The hammer Mjöllnir (literally "smasher", "smashing power") is one of the primary symbols of Pagan religions; pendants are commonly worn amongst adherents. Its symbolism is the same as that of the Swastika^[1] and the Vajra: the enlightenment of man reaching the state of "diamond" or "lightning", divine central, rational and bright thought and will. It is then the power of Irminsul or Yggdrasil on the individual level.

Odinism is a type of Germanic neopaganism, specifically focussed on honoring Odin and other Norse deities in the pre-Christian religion of Scandinavia.

As within the entire range of Neopagan traditions, there is no single accepted definition of the term, and terminological inconsistencies exist. Some adherents will use "Odinism" as synonymous with Ásatrú, while others will reject an equivalence between the two terms. Historically, Germanic neopaganism in North America was founded independently at about the same time (early 1970s) by Else Christensen and by Stephen McNallen, who named their movements Odinism and Ásatrú, respectively.

Currently, the movements which go under Ásatrú are much more varied, due to a complicated history of splits during the 1980s and 1990s, while the movements which self-identify as Odinist remain fewer and less diverse. ^[source?] The largest Odinist organization today is Odinic Rite, with chapters in the UK, continental Europe, North America and Australia. Apart from Odinic Rite, there are an unknown number of small Odinist groups or "kindreds", or individuals.

The movement is at times intertwined with Germanic Vedism, and sometimes incorporates elements of Hinduism. ^[source?]

History and name [edit]

The Fylfot (English name of the Swastika symbols), in its many forms, is used in the past as another symbolic rendering of the Mjöllnir,^[1] is a popular and somewhat important symbol used nowadays by Odinists.^[2][3]

The term Odinism itself was coined by Orestes Brownson in his 1848 Letter to Protestants.^[4] It was re-introduced in the late 1930s by Alexander Rud Mills in Australia with his First Anglecyn Church of Odin and his book The Call of Our Ancient Nordic Religion.^[5] In the 1960s and early 1970s, Else Christensen's Odinist Study Group and later the Odinist Fellowship brought the term into usage in North America. In the UK, Odinic Rite has specifically identified themselves as "Odinists" since the 1970s, and is the largest group to do so.Empty citation‎ (help) 

The term "Odinism" is sometimes associated with racialist Nordic ideology, as opposed to "Asatru" which may or may not refer to racialist or "folkish" ideals. Although, with the introduction of the concept of Metagenetics by Asatru Gothi Stephen A. McNallen, some view it that way. As defined by Goodrick-Clarke (2002), Nordic racial paganism is synonymous with the Odinist movement (including some who identify as Wotanist). He describes it as a "spiritual rediscovery of the Aryan ancestral gods...intended to embed the white races in a sacred worldview that supports their tribal feeling", and expressed in "imaginative forms of ritual magic and ceremonial forms of fraternal fellowship".^[6]

Use of "Odinism" is mostly limited to the Anglosphere. Related movements in Scandinavia and German-speaking Europe do not use terms comparable with "Odinism"; there used to be a German branch of Odinic Rite during 1995–2006, which subsequently cut its ties to the British parent organization due to the latter's folkish outlook.Empty citation‎ (help)  Scandinavian and German groups mostly use the term Ásatrú insteadEmpty citation‎ (help) , besides an equivalent of "Heathenry" (Heidentum) or variations of Forn Sed ("Old Custom").

A union of the closely related movements of Odinism and American Asatru as pioneered by Stephen A. McNallen was attempted with an International Asatru-Odinic Alliance in 1997, which was however dissolved in 2002.Empty citation‎ (help) 

Odinic Rite [edit]

In 1973 John Gibbs-Bailey (known as "Hoskuld") and John Yeowell (known as "Stubba") founded the Committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite or Odinist Committee in England.^[7] In 1980 the organisation changed its name to The Odinic Rite after it was believed that it had gained enough significant interest in the restoration of the Odinic faith. In 1988 the Odinic Rite became the first polytheistic religious organisation to be granted "Registered Charity" status in the UK. In 1991, an expelled member of the OR, Ingvar Harrison set up a rival Odinic Rite.

Odinic Rite has national branches in France (ORF),^[8] North America (ORV, 1997) and the Netherlands (ORN, 2006).^[9] A German chapter of Odinic Rite was founded in 1995, but this group renamed itself Verein für germanisches Heidentum (VfGH) and severed all organisational ties with Odinic Rite in 2006.^[10]

Odinic Rite of Australia [edit]

The Odinic Rite of Australia was founded in 1994 as an independent organisation, after over a century of Odinism in the southern continent, culminating in the works of Rud Mills in the 1930s and beyond. For more information, see the ORA's background at ORA's history.

The Odinic Rite of Australia in 2011 published the "Melbourne Creed" of Odinism, which is a 9-point statement of belief, "An Odinist Creed."^[11] The creed is designed to suggest beliefs that many modern heathens may share.

The Odinic Rite of Australia has had legal status with the Australian government since 1995, and is currently seeking recognition to supply heathen religious celebrants for government-recognised legal marriages.

Odinist Fellowship (USA) [edit]

Initially called the Odinist Study Group, Christensen's group was renamed the Odinist Fellowship in approximately 1971, around the time of Alex's death. Else's relocation to Florida, USA. came in the 1980s. For many years, The Odinist Fellowship published a periodical called The Odinist out of Canada and Crystal River, Florida. Additionally, her travels included friendly contact with other groups, such as the large Arizona Kindred (where she met up with the Kindred's "Norsemen of Midgard" motorcycle club) and the Steve McNallen's Asatru Folk Assembly. Since Else died in 2005, her Odinist Fellowship dissolved, with much of the membership transferring to the Odinic Rite.^[12] The last known chapter of the US Odinist Fellowship is based in Florida, and is called the Kindred Folk.

Odinist Fellowship (UK) [edit]

The British-based Odinist Fellowship was established by Ralph Harrison in 1988^[13] and is unaffiliated with the US organization founded by Christensen. The British Odinist Fellowship is registered under English law as a religious charity.

The aim of the Odinist Fellowship, according to its constitution is "to practise, promote and propagate Odinism. By Odinism is meant the original, indigenous form of heathen, polytheistic religion and spiritual beliefs, practised by the ancestors of the English and related northern European peoples, as embodied in the Eddas and as they have found expression in the wisdom and in the historical experience of those peoples." The Odinist Fellowship, according to its website, claims that Odinism is England's "native and national faith".

Odinists practise a nine-fold calendar and the Odinist Fellowship's liturgy of worship and sacrifices are published in "The Book of Rites". A notable achievement of the British Odinist Fellowship was to gain legal recognition for the Odinist religion in the case of "Holden v Royal Mail PLC(2006)", when a ruling was made to declare that Odinism is to be recognized as a religion for the purposes of anti-discrimination legislation.

According to its website, the Odinist Fellowship is planning to "institute a network of [Odinist] temples in every [English] county, and in every major town and city up and down the land".

The website describes Odinism as follows: "Odinism is a polytheistic religion. We believe in and honour the life-giving and bountiful gods and goddesses of the Odinic pantheon, whom we refer to collectively as the High Gods of Asgarth, or as the Æsir and Vanir. Our gods are true gods, divine, living, spiritual entities, endowed with power and intelligence, able and willing to intervene in the course of Nature and of human lives. It behoves us to seek their goodwill and succour through prayer and sacrifice. But the gods do not require us to abase and humble ourselves; they do not seek to make of us craven slaves. Odinists therefore do not bow or kneel or kow-tow to the gods, but address them proudly like free, upstanding men and women. Odinists regard our gods, not as our masters, but as firm friends and powerful allies."^[14]

The Odin Brotherhood [edit]

In a book published with Mandrake of Oxford in 1992, Mark Mirabello, a British-educated history professor who lectures in the United States, claimed to have been in contact with a secret society known as The Odin Brotherhood. Mirabello claims that The Odin Brotherhood preserves genuine traditions of pre-Christian paganism in Britain.^[15][16][17] He claims that the group was founded in 1421.^[15]

Professor Graham Harvey, writing in 1995, claimed that he couldn't find any evidence of the group's existence beyond Mirabello's book, and that other Odinistic groups had never heard of it, including a group that was listed as a contact for the society.^[18] According to Harvey, most researchers doubt that it even exists.^[18]

In 2013, The Way of the Odin Brotherhood by Jack Wolf was published, also by Mandrake of Oxford, with a preface by Mirabello.^[19]

Odinist Community of Spain — Ásatrú [edit]

There is some Germanic neopaganism found in Spain, including the Odinist Community of Spain — Ásatrú (COE) founded as Circulo Odinista Español in 1981.^[20] The COE was recognized by the Spanish government as a religion, allowing them to perform "legally binding civil ceremonies", such as marriages. COE is the fourth Odinist/Asatru religious organization in the world to be recognized with official status, after those in Iceland, Norway and Denmark.^[21]

Wodanesdag Press (Hyatt) [edit]

Wodanesdag Press (wodanesdag.com) is a minor independent publisher in the United States, specialized in "Ásatrú/Odinism". It was established by E. Max Hyatt a.k.a. Edred Wodanson (1948-2010) in 1993.^[22]

E. Max Hyatt (Edred Wodanson) is best known for his book, Asatru--The Hidden Fortress.

Wodanesdag Press also ran an "Outreach Program of Wodan's Kindred" (odin.org). Identifying their religion as "Asatru/Odinism", the organization's FAQ comments on the question What is the difference between “Asatru” and “Odinism”?

"[...] in both the U.S. and Europe many hearty souls were awakening to the ancient call of their Ancestral gods and goddesses. Some adopted the name Asatru to identify their beliefs, while others used the name Odinism (Odin being the Alfather). Many believe that the two names are interchangeable, while others disagree. It has been noted by some writers on the subject that Asatruar (followers of Asatru) seem to be more spiritually oriented, while Odinists seem to be more political in their views. While this does hold true in some cases, it cannot be applied to all. There are several Odinist organizations that have no political interests, whatsoever. At the same time there are many Folk who go by the name Asatruar, and are very political. All of this said, it is true that a large number of Odinists believe that the various gods and goddesses of the Northern pantheon are simply representations of the various aspects of Nature. Whereas, most Asatruar believe that while this Nature-aspect is true, in another sense the gods are also real spiritual beings, with unique lives separate from this Earth (i.e. in Asgard). "

Wotanism (Lane) [edit]

David Lane (1938-2007) founded a white nationalist form of Germanic neopaganism, which he called "Wotanism". In an essay entitled Wotanism (Odinism), Lane makes clear that he chose the name in contrast to the existing term Odinism,

"I first chose the name Wotanism over Odinism. First because W.O.T.A.N. 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."^[23]

Comunità Odinista (Italy) [edit]

Established in 1994, the Comunità Odinista is an independent origanization of Odinists in Italy.

References [edit]

• Kaplan, Jeffrey. 1996. "The Reconstruction of the Asatru and Odinist Traditions." In Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft, edited by James R. Lewis, State University of New York Press.

See also [edit]

• Ásatrú in the United States
• Wotanism
• Stephen McNallen
• Wodanesdag Press
• Article on Odinismo in the Italian Wikipedia