Odal (rune)

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Name Proto-Germanic Old English
*Ōþalan Éðel
"heritage, estate"
Shape Elder Futhark Futhorc
Unicode ᛟ
U+16DF
Transliteration o œ
Transcription o, ō œ, oe, ōe
IPA [o(ː)] [eː], [ø(ː)]
Position in rune-row 23 or 24

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. Variations of the name include Othila and Othala. The letter may be derived from a Raetian o letter variant, ultimately cognate with Greek Ω.

The rune is encoded in Unicode at codepoint U+16DF:ᛟ

The term oþal (Old High German uodal) is a formative element in some Germanic names, notably Ulrich and variants. Edmund and other English names with the "ed" prefix (from Old English ead), German Otto and various Germanic names beginning with adal- or od- are also connected to Odal.

Contents

Futhorc Ethel

The Odal rune is often associated with property and inheritance, wealth and prosperity. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, the name appears as ethel (ēðel). In English runology this letter is sometimes transliterated œ.

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.

Scandinavian property law

Odal was associated with the 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).

In runic inscriptions on objects, placing the Odal rune prior to a person's name would indicate that the object belonged to that person.[1]

Modern usage

Nazism and Neo-Nazism

Further information: Nazi symbolism and Strafgesetzbuch § 86a

The Odal rune was the emblem of the Yugoslav ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen operating during World War II in the Nazi Germany-sponsored Independent State of Croatia against the Yugoslav Partisans and Serbian population.

The Odal rune has been used by Stefano Delle Chiaie's neofascist group Avanguardia Nazionale in Italy, by the Neo-Nazi Wiking-Jugend in Germany, and in South Africa by the Anglo-Afrikaner Bond, the terrorist, white-supremacist group Boeremag, and the Blanke Bevrydingsbeweging.[2] Odal was also the name of a monthly Nazi periodical.[3]

Germanic Neopaganism

As with other runes, the Odal rune is also used as a symbol by Germanic Neopagans without a political association. The Odal rune is in the banner and name of the Theodish organization Œðelland.

See also

References

  1. ^ Spurkland, Terje (2005). Norwegian Runes and Runic Inscriptions. Boydell Press. pp. 47–48. ISBN 1-84383-186-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=1QDKqY-NWvUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false. 
  2. ^ Schönteich, Martin and Boshoff, Henri Volk, faith and fatherland: the security threat posed by the white right Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)(2003) p48
  3. ^ www.archive.org has an offprint of this periodical available: Blut und Boden

External links


Runes See also: Epigraphy · Runestones · Rune Poems · Runology · Runic magic
Elder Futhark: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛜ ᛞ ᛟ          
Old English Futhorc: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚩ o ᚱ ᚳ c ᚷ ȝ ᚹ ᚻ ᚾ ᛁ ᛄ ᛇ eo ᛈ ᛉ x ᛋ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛝ ᛞ ᛟ œ   ᚪ a ᚫ æ ᚣ y ᛠ ea
Younger Futhark: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚬ ą ᚱ ᚴ     ᚼ ᚾ ᛁ ᛅ a       ᛋ ᛏ ᛒ   ᛘ ᛚ       ᛦ ʀ        
Transliteration: f u þ a r k g w h n i j ï p z s t b e m l ŋ d o