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Wotanism is the name of a Heathen religion or socio-political current based on Germanic paganism and the doctrines of David Lane. Wotan is the German name for the Germanic god known in Norse as Odin. Lane's Wotanism is related to European Odinism, which is another type of Heathenism.
Based on the essay entitled Wotan by Carl Jung, the term Wotanism in modern times heavily emphasizes white supremacy and National Socialism (NS). Lane chose the term "Wotanism" because WOTAN can be used as an acronym for Will Of The Aryan Nation.[1] Unlike other Heathens, most Wotanists emphasize dualism and view the Gods as Jungian archetypes.[2][3] Wotanists consider the Havamal to be their holiest text.
Wotanist groups include WotansVolk and the Temple of Wotan. WotansVolk and the Temple of Wotan were both founded under the direct influence of David Lane, by his wife Katja Lane (Katuscha Maddox) and Ron McVan, a former high ranking member of the World Church of the Creator. The Temple of Wotan organization was inspired by the book Temple of Wotan.
Some Wotanists practice polygamy. Late in his life, Lane authored a short story entitled KD Rebel, a fictional account of a colony of Wotanists who live up in the mountains and kidnap young white girls and women from urban areas and force them into polygamy to further the Aryan race.[4]
WotansVolk and the Temple of Wotan were known for having prisoner outreach ministries. In 2001 there were prison kindreds linked with Wotansvolk in all federal states of the USA and the groups supported more than 5000 prisoners. Research by Mattias Gardell indicated "a pagan revival among the white prison population, including the conversion of whole prison gangs to the ancestral religion.".[5]
"Partly due to the reputation of David Lane and its association with the legendary Brüders Schweigen, Wotansvolk name-recognition is high among the Aryan prison population."[5]
The Temple of Wotan dissolved and reformed into the National Prison Kindred Alliance, (NPKA) which has no relation with Wotanism.
Wotansvolk and the NPKA are not the only groups active in prisoner outreach; however, in 2001 "Wotansvolk seem[ed] more successful in its outreach efforts than other Asatrú/Odinist programs." [5] The feminist women's group Sigrdrifa focuses on White cultural identity and has chapters in the United States and Canada. Sigrdrifa runs a special "Odinism in Prison" project. The Odinic Rite and the Asatru Alliance also have extensive prisoner outreach programs, albeit not based on race or politics.
In an interview [6] about the role of race-based gangs and other extremists in America's prisons, the historian Mark Pitcavage came to the conclusion that, "[n]on-racist versions of Asatrú and Odinism are pretty much acceptable religions in the prisons." But materials from racist variants of these religions may be prohibited by corrections departments.
Wotanism has been described as the "most violent strain" of Odinism in prisons, and its materials have been prohibited as a result.[7]
From the beginning, Wotanism has been distinctly different from, and even antagonistic to wider Heathenry. Adherents of Asatru and Odinism have rejected what they perceive as an attempt to appropriate their religion for political and racial ends.[8] Lane explains:
| “ | So, I first chose the name Wotanism over Odinism. First because WOTAN makes a perfect acronym for Will Of The Aryan Nation. Secondly because he was called Wotan on the European continent and only called Odin in Scandinavia. Therefore Wotan appeals to the genetic memory of more of our ancestors. And finally because a split had to be made with the game players, deceivers and universalists who had usurped the name Odin.Source | ” |
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