Odal rune

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The Odal rune.

The Elder Futhark Odal rune (ᛟ) represents the o sound. Its reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *ôþalan. The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐍉 o, called oþal. Odal was a concept of inheritance in ancient Scandinavian property law. Some of these laws are still in effect today, and govern Norwegian property. These are the Åsetesrett (homestead right), and the Odelsrett (allodial right)(see e.g. Uppsala öd and Odal, Norway). Variations of the name include Othila and Othala. The letter is derived from an Old Italic (more specifically, Raetic) o letter variant, ultimately cognate to Greek Ω.

The glyph is illustrated here both with and without the optional small serif-like lines at the bottom. The rune is encoded in Unicode at codepoint U+16DF: ᛟ

1 Futhorc Ethel
2 Troll cross
3 Modern usage
4 External link

[edit] Futhorc Ethel

A variant of the Odal rune, featuring serifs.

The Odal rune is often associated with property and inheritance, wealth and prosperity. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, the name appears as Ethel:

ᛟ Eþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,

gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena 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.

[edit] Troll cross

The Odal rune is suspected to be related to the Troll cross (Trollkors), an odal rune-like symbol made of iron that was used as a pendant on necklaces for women and children or just carved onto valuable objects. According to rural Swedish folk legend, it was believed to protect what was precious against trolls and other malevolent forces.

[edit] Modern usage

The Young BNP uses the Othala Rune as their logo

Bundeswehr Hauptfeldwebel shoulder pads.

[edit] Nazism

The Odal rune was the emblem of ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen operating during World War II in the National Socialist Germany-sponsored Independent State of Croatia.

[edit] Right wing

This symbol has been used by the Afrikaner Student Federation in South Africa [1], and the Young BNP in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Neopaganism

The Odal rune is also used as a symbol by Germanic Neopagans in particular, often used to indicate ancestry and sometimes as a general indicator of the religion itself without political implications.

[edit] Bundeswehr

The German Bundeswehr, including the German Army and German Navy, uses a geometrical design reminiscent of the Odal rune as part of its rank insignia. No confirmation as to whether it is intended officially as the rune or not has been made by the Bundeswehr.