Wolfsangel
Encyclopedia
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
. It is also known as the Wolf's Hook or Doppelhaken. The upright variant is also known as "thunderbolt
Thunderbolt
A thunderbolt is a discharge of lightning accompanied by a loud thunderclap or its symbolic representation. In its original usage the word may also have been a description of meteors, or, as Plato suggested in Timaeus, of the consequences of a close approach between two planetary cosmic bodies,...
" (Donnerkeil) and the horizontal variant as "werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
".
Historically, the symbol possibly originated as a mason's mark
Mason's mark
A mason's mark is a symbol often found on dressed stone in buildings and other public structures.-In stonemasonry:Scottish rules issued in 1598 stated that on admission to the guild, every mason had to enter his name and his mark in a register....
and was used as a heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
symbol in coats of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. Today, the symbol appears in numerous city coats of arms. Due to its use by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, along with continuing use by Neo-Nazi organizations, the symbol is sometimes associated with Nazism as are many of the old folk symbols of the Germanic peoples
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
, most notably the swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
.
Origins
Heraldry
The term Wolfsangel is often used to describe three distinct heraldic chargesCharge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
. Incorrectly for the cramp or cramp iron (ger. Mauerhaken or Doppelhaken) as well as for two variants of the actual wolftrap (ger. respectively Wolfsanker and Wolfshaken).
The name Wolfsangel appears in a 1714 heraldic handbook, Wappenkunst, associated with a different symbol:
- Wolffs-Angel, frantz. hamecon, lat. uncus quo lupi capiuntur, ist die Form eines halben Mondes und hat inwendig in der Mitte einen Ring.
- "Wolffs-Angel, French hamecon, Latin uncus quo lupi capiuntur ("hook with which wolves are caught"), is the shape of a crescent moon with a ring inside, at mid-height"
The above quote, although, written for the Wolfsangel is obviouly referring to the Anchor (see below) for the Wolfsangel and not the Wolfsangel or “Wolf’s-hook” proper
The modern residents of Wolfach
Wolfach
Wolfach is a city in the Black forest and part of the Ortenaukreis in Baden-Württemberg .- Geographical position :Wolfach lies where the 2 rivers Wolf and Kinzig meet in the Kinzig valley...
in the middle of the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
, whose town arms feature the Wolfsangel, are clearly under the impression that the sign was adopted by the mediaeval Lords of Wolfach to betoken their efforts to colonize the Black Forest and tame its wildness.
Wolf Trap
It is likely that the Wolfsangel was originally a hunting or rather trapping tool used to capture wolves. There are two parts to a Wolfsangel; the first part is the anchor and can be seen in the Arms of the von Stein family, the anchor was used to attach the trap to a tree; the other part is the hook which is the traditional "Z" shaped symbol, it was suspended from the anchor by a long chain, on to which meat was placed for the wolf to eat and capture itself on the sharp hook.Mason's Marks
Many people believe the sign originated as a mason's markMason's mark
A mason's mark is a symbol often found on dressed stone in buildings and other public structures.-In stonemasonry:Scottish rules issued in 1598 stated that on admission to the guild, every mason had to enter his name and his mark in a register....
as seen in 13th to 16th century stonework. More likely, the cramp iron which is commonly confused with the Wolfshaken, might have originated as a building tool.
Alleged Runic Origins
While the symbol itself bears a parallel to the EihwazEihwaz
Eiwaz or Eihaz was a Proto-Germanic word for "yew", and the reconstructed name of the rune ....
rune, none of the modern symbols now called the Wolfsangel are historically part of any runic alphabet.
The earliest documented claim that the shape is runic in origin can be traced to Guido von List
Guido von List
Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List was an Austrian/German poet, journalist, writer, businessman and dealer of leather goods, mountaineer, hiker, dramatist, playwright, and rower, but was most notable as an occultist and völkisch author who is seen as one of the most important...
's alleged mental vision of 18 "Armanen runes
Armanen runes
The Armanen runes, or Armanen 'Futharkh' as Guido von List referred to them, are a row of 18 runes that are closely based in shape on the Younger Futhark...
" in 1902—which is to say that it is without historical basis. The figure he calls the "Gibor
Gibor
Gibor is one of the Armanen runes devised by Guido von List in 1902 .There is no historical Gibor rune . Its shape is similar to that of the Wolfsangel symbol.List associated his Gibor rune with the final stanza of the Rúnatal Gibor is one of the Armanen runes devised by Guido von List in 1902...
rune" has a similar shape, and he attributes to it a g sound. However, the shape of Gibor was 'altered' in the 1930s to more closely fit with the idea that the Wolfsangel IS the same as Gibor, when in fact the form of the Gibor rune, as originally envisaged by von List is somewhat different. According to List, it is the 18th and final member of the alleged original rune row (the Younger Futhark
Younger Futhark
The Younger Futhark, also called Scandinavian runes, is a runic alphabet, a reduced form of the Elder Futhark, consisting of only 16 characters, in use from ca. 800 CE...
has 16 runes). Due to this, the Wolfsangel sometimes appears listed as the 34th rune in Armanen row-influenced esoteric contexts, but the Futhorc actually only has 33 runes.
Fiction
In 1910, Hermann LönsHermann Löns
Hermann Löns was a German journalist and writer. He is most famous as "The Poet of the Heath" for his novels and poems celebrating the people and landscape of the North German moors, particularly the Lüneburg Heath in Lower Saxony. Löns is well known in Germany for his famous folksongs...
published a classic fiction book titled Der Wehrwolf (later published as Harm Wulf, a peasant chronicle and The Warwolf in English) set in a 17th-century German farming community during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. The main character of the book, Harm Wulf, adopts the wolfsangel as a badge against the occupying forces of the ruling princes. Some printings of this book, such as the 1940 edition, showcase a very visible wolfsangel on the book cover.
Television
In the supernatural TV drama True BloodTrue Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
, a pack of werewolves have the wolfsangel symbol branded on their bodies. In the prison drama Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
, characters belonging to the Aryan Brotherhood have the wolfsangel tattooed on them.
Religious Use
The Church of SatanChurch of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
has incorporated the symbol as, "a talisman of power representing nature in perfect balance." Along with the Black Sun it is used on various merchandise in their official emporium of jewellery and ritual accessories.
The symbol of Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
(a Christian Identity
Christian Identity
Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely affiliated believers and churches with a racialized theology. Many promote a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity.According to Chester L...
church) incorporates the Wolfsangel along with a sword, cross, crown, shield, and four rays of blue on a red background.
Third Reich Use
In Nazi Germany, the Wolfsangel was used by:- the 2. SS Division Das Reich2nd SS Division Das ReichThe 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was a Waffen-SS division during World War II. It is considered to be an elite formation amongst the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS....
- the 4. SS Polizei Division
- the 34. SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland
- the 60. Panzergrenadier-Division "Feldherrnhalle"
- the Sturmabteilung "Feldherrnhalle" Wachstandart Kampfrunen (Assault Unit—SA--"Warlord’s Hall" Guard Regiment
- the Hitlerjugend
- the NS-Volkswohlfahrt
- WerwölfeWerwolfWerwolf was the name given to a Nazi plan, which began development in 1944, to create a commando force which would operate behind enemy lines as the Allies advanced through Germany itself. Werwolf remained entirely ineffectual as a combat force, however, and in practical terms, its value as...
(Werewolves)
Neo-Nazi Use
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the symbol was used by the following Neo-Nazi organizations:
- the "Aktion Nationale Sozialisten / Nationale Aktivisten" (ANS/NA)
- the "Junge Front" (JF) section of the "Volkssozialistische Bewegung Deutschlands" (VSBD)
- the "Wiking-JugendWiking-JugendThe "Wiking-Jugend" was a German Neo-Nazi organization modelled after the Hitlerjugend.The Sozialistische Reichspartei was outlawed in 1952, together with its youth organization "Reichsjugend"...
" - the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Vitt Ariskt MotståndWhite Aryan Resistance (Sweden)White Aryan Resistance , also known as VAM, was a militant neo-nazi group active in Sweden between 1991 and 1993. The name of the group was derived from the US White supremacist organisation WAR however the point of the acronym is lost in the translation...
(White Aryan Resistance), which refers to the symbol as werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse... - the Right Wing ResistanceRight Wing ResistanceThe Right Wing Resistance was founded in Christchurch by a group of white nationalists led by Kyle Chapman, the former leader of the New Zealand National Front...
of New Zealand - the WolfsEngels ("wolfsangels")
Public exhibition of the symbol is illegal in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
if a connection with one of these groups is apparent. In Italy, the neofascist organization Terza Posizione
Terza Posizione
The Terza Posizione was a far right group founded in Rome in 1978 . The TP rejected both capitalism and socialism, looking instead to found a political and economic Third Position, with its main influence being Julius Evola...
used a modified wolfsangel as their symbol.
Music
The wolfsangel is sometimes used by artists working in various forms of media, most notably musical. Various neofolkNeofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
& martial musicians, related artists and fans have used the symbol for aesthetical approach. The symbol was once used extensively by Boyd Rice
Boyd Rice
Boyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
and Death In June
Death in June
Death in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P. and various...
. The wolfsangel has also appeared in use by Ulver and Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
. There are two bands called Wolfsangel, one is a Russian Folk Metal band, the other is a French white power band.
A stylized variant of the wolfsangel symbol appears on the cover sleeve to the Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
1977 hit single "Turn to Stone
Turn to Stone
"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is the opening track to the double album Out of the Blue. It was the first song released as a single from the LP. The single reached #18 in the U.K. charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. Out of four singles from the album, "Turn to...
". The Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
1980 album Conquest uses a similar symbol. The intent in both cases is unclear and neither is in an extremist context.