A Tragedy in Delphi
In the following weeks, I will share my notes on "Odinism," a religious cult which is now accused of having a role in the Delphi murders in Indiana.
On Valentine's Day, 2017, teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams were found in a wooded area, just off a section of the Delphi Historic Trail that runs parallel to Deer Creek.
There are endless ressources in the "true crime" podcast and YouTube world analysing the role that Richard Allen played in these Indiana murders, my voice is completely unnecessary there.
But recently, a new player has entered the field, exacerbating uncertainty and casting doubt on a case where there is still no clear motive.
That new player is Odinism, as reported by Rachel Sharp in The Independent yesterday:
“Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German,” his attorneys wrote in the documents seen by The Independent. Allen’s attorneys said that “possible Odinism signatures” were left behind by the killers at the crime scene, with the victims’ bodies staged by trees with branches and sticks laid across their bodies in the shape of pagan symbols. (Source: What is Odinism? Rachel Sharp, 15 October 2024)
Here is Sharp's description of Odinism, based on information sourced from the ADL:
Odinism is a pagan Norse religion with origins in ancient Viking and Nordic beliefs and pre-Christian European culture.
Sometimes referred to as Wotanism, it is seen as a “racist variant” of the pagan religious sect Asatru, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
And the Southern Poverty Law Centre:
“It sings the virtues of the tribe, or folk, strongly emphasizing genetic closeness. And it credits whites with building civilisation and an ethic of individual responsibility, even as they boldly slew wild boars, fought for their tribes and explored the far reaches of the known world.”
Based on my own experience around pagans of all kinds in-person and online since the 2000s, this definition of Odinism tracks. The ADL and the SPLC in particular tick off a few large boxes: white supremacy (including an obsession with DNA), a deep passion for the Viking aesthetic that spills into LARP (live-action role play), and a profound affinity for Nazi Germany.
In my next post(s), I'm going to see if I can dig at that surface definition of Odinism, look a little more closely at the "Odinite ritual" evidence, perhaps take a look at the role of sacrifice in these modern religious movements, and also talk about the pervasive presence of far-right eschatological ideology (often with strong ties to Christofascism) that enables white supremacy and nationalism.