Othala Rune

Nazi Germany glorified an idealized "Aryan/Norse" heritage, consequently extremists have appropriated many symbols from pre-Christian Europe for their own uses. They give such symbols a racist significance, even though the symbols did not originally have such meaning and are often used by nonracists today, especially practitioners of modern pagan religions

Symbol Type

General Racist Symbol
Neo-Nazi Symbol

Also Known As

Norse Rune

Traditional Use/Origins

The Rune expresses faith in the pagan religion of Odinism and was originally a symbol of the Vikings

Hate Group/Extremist Organization

Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists

Extremist Meaning or Representation

Aryan heritage and cultural pride

Background/History

While not by nature a racist religion, Odinism is popular among white supremacists because its Old Norse origins are seen as representative of Aryan heritage and cultural pride. The symbol was common within Norse and ancient Germanic cultures and was later adopted by the Nazis for this reason. There are many variations of this symbol.