The Disturbing Origins and Meanings of Nazi Symbols

The Swastika and its Nazi Appropriation

• 💡 The swastika, known as the hawking or hooked cross, is the most heavily associated Nazi symbol, distinct from its traditional religious use by being tilted and having sharp points.
• 🚀 It was adopted by the Nazi precursor movement, the Völkisch movement, before the Nazis integrated it into their branding.

Runes and Mysticism in Nazi Ideology

• runes, particularly the sig runes (shaped like twin lightning bolts), represented the letters SS and the phrase "victory victory."
• 💀 The SS Totenkopf (death's head) skull and crossbones, despite its long history, was used by the SS as a reminder to be willing to sacrifice for the community.
• ☀️ The Black Sun, a mosaic in Himmler's castle, represented the pagan sun god of Germanic religions and has seen a resurgence among neo-Nazi groups.
• ✝️ The Broken Sun cross, associated with the German Faith Movement and occultism, aimed to move away from Christianity towards Germanic pagan roots.

Symbols of Power, Sacrifice, and Unity

• 🛡️ The crossed grenades shield was the emblem of the Dirlewanger Brigade, known for its brutal criminals.
• ⚔️ The Volksrune (sideways Z with a line) was based on a medieval wolf hunting device and associated with German liberty and independence.
• 🩸 The Alferun (inward tick) symbolized sacrifice, while the Eferun (outward tick) symbolized zeal, used by veteran groups and high-ranking officials respectively.
• 💀 The Lebensrune (branches up) symbolized life and was the emblem of the eugenics program, while the Totenrune (branches down) symbolized death, used on official documents for deceased personnel.
• ⬆️ The Tear rune (upward arrow) meant leadership in battle and was used on SS uniforms and graves.
• ✊ The Odal rune (diamond with legs) represented kinship, family, and blood unity, used by the SS race and settlement main office.
• 🔯 The Hagal rune (star-like shape) represented unshakable faith in the Nazi regime.
• 💰 The Hilot Zikin (combination of runes) was thought to mean prosperity, good fortune, and success.

Modern Co-opted Symbols and Coded Language

• 🗣️ The phrase "Blut und Boden" (blood and soil) referred to the connection between racial purity and the land, used as a rallying cry by neo-Nazi groups.
• 🇨🇵 The Celtic cross, when modified by neo-Nazis, resembles crosshairs and is used by various white nationalist groups.
• 🩸 The Blood Drop Cross of the KKK features a white cross in a red circle with a blood drop at its center, inspired by the yin-yang symbol.
• ☢️ The Atzvanin shield with a radiation warning sign is associated with the violent neo-Nazi group Atzvanin Division.
• ✌️ The "okay" hand sign has been twisted to represent "white power" (WP) with the thumb and index finger forming an O and the other three fingers pointing up.
• ➿ The Triskelion (triangle of three sevens) is popular among neo-Nazis, often replacing the swastika on flags.
• 🔢 "88" is a secret neo-Nazi code for "Heil Hitler" (H being the 8th letter), and "14" refers to the "14 Words" slogan of white supremacists.
• ⚡ The Fasces, a bundle of sticks with an axe, symbolized strength through unity in ancient Rome and is used by fascist movements.
• 🤝 The Hands of the Runesigners (clasped hands) was the logo of a Finnish neo-Nazi group.
• 〰️ The Greek Meander (continuous pattern of lines), colored black on a red flag, is associated with the Greek neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn.
• 🔤 The Frakur typeface is commonly associated with modern neo-Nazi groups, ironically banned by the original Nazis.
• ⚡ The Flash and Circle emblem, first used by the British Union of Fascists, features a lightning bolt through a blue circle on a white ring.
• 🐸 Pepe the Frog, originally a meme, was hijacked by extremists, with the "Groyper" version still used by some far-right groups.
• 🚩 The Kekistan flag, originating as a 4chan meme parodying Nazi Germany, features a green background with a geometric pattern replacing the swastika.
• 👢 Doc Martin boots with red or white shoelaces are sometimes worn by neo-Nazi skinheads, with laces often threaded to not cross.
• 🔨 The crossed hammers on a gear logo was created for a fictional neo-Nazi group in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and adopted by the real Hammer Skins group.
• 🇺🇸 The Confederate battle flag imagery has been adopted by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, echoing pro-slavery ideology.
• 🔺 The Valknut (three intersecting triangles) is popular in the heathenry movement and among pagan mysticism neo-Nazis.
• 🛡️ The American Front logo distorts the Southern Cross design with a bent line forming an 'A' inside the circle.
• ✊ The Aryan fist (white fist) is a white nationalist version of the Black Panther Party's black power fist.