After the carnage of World War II, Norse mythology became closely associated with Nazism: misinterpreted as malignant and rendered taboo for decades to come. Nazi Germany’s strong connection to Norse mythology is largely responsible for its negative reputation. The horrible atrocities committed by the Nazi regime forever tarnished the study of the Norse myths, causing them to become disregarded, even up to the present day. As a result, those who might have otherwise been interested in the incredible Viking myths and sagas avoided them for fear of being labeled a Nazi sympathizer. This is a tragedy, since Norse mythology does not in any way espouse or encourage Nazi ideology.
Because of its misuse by some factions within the party hierarchy, Norse myths have been unfairly maligned as an integral part of Nazi ideology.
Part I
Narratives played a pivotal role in Viking society, as they do in every culture. Myths about the Norse Gods helped the disparate tribes shape the legends about their history. This is particularly true in regards to their heroes. The various competing templates presented in the myths allowed the Norse people to relate the Gods’ own conflicted personalities to the struggles encountered in their everyday lives. Norse mythology offered these rugged individuals a way to reflect on the nature of reality and provided them with examples of how to deal with life’s problems.
With the advent of Christianity in Europe, Norse mythology largely faded into obscurity. The practice of paganism had several disadvantages in the face of Christian teachings. For one thing, paganism wasn’t an organized religion as such; it was more a conduit for transmitting traditions and moral lessons from one generation to the next.
Another compelling reason for the Vikings’ reluctant conversion to Christianity was for economic and political gain. The raids on the Frankish kingdoms and the British Isles brought increased contact with Christianity. Although the Vikings maintained their beliefs throughout their raiding period, there was considerable pressure on them to convert if they sought more peaceful relations with the Christians. With the monotheistic focus of Christianity, there suddenly was no more room for the Norse Gods in the everyday lives of most people. Eventually, the myths became a relic of the past; a simple set of folktales once believed by uncivilized heathens.
Following Germany’s humiliating defeat in World War I and with the signing of the Versailles Treaty, Norse mythology once again became a topic of interest for the country’s disinherited youth. Patriotic Germans sought to revitalize their culture by re-exploring their mythic “roots” in order to boost nationalism.
Adolf Hitler was swept into power in 1933 on a wave of nationalistic fervor. The symbol for the National Socialist Party was the swastika. The swastika is an ancient symbol, dating back 3,000 years. The symbol can be found in many cultures around the world, including in China, Japan, India, Europe, and native North American cultures. The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit “svastika.” Until the Nazis stole it, the swastika was used to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. In Norse mythology, the Swastika represented Thor’s hammer spinning. The ‘Black Sun’ (sonnenschwartz) is also derived from this symbol.
Part II
To counter the feelings of impotence and the stigma of defeat in the war, German nationalists began using the swastika as the party’s symbol because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins which represented a long Germanic history. Soon, the swastika could be found on nationalist German ‘volkisch’ periodicals such as Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels’ anti-semitic publication Ostara and a multitude of other places, including the emblem for the German youth movement Wandervogel; on various Freikorps units; and as an emblem of the esoteric Thule Society. In 1920, Adolf Hitler adopted the swastika as the official symbol of the Nazi Party.
Hitler’s Deputy Heinrich Himmler was a chief proponent of the Aryan myths. Many of Himmler’s attempts at revival were deeply entrenched in some form of Norse mythology. Wewelsburg Castle, the S.S. (Schutzstaffel), and the Ahnenerbe are three especially prolific examples of the way in which Himmler wove Norse mythology into mainstream Nazism.
Himmler envisioned that his knightly order, the S.S., would need an appropriate base of operations like the Knights of the Round Table from Arthurian legends, Beowulf, and King Hrolf’s Champions. Karl Maria Wiligut, an S.S. member known as “Himmler’s Rasputin,” brought Wewelsburg Castle to Himmler’s attention. The four-hundred-year-old fortress was located on the site where the battle of Teutoburg Forest had supposedly taken place. This was symbolically important to Himmler because it was where the German chieftain Hermann led his forces to victory against a far greater Roman army in 9 AD. The victory had a far-reaching effect on the nation’s psyche, because it marked the final advance of the Roman Empire onto German soil.
After an investment of almost 300 million Reich-marks and the utilization of slave labor to remodel the facility, Wewelsburg Castle was converted into a ritual space with specially designed rooms for the practice of paganism. The basement was remodeled to commemorate deceased S.S. heroes, and it was here that Himmler planned to be interred. The area was dedicated to Heinrich I, a Germanic king from the Viking age whom Himmler believed himself to be the reincarnation of.
On the ground floor were twelve rooms for each member of the Inner Twelve, which Himmler had decorated according to different ancient Norse figures. The Black Sun symbol decorated the floor of the main room, and the dining hall held a large table where rituals could be performed. This is reminiscent of Hrothgar’s Heorot.
The activities in the castle included weddings and christenings of Lebensborn for elite S.S. members. Some scholars have even claimed that men were beheaded and their blood drunk as part of rituals. True or not, this correlates with the enduring Nordic motif of drinking blood and eating body parts to gain preternatural wisdom.
Part III
Heinrich Himmler had the power to create government bureaucracies, and one of the departments he devised was the Ahnenerbe, also known as the “Ancestral Heritage Research and Teaching Organization.”It started out in 1935 as a small organization with the purpose of examining the heritage of the German people and educating them about the superiority of the Aryan race. Over time, the Ahnenerbe evolved to encompass several departments with an annual budget of more than a million Reich-marks. The organization allowed Himmler to pursue his mystical obsessions in a scholarly manner while the Nazis took control of German academia.
Although the Ahnenerbe did conduct some legitimate research, it had a poor scholarly reputation. Many of the so-called scholars derived their conclusions from occultist beliefs. Ernst Schafer, the famous Nazi explorer, led three expeditions to Tibet, believing that the region had been home to the Aryan race. According to influential occult groups such as the Thule Society, the Aryans were descended from the survivors of Atlantis who lived in an underground world ruled by priests.
Particular attention was paid to the runes of Germanic lore, which the Ahnenerbe believed held special significance if they could be interpreted correctly. Runes found in the Middle East convinced the Nazis that the Vikings had been in the region at some point, advancing their theory that the Aryans were the master race. In addition to the power of runes, they also believed that ancient artifacts like the Holy Lance and the Crown Jewels possessed mystical powers.
The Nazis’ interest in the mystical powers of runes was encouraged by influential social elites such as Guido von List, known among occult circles as a ‘runic revivalist.’ Later, Karl Willigut was responsible for their proliferation during the Third Reich. Willigut traced his own ancestry back to the ancient god, Wotan, the Germanic counterpart to Odin. Himmler believed that knowledge of runes would give him Odin’s wisdom.
The Ahnenerbe also believed that by measuring ancient monuments, they could uncover sacred geometry. In the ancient world, certain numbers and shapes had symbolic meaning, so a religious significance was applied to the figures.
The Ahnenerbe scholars believed that by researching their mythical heritage and uncovering its secrets, it would be possible to re-energize modern society with the völkische of old. Norse paganism was so firmly entrenched in the Ahnenerbe that it arguably became the embodiment of a Nazi religion, called the “German-Christian movement” by historians. Some scholars claim that the activities of the Ahnenerbe serve as the best evidence that the Nazis should be considered a full-blown religious cult.
The Ahnenerbe was not the only branch of government to be intimately linked with Norse paganism, however. The infamous S.S., also headed by Himmler, embraced many pagan influences. Himmler wanted the S.S. to resemble a Nordic knightly order, so he made the thunderbolt its symbol, inspired by the Norse God, Thor. At official gatherings, the swastika was often flanked by the Norse ‘Leben’ rune, the symbol of life. When turned upside down it implied death, and it was often used on the graves of fallen S.S. troops, replacing the cross as S.S. ideology rejected the Christian religion. Himmler actively endeavored to make the S.S. pagan and even based the structure of the group on the Order of Jesuits, albeit with Nordic elements. He encouraged his men to break ties with the Christian church and subscribe to pagan rituals instead. Even though most of the Nazi hierarchy claimed to be Roman Catholic, there is ample evidence to support the theory that this was simply a public front used to hide the fact that they were practicing pagans.
Conclusion
Norse mythology suffered an enormous blow to its reputation because of its close association with Nazism. After the fall of Nazi Germany, Norse mythology became a taboo subject and was avoided in academia for many years. Due to the fear of being labeled a Nazi sympathizer, scholarly research stagnated; Norse archeological expeditions were de-funded, and Viking mythology gained a negative reputation that it still has not completely overcome.
The public’s perception of Norse mythology has also suffered greatly. Even though the Norse myths are totally harmless and simply had the misfortune of being bastardized by the Nazis, most people still associated Viking mythology with Nazism and racism, and while its reputation has improved over the years, the association still stubbornly remains. The bad reputation is certainly not helped any by present-day neo-Nazis.
Although most followers of Norse mythology are well-intentioned, there are some who practice pagan religions with anti-Semitic overtones who identify themselves with neo-Nazi or Satanist groups. Norse mythology’s erroneous connection to White Supremacists and Nazism is further encouraged by those who flaunt the Nazis’ association to the myths by gathering at sites of neo-pagan importance to pay respect to Hitler and his minions. A large percentage of Wewelsburg Castle’s visitors are actually Neo-Nazis, visiting to honor Hitler and to perform religious rites at what was meant to be a pagan utopia.
All things considered, it is only natural that Norse mythology ended up with the reputation that it did. Considering Himmler’s obsession with the myths, the heroic sagas were naturally intertwined with many prominent aspects of Nazi society. Norse mythology’s influence on academics in the Ahnenerbe meant it severely distorted legitimate research, earning the scorn of academics later.
Additionally, its connection to the notorious S.S. meant that the reputation of Norse mythology was forever tainted in the eyes of the general public. Even after the fall of the Third Reich, undeniable proof of a connection to Norse mythology still lived on in the form of Wewelsburg Castle: a timeless memorial, and a monument to Nazi ideology.
Wewlsburg Castle, the Ahnenerbe, and the Schutzstaffel cemented the connection between Norse mythology and Nazism in the public’s mind. It stands to reason that Viking mythology would become a taboo subject as a result, with those who might have otherwise been interested in the myths avoiding them for fear of being labeled a Neo-Nazi. This is a truly lamentable state of affairs.
Works Cited
Arvidsson, Stefan. Aryan Idols: Indo-European Mythology as Ideology and Science. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 2006.
Epstein, Fritz. “War-Time Activities of the SS-Ahnenerbe.” On the Track of Terror: Essays Presented by the Weiner Society to Leonard G. Montefiore. 1960. 77-96.
Garson, Paul. New Images of Nazi Germany: A photographic Collection. McFarland & Company: North Carolina, 2012.
Kirkpatrick, Sidney. Hitler’s Holy Relics: A True Story of Nazi Plunder and the Race to Recover the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. Simon & Schuster: New York, 2010.
Levenda, Peter. Unholy Alliance: a History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult. Continuum International Publishing Group: New York, 1995.
Mees, Bernard. The Science of the Swastika. CEU Press: Budapest, 2008.
Sklar, Holly. The Nazis and the Occult. Dorset Press: New York, 1977.
Strmiska, Michael. Modern paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005.
Members I came acrros a good Blog about Norse Mythology and Nazi.
NOTE: This is shared cause we want to make members understand that Norse Mythology have nothing to do with Nazi!
Link to Blog: https://jasondarensburg.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/norse-mythology-and-the-nazis/
Introduction
After the carnage of World War II, Norse mythology became closely associated with Nazism: misinterpreted as malignant and rendered taboo for decades to come. Nazi Germany’s strong connection to Norse mythology is largely responsible for its negative reputation. The horrible atrocities committed by the Nazi regime forever tarnished the study of the Norse myths, causing them to become disregarded, even up to the present day. As a result, those who might have otherwise been interested in the incredible Viking myths and sagas avoided them for fear of being labeled a Nazi sympathizer. This is a tragedy, since Norse mythology does not in any way espouse or encourage Nazi ideology.
Because of its misuse by some factions within the party hierarchy, Norse myths have been unfairly maligned as an integral part of Nazi ideology.
Part I
Narratives played a pivotal role in Viking society, as they do in every culture. Myths about the Norse Gods helped the disparate tribes shape the legends about their history. This is particularly true in regards to their heroes. The various competing templates presented in the myths allowed the Norse people to relate the Gods’ own conflicted personalities to the struggles encountered in their everyday lives. Norse mythology offered these rugged individuals a way to reflect on the nature of reality and provided them with examples of how to deal with life’s problems.
With the advent of Christianity in Europe, Norse mythology largely faded into obscurity. The practice of paganism had several disadvantages in the face of Christian teachings. For one thing, paganism wasn’t an organized religion as such; it was more a conduit for transmitting traditions and moral lessons from one generation to the next.
Another compelling reason for the Vikings’ reluctant conversion to Christianity was for economic and political gain. The raids on the Frankish kingdoms and the British Isles brought increased contact with Christianity. Although the Vikings maintained their beliefs throughout their raiding period, there was considerable pressure on them to convert if they sought more peaceful relations with the Christians. With the monotheistic focus of Christianity, there suddenly was no more room for the Norse Gods in the everyday lives of most people. Eventually, the myths became a relic of the past; a simple set of folktales once believed by uncivilized heathens.
Following Germany’s humiliating defeat in World War I and with the signing of the Versailles Treaty, Norse mythology once again became a topic of interest for the country’s disinherited youth. Patriotic Germans sought to revitalize their culture by re-exploring their mythic “roots” in order to boost nationalism.
Adolf Hitler was swept into power in 1933 on a wave of nationalistic fervor. The symbol for the National Socialist Party was the swastika. The swastika is an ancient symbol, dating back 3,000 years. The symbol can be found in many cultures around the world, including in China, Japan, India, Europe, and native North American cultures. The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit “svastika.” Until the Nazis stole it, the swastika was used to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. In Norse mythology, the Swastika represented Thor’s hammer spinning. The ‘Black Sun’ (sonnenschwartz) is also derived from this symbol.
Part II
To counter the feelings of impotence and the stigma of defeat in the war, German nationalists began using the swastika as the party’s symbol because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins which represented a long Germanic history. Soon, the swastika could be found on nationalist German ‘volkisch’ periodicals such as Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels’ anti-semitic publication Ostara and a multitude of other places, including the emblem for the German youth movement Wandervogel; on various Freikorps units; and as an emblem of the esoteric Thule Society. In 1920, Adolf Hitler adopted the swastika as the official symbol of the Nazi Party.
Hitler’s Deputy Heinrich Himmler was a chief proponent of the Aryan myths. Many of Himmler’s attempts at revival were deeply entrenched in some form of Norse mythology. Wewelsburg Castle, the S.S. (Schutzstaffel), and the Ahnenerbe are three especially prolific examples of the way in which Himmler wove Norse mythology into mainstream Nazism.
Himmler envisioned that his knightly order, the S.S., would need an appropriate base of operations like the Knights of the Round Table from Arthurian legends, Beowulf, and King Hrolf’s Champions. Karl Maria Wiligut, an S.S. member known as “Himmler’s Rasputin,” brought Wewelsburg Castle to Himmler’s attention. The four-hundred-year-old fortress was located on the site where the battle of Teutoburg Forest had supposedly taken place. This was symbolically important to Himmler because it was where the German chieftain Hermann led his forces to victory against a far greater Roman army in 9 AD. The victory had a far-reaching effect on the nation’s psyche, because it marked the final advance of the Roman Empire onto German soil.
After an investment of almost 300 million Reich-marks and the utilization of slave labor to remodel the facility, Wewelsburg Castle was converted into a ritual space with specially designed rooms for the practice of paganism. The basement was remodeled to commemorate deceased S.S. heroes, and it was here that Himmler planned to be interred. The area was dedicated to Heinrich I, a Germanic king from the Viking age whom Himmler believed himself to be the reincarnation of.
On the ground floor were twelve rooms for each member of the Inner Twelve, which Himmler had decorated according to different ancient Norse figures. The Black Sun symbol decorated the floor of the main room, and the dining hall held a large table where rituals could be performed. This is reminiscent of Hrothgar’s Heorot.
The activities in the castle included weddings and christenings of Lebensborn for elite S.S. members. Some scholars have even claimed that men were beheaded and their blood drunk as part of rituals. True or not, this correlates with the enduring Nordic motif of drinking blood and eating body parts to gain preternatural wisdom.
Part III
Heinrich Himmler had the power to create government bureaucracies, and one of the departments he devised was the Ahnenerbe, also known as the “Ancestral Heritage Research and Teaching Organization.”It started out in 1935 as a small organization with the purpose of examining the heritage of the German people and educating them about the superiority of the Aryan race. Over time, the Ahnenerbe evolved to encompass several departments with an annual budget of more than a million Reich-marks. The organization allowed Himmler to pursue his mystical obsessions in a scholarly manner while the Nazis took control of German academia.
Although the Ahnenerbe did conduct some legitimate research, it had a poor scholarly reputation. Many of the so-called scholars derived their conclusions from occultist beliefs. Ernst Schafer, the famous Nazi explorer, led three expeditions to Tibet, believing that the region had been home to the Aryan race. According to influential occult groups such as the Thule Society, the Aryans were descended from the survivors of Atlantis who lived in an underground world ruled by priests.
Particular attention was paid to the runes of Germanic lore, which the Ahnenerbe believed held special significance if they could be interpreted correctly. Runes found in the Middle East convinced the Nazis that the Vikings had been in the region at some point, advancing their theory that the Aryans were the master race. In addition to the power of runes, they also believed that ancient artifacts like the Holy Lance and the Crown Jewels possessed mystical powers.
The Nazis’ interest in the mystical powers of runes was encouraged by influential social elites such as Guido von List, known among occult circles as a ‘runic revivalist.’ Later, Karl Willigut was responsible for their proliferation during the Third Reich. Willigut traced his own ancestry back to the ancient god, Wotan, the Germanic counterpart to Odin. Himmler believed that knowledge of runes would give him Odin’s wisdom.
The Ahnenerbe also believed that by measuring ancient monuments, they could uncover sacred geometry. In the ancient world, certain numbers and shapes had symbolic meaning, so a religious significance was applied to the figures.
The Ahnenerbe scholars believed that by researching their mythical heritage and uncovering its secrets, it would be possible to re-energize modern society with the völkische of old. Norse paganism was so firmly entrenched in the Ahnenerbe that it arguably became the embodiment of a Nazi religion, called the “German-Christian movement” by historians. Some scholars claim that the activities of the Ahnenerbe serve as the best evidence that the Nazis should be considered a full-blown religious cult.
The Ahnenerbe was not the only branch of government to be intimately linked with Norse paganism, however. The infamous S.S., also headed by Himmler, embraced many pagan influences. Himmler wanted the S.S. to resemble a Nordic knightly order, so he made the thunderbolt its symbol, inspired by the Norse God, Thor. At official gatherings, the swastika was often flanked by the Norse ‘Leben’ rune, the symbol of life. When turned upside down it implied death, and it was often used on the graves of fallen S.S. troops, replacing the cross as S.S. ideology rejected the Christian religion. Himmler actively endeavored to make the S.S. pagan and even based the structure of the group on the Order of Jesuits, albeit with Nordic elements. He encouraged his men to break ties with the Christian church and subscribe to pagan rituals instead. Even though most of the Nazi hierarchy claimed to be Roman Catholic, there is ample evidence to support the theory that this was simply a public front used to hide the fact that they were practicing pagans.
Conclusion
Norse mythology suffered an enormous blow to its reputation because of its close association with Nazism. After the fall of Nazi Germany, Norse mythology became a taboo subject and was avoided in academia for many years. Due to the fear of being labeled a Nazi sympathizer, scholarly research stagnated; Norse archeological expeditions were de-funded, and Viking mythology gained a negative reputation that it still has not completely overcome.
The public’s perception of Norse mythology has also suffered greatly. Even though the Norse myths are totally harmless and simply had the misfortune of being bastardized by the Nazis, most people still associated Viking mythology with Nazism and racism, and while its reputation has improved over the years, the association still stubbornly remains. The bad reputation is certainly not helped any by present-day neo-Nazis.
Although most followers of Norse mythology are well-intentioned, there are some who practice pagan religions with anti-Semitic overtones who identify themselves with neo-Nazi or Satanist groups. Norse mythology’s erroneous connection to White Supremacists and Nazism is further encouraged by those who flaunt the Nazis’ association to the myths by gathering at sites of neo-pagan importance to pay respect to Hitler and his minions. A large percentage of Wewelsburg Castle’s visitors are actually Neo-Nazis, visiting to honor Hitler and to perform religious rites at what was meant to be a pagan utopia.
All things considered, it is only natural that Norse mythology ended up with the reputation that it did. Considering Himmler’s obsession with the myths, the heroic sagas were naturally intertwined with many prominent aspects of Nazi society. Norse mythology’s influence on academics in the Ahnenerbe meant it severely distorted legitimate research, earning the scorn of academics later.
Additionally, its connection to the notorious S.S. meant that the reputation of Norse mythology was forever tainted in the eyes of the general public. Even after the fall of the Third Reich, undeniable proof of a connection to Norse mythology still lived on in the form of Wewelsburg Castle: a timeless memorial, and a monument to Nazi ideology.
Wewlsburg Castle, the Ahnenerbe, and the Schutzstaffel cemented the connection between Norse mythology and Nazism in the public’s mind. It stands to reason that Viking mythology would become a taboo subject as a result, with those who might have otherwise been interested in the myths avoiding them for fear of being labeled a Neo-Nazi. This is a truly lamentable state of affairs.
Works Cited
Arvidsson, Stefan. Aryan Idols: Indo-European Mythology as Ideology and Science. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 2006.
Epstein, Fritz. “War-Time Activities of the SS-Ahnenerbe.” On the Track of Terror: Essays Presented by the Weiner Society to Leonard G. Montefiore. 1960. 77-96.
Garson, Paul. New Images of Nazi Germany: A photographic Collection. McFarland & Company: North Carolina, 2012.
Kirkpatrick, Sidney. Hitler’s Holy Relics: A True Story of Nazi Plunder and the Race to Recover the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. Simon & Schuster: New York, 2010.
Levenda, Peter. Unholy Alliance: a History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult. Continuum International Publishing Group: New York, 1995.
Mees, Bernard. The Science of the Swastika. CEU Press: Budapest, 2008.
Sklar, Holly. The Nazis and the Occult. Dorset Press: New York, 1977.
Strmiska, Michael. Modern paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005.