Spotting Alt-Right Imagery on Nordic Blogs
I’ve been getting a lot of asks/messages lately from folks who want to practice Norse paganism and join the heathen community but are worried about white supremacist blogs. That’s totally valid - there’s a lot of them and some of them are well hidden under “aesthetic norse” blogs. So, I wrote up a little lists of indicators to look out for and avoid. Most of the runes and images(like Odin’s ravens) aren’t inherently racist/problematic and should be considered in context of the blog. Please keep in mind there are many more symbols and names/titles that could be included, I am just focusing on the Norse aspect from the USA.
Odinist/Wodenism/Wotanist - Oidinist is most often the term norse leaning white-supremacists lean towards. The term “Odinist” was first used as a self-descriptor by Alexander Rud Mills, an Australian Nazi sympathizer who founded an Odinist church in 1934. The name was carried on by Else Christensen and her Odinist Fellowship; Christensen’s newsletter, The Odinist, contained more far right-wing political content than religious content. If you go the official Odinists website(link) you will find they support many white-only groups like the Asatru Folk Assembly. The Holy Nation of Odin is a church that is run from a maximum-security cell in California and is only open to whites.
Volkish/Folkish - Volksfront is a hybrid racist skinhead gang/neo-Nazi group that started in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s. It’s still a very active group and only alt-right would really use this terminology.
“ —often termed “folkish” within the community—by viewing Heathenry as an ethnic or racial religion with inherent links to a Germanic race that should be reserved explicitly for people of Northern European descent or white people in general”.
Not to be confused with folklorist/folklore heathens who practice heathenry because of Scandinavian folklore(i.e. disir, dwarves, etc.).
HH or 88 - 88 is a white supremacist numerical code for “Heil Hitler.” H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, so 88 = HH = Heil Hitler. One of the most common white supremacist symbols.
The number is frequently combined with another white supremacist numeric code, 14(shorthand for the so-called “14 Words” slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”) in the form of 1488, 14/88, 14-88, or 8814. - ADL
Brosatru - I’m mostly adding this because it used to be a popular alt-right subreddit for “Asatru” practitioners that got removed. I’ve still seen it referenced in other pagan subreddits and some twitter profiles!
General keywords to look out for: heritage, ethnic, aryan, ethno-nationalism, nationalist, tribe
**Use reasonable doubt for runes and imagery**:
Othala. While not actually/originally a symbol of hate but a rune for family/ancestry, Othala has been desecrated by the alt-right regardless and should be judged by the context it’s seen in. It is frequently used in nazi marches, merch, and their websites. The U.S. National Socialist Movement replaced the swastika with the Old Norse Othala rune, which was previously used on an SS infantry flag in World War II. So if you see a blog with a red banner and a black Othala in the middle, just know it’s a replacement for the swatsika.
Algiz. Another Futhark rune misused, originally representing the Elk/Divine. It has been adapted by the far right as a “Life Rune”. Used in the “Free American Rally” and “National Alliance” and also used in the “Volksfront” logo. Like Othala it is used to replace the Swatsika in imagery where it’s illegal - it is not used as frequently as Othala.
Huginn and Muninn. “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA featured two flags with Odinns ravens. Here’s the twist: some white supremacist groups claim the Raven flag was flown when Leif Erikson landed in North America in the year 1000 and thus is the “pure European: flag of the nation.” And for some white supremacists, according to David Perry of the University of Minnesota, “the concept of Vinland asserts a historical claim over North America, stretching from the northeast coast to the Pacific Northwest. They use the myth of Vinland to position themselves as righteous defenders in the wars of race and religion they believe are coming.”
Valknut - It is often considered a symbol of the Norse god Odin. Some white supremacists, particularly racist Odinists, have erased the meaning of the Valknot to use as a racist symbol. Often they use it as a sign that they are willing to give their life to Odin, generally in battle. It was also seen on many shields at the Charlottesville, VA march. Many pagans may also use this symbol, so one should carefully examine it in context rather .
Tiwaz. Another rune bastardized, originally a rune for the Norse god of justice Ty.r Free America Rally is a loosely-coordinated network of white supremacists who hold protests and rallies on white supremacist-related themes. The logo for Free America Rally is an amalgam of several runes(Algiz and Uruz).
Mjolnir. This feels horrible to say because I know countless pagans and Marvel fans with Mjolnir necklaces/tattoos. However, I have also encountered many alt-right accounts with a BFG(Bound for Glory) banner or icon.
Additionally, I would highly suggest going through their follows/likes if you can’t find an obvious answer. Most modern Norse pagans who aren’t anti alt-right make it known in their bios but you an do further digging if necessary.
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