Nationalism—Nazi Style

The Nazis made wide use of Nordic runes. My primary reference is The Viking Rune symbols and the Third Reich. Today I take up their use of the Odal-Rune. 

The Odal-Rune was the symbol for the Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil) ideology. This is far more than getting back to the land and country life, the idea of a German people on a German land. It moves into a "sort of mystical bond between the land and the soul of the people." Read more about this concept in the article on Blood & Soil.

The Nazis were committed to the "Germanization" of Europe with Aryan people, the "Thulians" of ancient Atlantis. Nazi leaders believed in a historical Thule or Hyperborea as the ancient origin of the true Aryan race. The history of Thule was revealed in a supposedly ancient book.

Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, favored this 19th century book, the Oera Linda Book, found by Cornelius Over de Linden. This manuscript was  handed down from one generation to another in the Over de Linden family. It was translated into German in 1933. The earliest portion of the book was supposedly composed in 2194 BC. It also mentions Atland or Atlantis, the continent submerged in 2193 BC.

As a side, the modern day Norroena Society continues the traditions of this worldview. Among their goals they speak of re-establishing the twelve fundamentals of Odin's culture and making cutting edge research on the Odinist faith available, unfettered by the Christian biases and restraints of mainstream academia.

The Odal rune was the emblem of the Waffen-SS (the combat arm of the SS) division Prinz Eugen. It was also used by Reichs Bauernschaft and the Hitlerjugend (the Hitler Youth - a paramilitary organization).

This symbol is but another reminder of the deep commitment of the Nazis to replace Christianity in Europe with the ancient Nordic/Aryan religion.