both countries he makes radio appearances. On October 1, he is back in Riga, Latvian poet R. Rudzutis writes in his diary:
“Yesterday at the Society [of Friends of the Roerich Museum] the Swedish journalist and traveler Illion introduced us to the religious customs of Tibet. In Asia they believe that the coming years will be decisive in the history of mankind. Most of the lamas are hypocrites. There are only a few hundred true hermits, completely oblivious to self-interest, who have attained "eternal youth.”
Finally, in November, he visits Holland, where he gives a lecture in Amsterdam entitled "Parapsychological Phenomena in Tibet". The newspaper De Telegraaf published a report characterizing Illion as a calm and thorough researcher. While noting here that many so-called phenomena only appear to be so, he drew the audience's attention to a few "genuine" phenomena that modern science cannot explain: guessing an object inside a closed case, transmitting thoughts at a distance, and flying lamas (which are very rare; he only managed to see one). The scientist pointed out the relationship between phenomena and altitude: phenomena observed at an altitude of 4,500 meters are not observed at an altitude of 3,500 meters. In conclusion, Illion warned the audience against trying to repeat some of the experiments, because what is good for a Tibetan is death for a European.
1937
After the publication of the book, Illion has been making particularly frequent appearances on German radio this year. Probably in the fall, he writes an (undated) letter to W.A. Unkrieg, formerly an Orthodox priest and now a German Mongolist. In the letter he informs that he has revised the book "Mysterious Tibet" for the English edition, from the literary point of view it is much better than the German one and has a great success in England - already 26 newspapers have published reviews. A second book is planned to be published there in the winter. Illion also expresses his intention to visit the diplomat Charles Bell and the traveler Alexandra David-Neel and suggest that they write a linguistic study of the Tibetan language with Unkrig. This plan does not appear to have materialized.
October and November he spends in Norway, in particular, on November 30 he gives a lecture in Stavanger. On December 16, he is already in Iceland, where he gives two interviews to local newspapers, talks about the 8 months he spent in Tibet, promises to write a book about Iceland and announces a lecture about the mysterious Tibetan "underground city" he visited.
Fig. 5 "Morgenblaoio" 28.12.1937.
1938
On January 5 Illion gives the announced lecture in Reykjavik and leaves the hospitable island a short time later.
Soon his second book about Tibet "Darkness over Tibet" is published in England, which differs from the first one by a greater esoteric bias. Its central part is the same story about the secret underground city. It is noteworthy that the German version was not published this time, he disappears from the radio airwaves as well.
In the fall Illion goes to the Baltics again, and on September 26 an interview with him is published by the Estonian "Postimees" (Illion is negotiating the Estonian edition of his book), and on September 28 a short article about his visit is published by the Latvian “Rits".
1939
In February Illion again visits Holland (now The Hague) with a lecture on parapsychological phenomena in Iceland and the Far North. Icelanders seemed to him similar to Tibetans, they too believe in spirits and ghosts. Particularly in rural areas, they have developed beliefs worthy of scientific study, such as clairvoyance, which is not a mental illness at all. He also complained (probably based on his own experience) that not all countries pay proper attention to parapsychology by intellectuals, in particular, in Sweden they do not allow to talk about it officially.
In May, the All-Swiss Land Exhibition opens in Zurich, on which occasion Swiss radio interviews Illion in four languages ("Conversation with a Canadian about the Exhibition"). The underwater world still attracts the philosopher, at least he proposes to expand the exhibition with a diving bell that would allow visitors to descend to the electrically illuminated bottom of Lake Zurich.
Fig.6. "Fig. 6 "Zürcher Illustrierte", Heft 23, 1939.
In Germany, which apparently became Illion's primary residence, he continued to publish anecdotes about his journey to Tibet in the entertainment sections of newspapers, for example in the "Hamburger Anzeiger" of 06.10.1939:
Curiosity talk about major cities.
In the course of one conversation, the issue of European cities came up. When I said that some European cities have as many inhabitants as the whole of Tibet, my Tibetan friend thought hard. He thought that all these people must soon suffocate in their own garbage and filth. Indeed in some Tibetan villages there is so much garbage that it reaches up to the roofs of the houses. So the brave Tibetan, of course, could hardly imagine a European city not drowning in garbage.
Then I described to him, as far as possible, the various devices for keeping the cities clean, and told him about our hospitals and skyscrapers. In all of Tibet there is only one house of eleven stories, the Dalai Lama's palace in Lhasa, and it only looks tall because it is built on a hill.
The Tibetan then wanted to know how it was possible to drag so much manure up the ladders to heat the upper floors without getting tired to death (Tibetans mostly stoked with dried dung). I tried to explain our central heating system, he couldn't recover from his amazement. Verbatim he said:
"If even half of what you told me is true, these white people must work day and night to create all these marvelous things.”
"The white men are clever," I replied, "instead of working hard, they create fire men who devour fire and can work in the strength of a hundred men.”
His gaze lingered on me for a moment, obviously wondering if I was joking. But since I was serious, he thought for a moment.
"But where do the Europeans get the quantities of dried dung they need to feed all those fire horses and fire men? If all you have told me is true, then Europe must all be filled with herds producing all that dung.”
"White people don't feed their fire men with manure," I said. "They just dig in the ground and in the depths they find do-nag, black stones that can be lit.”
"But it's a sin," he shrieked.
"Europeans don't think about it.”
"But you can't take anything from nature without giving it back to her
back," he remarked, "or she'll punish you. What, there are no contagious diseases, no earthquakes in the white man's country?”
"No. And there are far fewer diseases and earthquakes there than there are here.”
"Yes, but for those who take more from nature than they give back to it, there should still be punishment. Think about it. There can be no other way.”
I was silent for a long time. This simple man made me think hard.
"Perhaps our punishment is," I replied, upon reflection, "that we lose control of the fire-eating people.”
"Yeah, I see," he nodded, "the fire people get wild, stop obeying and wreck everything.”
"No, you have misunderstood me so far." I would willingly have pushed him into the thoughts set forth by one of the greatest poets in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but my knowledge of Tibetan was not sufficient for that.
There was a short pause. Then he asked:
"So how many people live in Europe?”
"About two hundred times as many as in Tibet.”
He stared at me in surprise for a while, and then he began to laugh loudly.
laughing loudly: "You and your jokes again”.
It was the second month of the war.
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END PART ONE
