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Othala

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This article is about the rune. For the planet in the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1, seeOthala (Stargate).
Not to be confused with the character inOld Turkic script,𐰋.
NameProto-GermanicOld English
*Ōþala-Ēðel
"heritage, estate"
ShapeElder FutharkFuthorc
Unicodeᛟ
U+16DF
Transliterationoœ
Transcriptiono,ōœ,oe,ōe
IPA[o(ː)][eː],[ø(ː)]
Position in
rune-row		23 or 24
This article containsruniccharacters.Without properrendering support,you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbolsinstead of runes.

Othala(ᛟ), also known asēðelandodal,is arunethat represents theoandœphonemes in theElder Futharkand theAnglo-Saxon Futhorcwriting systems respectively. Its name is derived from the reconstructedProto-Germanic*ōþala-"heritage; inheritance, inherited estate". As it does not occur inYounger Futhark,it disappears from the Scandinavian record around the 8th century, however its usage continued in England into the 11th century, where it was sometimes further used in manuscripts as a shorthand for the wordēðel( "homeland" ), similar to how other runes were sometimes used at the time.

As with other symbols used historically in Europe such as theswastikaandCeltic cross,othala has been appropriated byfar-right groupssuch as theNazi partyandneo-Nazis,who have used it to represent ideas likeAryanheritage, a usage that is wholly modern and not attested in any ancient or medieval source. The rune also continues to be used in non-racist contexts, both inHeathenryand in wider popular culture such as the works ofJ.R.R. Tolkienand video games.

Name and etymology[edit]

The sole attested name of the rune isOld English:ēþel,meaning "homeland". Based on this, and cognates in otherGermanic languagessuch asOld Norse:óðalandOld Frisian:ēthel,theProto-Germanic:*ōþalącan be reconstructed, meaning "ancestral land", "the land owned by one's kin", and by extension "property" or "inheritance".*ōþaląis in turn derived fromProto-Germanic:*aþalą,meaning "nobility" and "disposition".[citation needed]

Terms derived from*ōþaląare formative elements in someGermanic names,notablyUlrich.[citation needed]

The term "odal" (Old Norse:óðal) refers to Scandinavian laws of inheritance which established land rights for families that had owned that parcel of land over a number of generations, restricting its sale to others. Among other aspects, this protected the inheritance rights of daughters against males from outside the immediate family.[1]Some of these laws remain in effect today in Norway as theOdelsrett(allodial right). The tradition ofUdal lawfound inShetland,Orkney,and theIsle of Man,is from the same origin.[citation needed]

Elder Futharko-rune[edit]

Illustration of the Thorsberg chape showing the runic inscriptions on both sides

Theo-rune is attested early, in inscriptions from the 3rd century, such as theThorsberg chape(DR7) and theVimose planer(Vimose-Høvelen,DR 206).[citation needed]The correspondingGothic letteris𐍉(derived from GreekΩ), which had the nameoþal.[citation needed]The othala rune is found in some transitional inscriptions of the 6th or 7th century, such as theGummarp,BjörketorpandStentoftenrunestones, but it disappears from the Scandinavian record by the 8th century. TheOld Norseophoneme at this time becomes written inYounger Futharkin the same way as theuphoneme, with theUr rune.[citation needed]

It has been suggested that the othala rune on theRing of Pietroassais used to represent the word "*oþal", referencing the ring as hereditary treasure.[2]Similarly, Wolfgang Krause speculated that theorune is used as an ideograph denoting possession in theThorsberg chapeinscription, reading the inscriptionowlþuþewazasO[þila] - W[u]lþu-þewaz"inherited property - the servant ofWulþuz".[3][4][5][6]

Anglo-Saxonœ-rune[edit]

The left panel of the Franks Casket

Usage and shape[edit]

TheAnglo-Saxon runespreserve the full set of 24 Elder Futhark runes (besides introducing innovations), but in some cases these runes are given new sound values due toAnglo-Frisiansound changes. The othala rune is such a case: theosound in the Anglo-Saxon system is now expressed byōsᚩ, a derivation of the oldAnsuz rune;the othala rune is known inOld Englishasēðel(withumlautdue to the formōþila-) and is used to express anœsound, but is attested only rarely in epigraphy (outside of simply appearing in a futhark row).[citation needed]In some runic inscriptions, such as on theSeax of Beagnoth,and more commonly in manuscripts, othala is written with a single vertical line instead of the two diagonal legs, perhaps due to its simpler form.[7]

The rune is also used as a shorthand for the wordēþelorœþel( "ancestral property or land" ) in texts such asBeowulf,Waldereand theOld English translationofOrosius'Historiae adversus paganos.[8][9]This is similar to wider practices of the time, in which runes such asᛞ,ᚹandᛗwere also used as shorthands to write the name of the rune.[9]

Notable attestations[edit]

Epigraphical attestations include:

  • the FrisianWesteremden yew-stick,possibly as part of a given nameǷimod(Ƿimœd)
  • the Harford (Norfolk) brooch, dated c. 650, in a finite verb form:luda:gibœtæsigilæ"Luda repaired the brooch"
  • the left panel of theFranks Casket,twice:tƿœgen gibroþær afœddæ hiæ ƿylif"two brothers (scil.Romulus and Remus), a she-wolf nourished them ".

Rune poem[edit]

TheAnglo-Saxon rune poempreserves the meaning "an inherited estate" for the rune name:

ᛟbẏþ oferleof æghƿẏlcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerẏsena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.

[An estate] is very dear to every man,
if he can enjoy there in his house
whatever is right and proper in constant prosperity.

Modern use[edit]

Main article:Runes § Modern use

Far-right iconography[edit]

Further information:Nazi symbolismandStrafgesetzbuch § 86a
Othala rune (left). Symbol used by far-right groups derived from the historical othala rune by adding feet or wings (right)

Deliberate use as a far-right symbol[edit]

Flag of the CroatianVolksdeutsche

The symbol derived from othala withwingsorfeet(serifs) was the badge of theSS Race and Settlement Main Office,which was responsible for maintaining the racial purity of theNaziSchutzstaffel(SS).[10]It was also the emblem ofethnic Germans(Volksdeutsche) of the7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugenoperating duringWorld War IIin the Nazi Germany-sponsoredIndependent State of Croatia.[citation needed]

The rune and winged symbol have been used by the Neo-NaziWiking-Jugendin Germany, and inSouth Africaby the Anglo-Afrikaner Bond, theBoeremag,theBlanke Bevrydingsbeweging,[11]the Italian neo-fascist groupNational Vanguard,[12]the Afrikaner Student Federation and the far-right wingWhite Liberation Movementbefore it was disbanded.[13][14][better source needed]In November 2016, the leadership of theNational Socialist Movementannounced their intention to replace the Nazi-patternswastikawith the othala rune on their uniforms and party regalia in an attempt to enter mainstream politics.[15][16]The rune was further used, along with other traditional symbols from European cultures such as aTiwaz runeand aCeltic cross,and slogans associated with Nazism and far-right extremism by theChristchurch mosque shooterBrenton Harrison Tarrant.[17]Heathen Frontwas aNeo-Nazigroup, active during the 1990s to 2005 that espoused a racist form ofHeathenryand described its ideas asodalismin reference to the alternative name for othala.[18][19]

White supremacistswho use the rune often claim it symbolises the heritage or land of "white"or"Aryan"people which should be free from foreigners. It has been noted however that this usage is a new invention by the groups and is not attested in any source from before the modern period, being labelled by runologist Michael Barnes as" spring[ing] entirely from the imagination ".[20]

Alleged use as a far-right symbol[edit]

In some cases, individuals and organisations have been accused of using the rune as a far-right symbol, such as in April 2014 when the BritishTopmanclothing company apologised after using it in one of their clothing lines.[21]Furthermore, at theConservative Political Action Conference(CPAC) held in Orlando, Florida, on February 25–28, 2021, the floor layout of the main stage resembled the winged form of the othala rune, leading to speculation onsocial mediaas to why that design was chosen. CPAC chairmanMatt Schlappsaid comparisons were "outrageous and slanderous".[22]Design firm Design Foundry later took responsibility for the design of the stage, saying that it "intended to provide the best use of space, given the constraints of the ballroom and social distancing requirements." Ian Walters, director of communications for the ACU and CPAC, said they would stop using Design Foundry.[23][24]

Theneo-folkgroupDeath in Juneused othala on the cover of their 7''Come Before Christ And Murder Lovealongside their "Totenkopf6 "logo.[25]The group does not openly support far-right ideologies however scholars have noted the group's fascination with Nazism and extensive usage of Nazi, and more widely fascist, imagery.[26]

Heathenry[edit]

Inscription fromThe Fellowship of the Ring,written in English using Tolkien'sAngerthas Ereborscript, in which the rune based on othala represents a "u" sound. It reads left-to-right: "Balinsʌn ov Fu[nd]in lord ovMoria"

Othala, along with other runes more widely, often feature prominently in the practices ofHeathens,[27][28][29]and are commonly used to decorate items and in tattoos.[30]The use of runes such as othala by far-right groups has been strongly condemned by some Heathen groups, includingAsatru UKwhich released a public statement that "[it] is categorically opposed to fascist movements, or any movements, using the symbols of our faith for hate".[31]

Popular culture[edit]

TheAnti-Defamation Leaguenotes that because it is part of the runic alphabet, the othala rune is used widely in a non-racist manner and should be interpreted in conjunction with its context.[32]

As with other historical runes, othala is used byJ.R.R. TolkieninThe Hobbitas seen onThror'smap ofErebor,and as a base for thedwarvishCirthwriting systems used inThe Lord of the Ringsand described inTolkien's Legendarium.[33][34]Othala is also used as the symbol for the "Lore" resource inNorthgard,released in 2018.[35]

The name of the rune is also used inStargate SG-1,in which Othala is a world in the Ida Galaxy where the Asgard had lived.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Price 2022,p. 185.
  2. ^Silva 2006,p. 396.
  3. ^Krause, Wolfgang, 'Die Runendenkmäler und ihre Sprache' In:Von der Bronzezeit bis zur Völkerwanderungszeit,(ed.) Klose, Olaf. Neumünster 1964 [reprint 1979], 311-325.
  4. ^Krause, Wolfgang, Herbert Jankuhn.Die Runeninschriften im älteren Futhark,Göttingen, 1966.
  5. ^The interpretation by Krause follows an earlier suggestion by Helmut Arntz,Handbuch der Runenkunde,2nd ed., Halle/Saale 1944.
  6. ^Spurkland 2005,pp. 47–48.
  7. ^Page 2003,p. 40.
  8. ^Silva 2006,p. 393.
  9. ^abBarnes 2022,pp. 153–154.
  10. ^Lumsden, Robin (1995).SS Regalia.Edison, NJ: Book Sales, Inc. p. 35.ISBN9780785802280.
  11. ^Schönteich, Martin and Boshoff, HenriVolk, faith and fatherland: the security threat posed by the white rightInstitute for Security Studies (South Africa)(2003) p48
  12. ^Colborne, Michael (22 January 2020)."Ukraine's Far Right Is Boosting A Pro-Putin Fascist".bellingcat.Retrieved14 July2021.
  13. ^"Neo-Nazi flag symbolism".flagspot.net.Retrieved2015-09-02.
  14. ^Visser, Myda MaristaDie Ideologiese Grondslae En Ontwikkeling Van Die Blanke Fascistiese Bewegings In Suid-Afrika, 1945- 1995(The ideological foundations and development of white fascist movements in South Africa, 1945-1999) M.A. thesis University of Pretoria (1999) p. 164
  15. ^Smith, Rohan (15 November 2016)."Bizarre, bold reason America's white supremacists just banned swastika".News.com.au.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-11-16.Retrieved2016-11-15.
  16. ^Schoep, Jeff (4 November 2016)."National Socialist Movement: Announcement".Press Release.National Socialist Movement (US).Retrieved27 February2021.
  17. ^"White Supremacist Terrorist Attack at Mosques in New Zealand".March 15, 2019.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  18. ^eso,pp. 384, 621.
  19. ^Gregorius, Frederick (2006).Old Norse religion in long-term perspectives: origins, changes, and interactions: an international conference in Lund, Sweden, June 3-7, 2004.Lund: Nordic Academic Press. p. 390.ISBN9789189116818.
  20. ^Barnes 2022,pp. 194–196.
  21. ^Hayward, Stephen (2014-04-13)."Fascism disaster: Topman withdraws 'Nazi' clothing line after online shopper points out SS insignia".Daily Mirror.Retrieved2020-06-26.
  22. ^Walters, Joanna (1 March 2021)."CPAC: Hyatt Hotels says stage design resembling Nazi rune is 'abhorrent'".The Guardian.Retrieved1 March2021.
  23. ^Kornbluh, Jacob (2021-03-03)."Design firm takes responsibility for CPAC stage controversy".The Forward.Retrieved2023-03-16.
  24. ^Ibrahim 2021.
  25. ^Discogs.
  26. ^Heilbronner 2015,pp. 270–286.
  27. ^Blain 2005,pp. 181–208.
  28. ^Harvey 1997,p. 61.
  29. ^Calico 2018,p. 118.
  30. ^Calico 2018,pp. 391–392.
  31. ^AUK statement.
  32. ^ADL, Othala.
  33. ^Tolkien 1937.
  34. ^Tolkien 1955.
  35. ^Northgard.

Bibliography[edit]

Primary[edit]

Secondary[edit]

External links[edit]

  • The dictionary definition ofᛟat Wiktionary
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