Othala (), also known as ēðel and odal, is a rune that represents the o and œ phonemes in the Elder Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc writing systems respectively. Its name is derived from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic * ōþala- "heritage; inheritance, inherited estate". As it does not occur in Younger Futhark, it disappears from the Scandinavian record around the 8th century, but its usage continued in England into the 11th century, where it was sometimes further used in manuscripts as a shorthand for the word ēðel ("homeland"), similarly to how other runes were sometimes used at the time. The rune may also be the origin of the Gothic letter 𐍉 ("utal"), used by Wulfila in the 4th century CE for his Gothic Bible, although Greek letters may also have been used as a source.
As with other symbols used historically in Europe such as the swastika and Celtic cross, othala has been appropriated by far-right groups such as the Nazi party and neo-Nazis, who have used it to represent ideas like Aryan race heritage, a usage that is wholly modern and not attested in any ancient or medieval source. The rune also continues to be used in non-racist contexts, both in Heathenry and in wider popular culture such as the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and video games.
Name and etymology
The sole attested name of the rune is , meaning "homeland". Based on this, and cognates in other Germanic languages such as and , the can be reconstructed, meaning "ancestral land", "the land owned by one's kin", and by extension "property" or "inheritance". *ōþalą is in turn derived from , meaning "nobility" and "disposition".
Terms derived from *ōþalą are formative elements in some , notably Ulrich.
The term "odal" () refers to Scandinavian laws of inheritance which established land rights for families that had owned that parcel of land over a number of generations, restricting its sale to others. Among other aspects, this protected the inheritance rights of daughters against males from outside the immediate family. Some of these laws remain in effect today in Norway as the Odelsrett (allodial right). The tradition of Udal law found in Shetland, Orkney, and the Isle of Man, is from the same origin.
Elder Futhark o-rune
The
o-rune is attested early, in inscriptions from the 3rd century, such as the
Thorsberg chape (
DR7) and the Vimose planer (
Vimose-Høvelen,
DR 206).
The corresponding [[Gothic letter|Gothic alphabet]] is (derived from Greek [[Ω|Omega]]), which had the name ''oþal''. The othala rune is found in some transitional inscriptions of the 6th or 7th century, such as the Gummarp, Björketorp and Stentoften runestones, but it disappears from the Scandinavian record by the 8th century. The [[Old Norse]] ''o'' phoneme at this time becomes written in [[Younger Futhark]] in the same way as the ''u'' phoneme, with the [[Ur rune]].
It has been suggested that the othala rune on the Ring of Pietroassa is used to represent the word "*oþal", referencing the ring as hereditary treasure. Similarly, Wolfgang Krause speculated that the o rune is used as an ideograph denoting possession in the Thorsberg chape inscription, reading the inscription owlþuþewaz as Oþila - Wulþu-þewaz "inherited property - the servant of Ullr".[Krause, Wolfgang, 'Die Runendenkmäler und ihre Sprache' In: Von der Bronzezeit bis zur Völkerwanderungszeit, (ed.) Klose, Olaf. Neumünster 1964 reprint, 311-325.][Krause, Wolfgang, Herbert Jankuhn. Die Runeninschriften im älteren Futhark, Göttingen, 1966.][The interpretation by Krause follows an earlier suggestion by Helmut Arntz, Handbuch der Runenkunde, 2nd ed., Halle/Saale 1944.]
Anglo-Saxon œ-rune
Usage and shape
The Anglo-Saxon runes preserve the full set of 24 Elder Futhark runes (as well as introducing innovations), but in some cases these runes are given new sound values due to
Anglo-Frisian sound changes. The othala rune is such a case: the
o sound in the Anglo-Saxon system is now expressed by
ōs ᚩ, a derivation of the old
Ansuz rune; the othala rune is known in
Old English as
ēðel (with umlaut due to the form
ōþila-) and is used to express an
œ sound, but is attested only rarely in epigraphy (outside of simply appearing in a futhark row). In some runic inscriptions, such as on the Seax of Beagnoth, and more commonly in manuscripts, othala is written with a single vertical line instead of the two diagonal legs, perhaps due to its simpler form.
The rune is also used as a shorthand for the word ēþel or œþel ("ancestral property or land") in texts such as Beowulf, Waldere and the Old English translation of Orosius' Historiae adversus paganos. This is similar to wider practices of the time, in which runes such as , and were also used as shorthands to write the name of the rune.
Notable attestations
Epigraphical attestations include:
-
the Frisian Westeremden yew-stick, possibly as part of a given name Ƿimod ( Ƿimœd)
-
the Harford (Norfolk) brooch, dated c. 650, in a finite verb form: luda:gibœtæsigilæ "Luda repaired the brooch"
-
the left panel of the Franks Casket, twice: tƿœgen gibroþær afœddæ hiæ ƿylif "two brothers (scil. Romulus and Remus), a she-wolf nourished them".
Rune poem
The Anglo-Saxon rune poem preserves the meaning "an inherited estate" for the rune name:
|
bẏþ oferleof æghƿẏlcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerẏsena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
| style="padding-left:20pt;" |
An is very dear to every man,
if he can enjoy there in his house
whatever is right and proper in constant prosperity.
|
Relation to the Gothic alphabet
The letter in the
Gothic alphabet 𐍉 was used in the 4th century CE by
Wulfila to represent an "o" sound in his
Gothic Bible, and may be derived from ᛟ. Alternatively, it may be derived from the
Greek alphabet Ω (omega), which closely resembles both, or
Omicron (omicron). Its name, utal, is further cognate with "othala".
Modern use
Far-right iconography
The othala rune, like some other runes, was adopted as an occult symbol by German
Nazi occultists and thereof in the 1930s, later being adopted by the German
Schutzstaffel (SS) as an
SS-rune to symbolise kinship, family and blood ties within the
Aryan race. The SS modified the symbol with
serifs, also called "feet" or "wings", subsequently being nicknamed "Winged Othala" and thereof in modern times. It was subsequently used by various military divisions within the German Army during World War II and also became the badge of the SS Race and Settlement Main Office, which was responsible for maintaining the racial purity of the SS.
After World War II, this symbol has seen continued by Neo-Nazis and similar far-right collectives. White supremacists who use the rune often claim it symbolises the heritage or land of "White people" or "Aryan race" people which should be free from foreigners. Usages such as these are not attested in any source from before the modern period, being invented by members of these groups.
Popular culture
Othala is widely used in popular culture, including by J.R.R. Tolkien along with other historical runes in
The Hobbit, as seen on Thror's map of
Erebor. These further form the base for the dwarvish
Cirth writing systems used in The Lord of the Rings and described in Tolkien's Legendarium. The rune is also used as the symbol for the "Lore" resource in Northgard, released in 2018, and in Stargate SG-1, Othala is a world in the Ida Galaxy where the Asgard had lived. The Anti-Defamation League notes that because it is part of the runic alphabet, the othala rune is often used in non-racist manners, such as these, and should be interpreted in conjunction with its context.
Heathenry
Othala, along with other runes more widely, often feature prominently in the practices of Heathens, and are commonly used to decorate items and in tattoos. The use of runes such as othala by far-right groups has been strongly condemned by some Heathen groups, including
Asatru UK which released a public statement that "it is categorically opposed to fascist movements, or any movements, using the symbols of our faith for hate".
See also
Bibliography
Primary
Secondary
External links
