The conflict had been brewing for months, but now it was coming to a head. On one side stood the racists, claiming that Odin and Thor were gods of whiteness meant only to be worshipped by those with Nordic heritage.
On the other side were the practitioners who believed these gods transcended racial lines; they saw them as essential parts of their faith regardless of their skin color.
The tension between these two groups had become so great that members from both sides found themselves in an all-out war over which interpretation would prevail.
Although the leaders of Nazi Germany were obsessed with paganism and the occult, it has primarily been associated with multiculturalism here in the United States. But with the recent rise of right-wing extremism in America, we've seen a co-mingling of racism and paganism that has alarmed experts, activists, and Pagans. For racists, the faith and its offshoots serve as a cover and a recruiting tool.
Today, one of the largest white nationalist organizations in the US, the National Socialist Movement, has traded in their Swastikas and Totenkopfs for Pagan symbols, like the Othala rune. Similar groups have adopted Odinist phrases like "Faith, Family, and Folk." And while the Third Reich embraced the Othala rune in their time, the symbol is far less inflammatory or recognizable than the Swastika in the United States, enabling these groups to fly under the radar.
The anti-racist pagans had been fighting tooth and nail against their opponents. They used every means to reclaim the narrative around paganism before white supremacists could take it over. From peaceful protests to heated debates, they worked hard to ensure everyone knew what was at stake: freedom of religion and respect for all spiritual paths.
The far-rights association with ancient gods and magic might seem absurd to the outside world. But they have tied it up with specific acts of violence and terrorism—one member of Virginia’s neo-pagan white nationalist group, the Wolves of Vinland. Maurice Michaely, spent over two years in prison for burning down a black church in 2012. A free man now, Facebook posts from 2015 suggest Michaely is back at work with the Wolves.
In November 2015, three individuals connected to Asatru were arrested with a plot to ignite a race war. And in 2017, self-proclaimed “viking” and white supremacist Jeremy Christian was charged with stabbing two people to death on a train in Portland, Oregon.
But despite all this effort, things weren't getting any better; they seemed worse than ever before. So when news spread that a summit was being held to settle this debate once and for all, finally, everyone involved jumped at the chance to have their voices heard in person rather than through digital forums or social media platforms alone.
On the day of the summit, representatives from each camp met face-to-face to find common ground and develop an equitable solution that respected both perspectives sacrificing no one's beliefs or values. After hours upon hours of intense dialogue between them, something miraculous happened—they managed not just to reach a resolution but to do so without compromising either party’s core principles!
Considering this victory for tolerance and understanding over hatred and bigotry, multiple different religious backgrounds could find harmony within the same space - proving there is still hope left yet, even when tensions are high!