![BlackSun](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/BlackSun.svg)
The Black Sun (german: Schwarze Sonne) is a type of
sun wheel (German: ) symbol originating in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and later employed by
neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
s and other far-right individuals and groups. The symbol's design consists of twelve radial
''sig'' runes, similar to the symbols employed by the
SS in their logo. It first appeared in Nazi Germany as a design element in a castle at
Wewelsburg
Wewelsburg () is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the ''Landkreis'' of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The castle has a triangular ...
remodeled and expanded by the head of the SS,
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
, which he intended to be a center for the SS.
It is unknown whether the design had a name or held any particular significance among the SS. Its association with the
occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
originates with a 1991 German novel, ''Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo'' ("''The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo''"), by the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
ous author
Russell McCloud
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**R ...
. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer
Wilhelm Landig
The Landig Group ( de-AT, Landig Gruppe) was an occultist and neo- ''völkisch'' group formed in 1950, that first gathered for discussions at the studio of the designer Wilhelm Landig in the Margareten district of Vienna. The circle's most pro ...
as a substitute for the
Nazi swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
.
The
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and should be analysed in the context it appears, and not necessarily interpreted as a sign of
white supremacy
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White su ...
or racism.
Wewelsburg mosaic and the Nazi period
The symbol that later became known as the "black sun" originated in the early 20th century, with the first depiction being the Wewelsburg mosaic. In 1933,
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
, the head of the
SS, acquired
Wewelsburg
Wewelsburg () is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the ''Landkreis'' of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The castle has a triangular ...
, a castle near
Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...
in the German region of
Westphalia
Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants.
The territory of the regio ...
. Himmler intended to make the building into a center for the SS, and between 1936 and 1942, Himmler ordered the building expanded and rebuilt for ceremonial purposes. Himmler's remodeling included the Wewelsburg mosaic that was composed of twelve dark-green radially overlaid
''sig'' runes, such as those employed in the logo of the SS, on the white marble floor of the structure's north tower known as the "General's Hall" (). The intended significance of the image remains unknown.
Some scholars have suggested that the artist may have found inspiration from motifs found on decorative
Merovingian period
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
discs () from
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
, which have been suggested to
represent the sun, or it's passing through the year.
Neo-Nazism
![Black sun - Schwarze Sonne - neo nazi symbol as belt buckle - edit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Black_sun_-_Schwarze_Sonne_-_neo_nazi_symbol_as_belt_buckle_-_edit.jpg)
In the late 20th century, the Black Sun symbol became widely used by neo-fascist, neo-Nazi,
the far-right and
white nationalist
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...
s. The symbol often appears on extremist flags, t-shirts, posters, websites and in extremist publications associated with such groups. Modern far-right groups often refer to the symbol as the ''sun wheel'' or .
[Sources:
*
*]
The name "Black Sun" came into wider use after the publication of a 1991 occult thriller novel, ''Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo'' (''The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo''), by the pseudonymous author
Russell McCloud
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**R ...
. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer
Wilhelm Landig
The Landig Group ( de-AT, Landig Gruppe) was an occultist and neo- ''völkisch'' group formed in 1950, that first gathered for discussions at the studio of the designer Wilhelm Landig in the Margareten district of Vienna. The circle's most pro ...
as a substitute for the
Nazi swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
and a symbol for a mystic energy source that was supposed to renew the
Aryan race
The Aryan race is an obsolete historical race concept that emerged in the late-19th century to describe people of Proto-Indo-European heritage as a racial grouping. The terminology derives from the historical usage of Aryan, used by modern I ...
.
A number of far-right groups and individuals have utilised the symbol in their propaganda, including the
Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant and Australian neo-Nazi group
Antipodean Resistance, and the symbol was displayed by members of several extremist groups involved in the
Unite the Right rally
The Unite the Right rally was a white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, from August 11 to 12, 2017. Marchers included members of the alt-right, neo-Confederates, neo-fascists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, ...
in Charlottesville, Virginia.
[Sources:
*
*]
Along with other symbols from the Nazi era such as the , the
''Sig'' Armanen rune, and the , the black sun is employed by some neo-Nazi adherents of
Satanism
Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
. Scholar Chris Mathews writes:
The Ukrainian
Azov Regiment
The Special Operations Detachment "Azov" (), also known as the Azov Regiment ( uk, Полк «Азов», translit=Polk "Azov") and formerly the Azov Battalion ( uk, батальйон «Азов», translit=Batalion "Azov"), is a unit of the N ...
, founded in 2014, used the symbol as part of its logo.
Political scientist Ivan Gomza wrote in ''
Krytyka
''Krytyka'' ( uk, Критика; "Critique") is a Ukrainian intellectual monthly/bi-monthly magazine and publishing house dedicated to in-depth analysis of current affairs, culture and book reviews in Ukraine and the region. ''Krytyka'' was founde ...
'' that the illiberal connotations of the symbol in that logo are lost on most people in Ukraine, and the logo rather has an association with "a successful fighting unit that protects Ukraine." WotanJugend, a neo-Nazi group based in Kyiv and connected to the broader Azov political movement, has also used the Black Sun symbol to promote its group. During the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
,
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
tweeted
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
a photo of a female Ukrainian soldier for
International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...
. The soldier wore a symbol on her uniform that "appears to be the black sun symbol". After receiving complaints from social media users, NATO removed the tweet and stated "The post was removed when we realised it contained a symbol that we could not verify as official".
In May 2022,
a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York occurred. The shooter, a white supremacist, wore the Black Sun symbol on his body armor and placed it on the front of his digital manifesto. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and influencers subsequently spread misinformation linking the shooter with the Azov Regiment and the Ukrainian nation more broadly. However, the shooter makes no reference to the Azov Regiment in his manifesto, and Ukraine receives only a single mention in a section plagiarized from an earlier mass shooter's manifesto that predates the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 1 September 2022, a man with a Black Sun arm tattoo (Fernando André Sabag Montiel) attempted to assassinate Argentinian vice president
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President ...
.
Other uses
According to
Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
initiative ''Reporting Radicalism'', the Black Sun is also used by some
Modern pagan
Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...
and satanist groups as an esoteric symbol. They further note that it is sometimes used erroneously as a fashionable, aesthetic symbol, or misunderstood as having origins in ancient Scandinavian or Slavic cultures.
The
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and should be analysed in the context it appears, and not necessarily interpreted as a sign of white supremacy or racism.
See also
*
Esotericism in Germany and Austria
Germany and Austria have spawned many movements and practices in Western Esotericism, including Rosicrucianism, theosophy, anthroposophy and ariosophy, among others.
Early Esotericism
Knights Templar and Freemasonry
The original Knights Templ ...
*
Fascist symbolism
Fascist symbolism is the use of certain images and symbols which are designed to represent aspects of fascism. These include national symbols of historical importance, goals, and political policies. The best-known are the fasces, which was the or ...
*
*
*
List of occult symbols
The following is a list of symbols associated with the occult. This list shares a number of entries with the list of alchemical symbols as well as the list of sigils of demons.
__TOC__
List
See also
* Iconography
*Planet symbols
A planet s ...
*
Nazi symbolism
The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the ''swastika'', notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sole national flag in 1935. A ...
*
Sun cross
A sun cross, solar cross, or wheel cross is a solar symbol consisting of an equilateral cross inside a circle.
The design is frequently found in the symbolism of prehistoric cultures, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods of ...
*
Thule-Seminar
References
Informational notes
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Sun (Occult Symbol)
Esotericism
Fascist symbols
Germanic mysticism
Nazi symbolism
Neo-Nazi concepts
Solar symbols
Magic symbols
Occultism in Nazism