Heathen Front - Ideology

Ideology

The Heathen Front was at times accused of neo-Nazism, white supremacism and anti-semitism. For example, a 2001 report by the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism describes the Svensk Hednisk Front (Swedish Heathen Front – SHF) as "an emerging Nazi organization" with an ideology blending "Odinism, anti-Christianity and antisemitism."

However, various chapters and groups within the Heathen Front claimed on their home pages that they rejected "all forms" of xenophobia, racism and racist violence.

On his own home page, Vikernes calls his world view Odalism. He describes "Odalism" as derived from Proto-Germanic ôþalan, "heritage," and Old Norse óðal, with meanings including "homeland," "inherited goods," and "distinguished family" and is a primarily Teutonic ethnic nationalist philosophy (folkish or "Völkisch") based on pride in one's own ancient cultural and religious traditions and rejection of those of outside cultures as less suited to one's nature. Its symbol is the Odal rune (ᛟ, sometimes called othala).

Odalists see all things as coming from somewhere specific and believe that everyone conceives of spirituality in their own terms, whether or not they believe in the existence of universal spiritual truths. Therefore, taking the terminology of spiritual ideas and the ideas themselves from culturally relevant sources is seen to allow the "self" a more precise understanding of spiritual ideas, because the terms will be more relevant and more in accord with a person's sense of identity. This led to a demand for ethnopluralism ("Europe of a hundred flags").

Although Odalism is a Germanic word and hence used only by Germanic nationalists, Vikernes states that it is an inclusive term that could theoretically be used by all Europeans and for that matter non-Europeans, including Christians, providing their philosophies belong to their ancestral cultural identity. It is like a mutually exclusive differentialism, but Odalists consider it progressive providing new ideas are developed and ancient ways not seen as a limitation; each culture can then develop in its own way.

Odal was also the name of a magazine that carried articles by the Nazi ideologist Richard Walther Darré. However, Vikernes chose the word because "inally, and perhaps most importantly, it is not a term tainted by history."