Born in Bucharest on March 13th 1907, Mircea Eliade will be known world-wide as one of the most valuable, respected and brilliant thinkers, writers and especially as as a historian of religions and myths. A huge and influential intelectual, one of the leading figures of the previous century both in Romania and abroad, has published an impressive number of articles, novels, stories and scientific works, many of these being considered by all as some of the very best possible in their field. At the same time, Mircea Eliade didn't lack enemies and detractors, especially due to many controversial moments of his biography, especially those in the occulted relation of the intelectual with the Iron Guard, the Romanian far-right interwar movement, a strange and mistical variety of fascism.
At a short and quick listing, Mircea Eliade has published over 30 scientific works, as well as novels and philosophical essays, and also over 1200 articles and reviews, starting with his early years, ranging from art and myths to religion, politics, literature, music and on, and on. Not to mention his vast array of letters, notes and his large body of autobiographical and diary volumes.
The family moved to Tecuci and then to Bucharest, where it settled in an old and impressive house, near Rosetti Market, a place which will forever be remembered by the writer as the place of magic, hard work and youth. He enrolled at the Spiru Haret College, and although his school results weren't very good, he began studying natural science, chemistry, myths and religions on his own. Eliade had a very poor eyesight, a problem which will plague him for the rest of his life, yet he reads with an intense pace, all day and all night, sleeping maybe four hours, or he writes literature and scientific articles. It was during these formative years that he discovers Papini and especially James George Frazer, an author who will guide him towards the study of myth and religion.
He also learns Italian, English, began studying Persian, Hebrew, discovers the great thinkers, is especially fond of Hasdeu and Nicolae Iorga, two great names in the history of Romanian and European culture. Eliade made his debut in 1921 with a small scientific article, then a phantastical prose, and over the next years he worked hard on his first novel, Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent, with a strong autobiographical tone, which will only be published after decades. He would then make his first stepts towards becoming the "leader of his generation", a generation of young interwar intelectuals, of briliant potential. They would forever change the history of Romanian culture, some of them would - Eliade included - will become famous and have a huge career abroad.
In his 20s, Mircea Eliade continued studying and writing at the same pace, wrote his first novels and stories, and also began working for the newspaper Cuvantul / The Word, led by Nae Ionescu, a misterious and highly controversial figure of those times, a professor of Philosophy at the Bucharest University. Eliade then travelled to Italy, where he met Papini, finished his studies with a paper on the Italian Renaissance philosophy and at the beginning of the 30s left for India.
There he would study the Indian philosophy with some of the best local teachers and returned triumphant to Romania, where he finished his doctoral studies with a briliant paper on Yoga. He would also publish, in 1933, his first great novel, Maitreyi, largely autobiographical and marked by his Indian experience. It was a success, and although it garnered him a strong base of admirers, further strenghtening his importance as the leader of his generation, it also made him a lot of enemies. Until 1943 he would continue publishing novels and stories in Romania, and although they weren't bestsellers - or at least not as much as he needed to - they helped the young writer earn a living. And also made him famous, more than any of his coleagues. His novels were presenting the tragedy, hopes and ideals of his generation, and due to the influence of the same Nae Ionescu this generation will slowly but surely choose the righ-wing solution for all their problems.
Mircea Eliade was no exception, his strange and lengthy relationship with the Iron Guard, the main Romanian fascist movement - with some fascinating unique characteristics - would later be considered the most blamable and controversial chapter of his life. So much that his detractors attacked him with fury and hate, as Eliade never confessed fully his connection to the Iron Guard. Yet this connection was very really - he published articles in legionary newspapers and magazines, he met and was impressed by Corneliu Codreanu, was also very close to the young legionnary intelectuals and even was a candidate for the All for the Fatherland party, in 1937. Some of this novels and stories of that time were influenced or made symbolice and obscure allusions to the tragedy and story of the Iron Guard and it's leader. For the rest of his life, Eliade would keep the lid on this, never talking too much about what he must have seen as an error. But just as blamable are those who accused him of being and antisemite and racist in his literary and scientific works, which is more than a stupid and mad attack, it is impossible.
Leaving the country, afraid of the horrors of a possible future Communist regime, Eliade would finally settle in the US, after living in England and Portugal, and in 1957 began teaching in Chicago, at the Loyola University, where he proved to be an expert of the highest qualification in the field of history of religions. It wasn't long before Eliade was aknowledged as one of the greatest minds and talents of the last century, his works concerning the history of religions and the univers of myths were hailed as essential in the field, and several briliant young students tried to become his apprentices. Eliade continued teaching and writing, wishing that someday he would return to Romania, although due to the Communist regime this would never happen. He became much more than a teacher and a very appreciated historian of religion. Mircea Eliade became himself a myth, a model for younger generations, although the attacks - mainly about hit political choices of the early years - didn't lack at all. He died on April 22nd 1986 in Chicago, at 79 years old. According to his final wishes, he was cremated.
A cultural giant and a strong influence in his field of expertize, Mircea Eliade is still pretty much and enigma, a powerfull character who has both devoted, almost fanatical admirers, just as lively detractors. He wrote and published a huge body of work, both scientific and literary, and is often quoted as the ultimate authority on many subjects. Although still controversial and disregarded by a minority, and still keeping many secrets about his biography, Mircea Eliade couldn't be ignored. Or forgotten.
October 2008
