A Lie Disguised As A Prize,
by Donavon L Riley
The insidious power of deception relies on the creation of false dichotomies. To manipulate the masses, rulers and tyrants do not simply present one lie to be debunked but craft two opposing lies, each containing a shred of truth, to keep people perpetually off-balance. The truth, as a profound and immutable force, remains untouched by these manipulations; it is a lion that roams freely, unfettered by the snares of deceit. But by keeping people entangled between these false choices, the genuine truth remains concealed, hidden in plain sight.
The ancient Norse tale of Sigurd and Fafnir vividly illustrates this principle. Sigurd, a hero of great renown, was tasked with slaying Fafnir, a dragon whose malevolence was as great as his hoard of gold. Fafnir, once a mighty dwarf, had been transformed into a beast by his greed and desire for power. Sigurd’s quest to slay Fafnir was not just a battle of brute strength but ultimately a confrontation with the very nature of desire and deceit.
Sigurd’s struggle with Fafnir was not merely a physical contest but a symbolic one, about the inner conflict between the pursuit of false treasures and the pursuit of true enlightenment. As Sigurd battled the dragon, he was also confronting the lies that had corrupted the world around him. Fafnir’s treasure, which seemed so alluring, was ultimately a trap—a hollow promise that could never satisfy. It was a lie disguised as a prize.
In this story, Fafnir serves as an illustration of the deceptive forces that keep us ensnared in false dichotomies. The dragon’s death does not merely symbolize the triumph of good over evil but the liberation from the illusions that blind us to the deeper truths of existence. When Sigurd finally slays Fafnir, he encounters the dragon’s hoard, which includes the cursed ring of Andvari. This ring, while appearing valuable, is imbued with the curse of greed, showing that even in victory, one must be wary of the deceptive allure of material wealth and power.
Fafnir serves as a mirror, revealing to us the broader struggle we face when caught between conflicting lies. The lies of our time—political, social, or cultural—often mask themselves in the guise of truths, leading us to fight amongst ourselves while the true nature of our situation remains obscured. The real conflict is not about choosing between two false options but about seeking the deeper truth that lies beyond these deceptions.
To escape this trap, we must recognize the false dichotomies set before us and look beyond them. The truth is not a matter of choosing sides in a fabricated battle but of transcending the very structures that create such battles. This occurs most pointedly when we encounter the divine—whether through spiritual awakening or a moment of profound insight—we see beyond the illusions and find the unity that reconciles all opposites. This is the peace that John of the Cross points us to when he writes:
“In the divine union, all contraries are reconciled, and the soul experiences the peace that comes from the resolution of all opposites.”
This is a peace that comes from seeing the true order of things and understanding the divine presence that underlies all creation.
When we break free from the snares of deception, we begin to perceive the world with a clarity that reveals the profound unity and harmony that have been hidden by the false narratives we’ve been fed. This is the liberation from the lies that keep us divided and the recognition of the truth that binds us all together in a greater, more meaningful reality.