Throughout the turn of the century, alt right wing, and white supremacy groups has emerged, and is now predominate in media, and the American society of now. Additionally, these groups have taken a keen eye and interest in so called “Viking” culture, as their genetic roots, and have been a scapegoat to account for their violent acts. These groups turn to the raiding’s of Vikings, and their supposed culture, and lifestyle. More so, they contribute the fact that Vikings made their way to North America, with the example of 10thcentury Vikings, led by Leif Erikson, the most well-known Viking explorer, making his way, and proclaiming the north-eastern coast as Vinland. These alt right groups have been known for saying “Hail Vinland. Going along with culture, these groups have embraced Odinism, and aligning themselves with Nordic Gods, and even going as far as to dressing up as stereotypical Vikings, to protest their beliefs in anti-immigration, gun rights, and others. In this blog, it’ll be discussed more recent current events, and how Odinism stems from other hate groups, and why the hate groups got the Viking culture for the most part wrong.
Even as of two weeks ago on October 27th, 2018, an extreme alt right member Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. With the tragic shooting of elder Jewish people, in which one of them was a holocaust survivor comes with the question, in specific with the article, how are Vikings, and their culture involved with an anti-sematic act? Well it goes hand in hand with the group called Christian Identity, or CI. As radical Christian groups were the predominating main racial, anti-sematic terrorist group, Odinism evolved, and is on the rise to take the place of Christian Identity. As the people who practice Odinism mirrors Christian Identity with anti-sematic views, and other racial ideas, as an example of what Robert Bowers quoted the premise of John 8:44 “Jews are Satan’s children”. Additionally, Odinism brings the concept to follow the history and chivalry that Vikings practices.
However, we all know that these groups like to stretch, and alter the truth, and history. As Vikings in reality did not only do raids, they were scholars, as Viking currency, and Muslim currency is found as a trade off in their respective cultures. It is evident that through the writings of Ibn Fadlan. He described Vikings as “The filthiest of God’s creatures”. Which in fact the Alt right have upholded truthfully. Other than that, Vikings did interact with other cultures, with or without raids. Additionally, Vikings almost consider women as equals. Although arranged marriages, and some misogyny was there in the culture, female warriors were founded alongside male warriors at grave sites, and ship wreckages. Showing that women can fight, alongside with men, and can be equals.
In conclusion, racist hate groups, that follow the Viking culture, most notably Odinism, stems from Christian hate groups, as they both derive off of anti-semantic, and racist ideals. Why Odinism gives these racist people achance to dress up, and “explore” the culture, the truth is Vikings weren’t all that hateful. Sure, raiding’s were a thing, but at the end they were scholarly explorers as well.
Another thing I have noticed about Odinism in particular is the cult-like behavior within its belief system. There are many Heathens out there that are normal people, but Odinists in particular act like a cult in many ways with a central figure that takes up all the attention as a point of worship and many cult of personalities with leaders in the system like Steven McNallen, a white supremacist heathen.
ReplyDeleteI like how thoroughly you covered this topic, and how relevant it is to todays world. The alt right groups that have taken over the heritage of the vikings have chronically misused it, with their ideas of an all white nation, patriarchal ideals, and violence against minorities that were never represented by the vikings themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting point, the evidence and research done into the topic was obviously done with great accuracy and thoroughness. This post offers a great insight into the world as well as the modern political climate (at least the political climate of white supremacist groups.). This offers great insight, as well, into the warping of the past for the benefit of some people, using the Viking groups of the alt right as an example of a some what world wide phenomenon.
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