Othala

The Othala rune (ᛟ), also known as the Odal rune, represents the o-sound in the writing system of the Elder Futhark from the 3rd to the 8th century. Its name is derived from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic ōþala-, meaning "inheritance; heritage, inherited property." ēðel is attested in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc and expresses the Old English phoneme œ from the 5th to the 11th century. The rune is not continued in the Younger Futhark and disappears from Scandinavian records around the 8th century.

The rune continues to be used in both heathenry and broader cultural contexts, such as in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Like other historically used European symbols, such as the swastika, Othala was adopted by right-wing extremist groups like the Nazi Party and neo-Nazis. The symbol derived from Othala by adding serifs (feet) is exclusively associated with the far-right and is banned in Germany due to laws restricting Nazi symbols, as well as in other similar organisations.

Name and Etymology
The common Germanic root ōþala- or ōþila- meaning "inheritance" is an ablaut variant of the root aþal-. It consists of a root aþ- and a suffix -ila- or -ala-. The suffix variant gives the umlauted form ēþel. The Germanic aþal- meant approximately "nobility," and the derivation aþala- could express "descent, (noble) family, ancestry" and thus "nobleman, prince" (hence Old English ætheling), but also "inheritance, heritage, property, possession." The etymology of the word is unclear, but it is generally compared with atta meaning "father" (cf. the name Attila, which is ultimately baby-talk for "father").

There is an obvious but disputed etymological connection between Odal and Adel (Old High German adal or edil), meaning nobility, noble lineage, or an exclusive group with higher social status; aristocracy, typically associated with large land ownership and fortified structures.

The term oþal (Old High German uodal) is a defining element in some Germanic names, particularly Ulrich and variants; the root aþal is more common and found in Gothic names like Athalaric, Ataulf, etc., and in Old High German names like Adalbert and Adel. Unrelated, but etymologically difficult to separate, is the root aud- meaning "wealth, property, possession, prosperity"; from this root come names like Edmund and other English names with the prefix ed (from Old English ead), German Otto, and various Germanic names beginning with ed- or od-. Possibly related is euþa, euþu, a word for "child, offspring" (attested in Old Norse jóð, and possibly in the name Iuthungi).

Odal was associated with inheritance in ancient Scandinavian property law. Some of these laws are still in effect today, regulating property ownership in Norway. These include Åsetesrett (house rights) and Odelsrett (allodial rights). The tradition of Udal law on the Scottish Shetland and Orkney Islands, as well as in Manx law on the Isle of Man, has the same origin.

Elder Futhark O-rune
The o-rune is already attested in inscriptions from the 3rd century, such as in the Thorsberg Chape (DR7) and the Vimose Planer (Vimose-Høvelen, DR 206). The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐍉 (derived from the Greek Ω), which was called oþal.

Wolfgang Krause (1964) speculates that the o-rune in the Thorsberg Chape inscription was used as an ideogram for "possession." The inscription reads owlþuþewaz, which Krause interprets as O[þila] - W[u]lþu-þewaz, "inherited possession - the servant of Wulþuz."

The Odal rune appears in some transitional inscriptions from the 6th or 7th century, such as the runestones from Gummarp, Björketorp, and Stentoften, but disappears around the 8th century. The Old Norse o-phoneme is now written in the Younger Futhark with the same letter as the u-phoneme, the Ur-rune.

Anglo-Saxon œ-rune
In the Anglo-Saxon runes, all 24 runes of the Elder Futhark are preserved (aside from some innovations), but in some cases, these runes have received new phonetic values due to Anglo-Frisian sound changes. The Odal rune is one such case: The o-sound in the Anglo-Saxon system is now expressed by ōs ᚩ, a derivative of the old Ansuz rune; the Odal rune is now known as ēðel (with umlaut due to the form ōþila-) and is used to express the œ-sound, but it is rarely attested in epigraphy (aside from appearing simply in a Futhark sequence). Epigraphic evidence includes:

• The Frisian Westeremdener Eibenstock, possibly as part of a first name Ƿimod (Ƿimœd)
• The Harford brooch (Norfolk), dated around 650, in a finite verb form: luda
  œtæsigilæ "Luda has repaired the brooch"
• The left panel of the Frankish casket, twice: tƿœgen gibroþær afœddæ hiæ ƿylif "two brothers (i.e., Romulus and Remus), a she-wolf nurtured them."

The Anglo-Saxon rune poem preserves the meaning of the rune as "an inherited estate":

ᛟ byþ oferleof æghƿylcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.

[An estate] is dearly loved by every man,
if he can enjoy there in his house
what is just and right in constant prosperity.

In some manuscripts and rune inscriptions, such as the Seax of Beagnoth, Othala is written with a single vertical stroke instead of the two diagonal arms, which has been suggested as a simplified form of the rune.

Modern Use

Far-right Groups
The symbol derived from Othala, with wings or feet (serifs), was the insignia of the SS Race and Settlement Main Office, responsible for maintaining the racial purity of the SS (Schutzstaffel), and the emblem of the Volksdeutsche 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division "Prinz Eugen," which operated in the Nazi-supported Independent State of Croatia during World War II. This depiction has been used by the neo-Nazi Viking Youth in Germany and by groups in South Africa such as the Anglo-Afrikaner Bond, Boeremag, Blanke Bevrydingsbeweging, and the Italian neofascist group National Vanguard.

It was used by the Afrikaner Student Federation and the far-right White Liberation Movement.

In November 2016, the leadership of the National Socialist Movement announced its intention to replace the swastika with the Othala rune on their uniforms and party clothing to enter mainstream politics.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held from February 25–28, 2021, in Orlando, Florida, the floor design of the main stage resembled the Othala rune with wings/feet, which led to speculation on social media about why this design was chosen. CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp called the comparisons "outrageous and defamatory." The design firm Design Foundry later took responsibility for the stage design, stating they "sought the best use of space given ballroom limitations and social distancing requirements." Ian Walters, communications director for the ACU and CPAC, explained that they would no longer use Design Foundry.

The symbol was used, along with other symbols and slogans associated with Nazism and far-right extremism, by the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shooting, Brenton Harrison Tarrant.

In April 2014, the British clothing company Topman apologised for using the Othala rune in one of its clothing lines, as it had been adopted by far-right groups.

Heathenry
Othala and other runes often play an important role in the practices of heathens and are frequently used to decorate objects and for tattoos.

The use of runes like Othala by far-right groups has been strongly condemned by some integrative heathen groups, including Asatru UK, which stated in a public declaration that it is "categorically against fascist movements or any movements that use the symbols of our faith for hate."

Other
Like other historical runes, Othala is used by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit on Thorin's map of Erebor and in the Dwarvish writing system Cirth, which is used in The Lord of the Rings and described in Tolkien's legendarium.

Othala is also used as a symbol for the "Lore" resource in Northgard, which was released in 2018.