| Othala
Rune |
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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
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Symbol Type |
General Racist Symbol
Neo-Nazi Symbol |
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Also Known As |
Norse Rune
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Traditional Use/Origins |
The Rune expresses faith in the pagan religion of Odinism and was
originally a symbol of the Vikings
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Hate Group/Extremist Organization
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Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists
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Extremist Meaning or Representation
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Aryan heritage and cultural pride
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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.
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