I went on Court TV last night, and made the mistake of reading the comments. It amazes me that even after explaining the difference between Asatru, Heathenry, and Odinism, people are still insisting they are all the same.
Just a reminder -
Odinism: a prison gang with religious influences founded in the 1970's by Else Christensen. Their primary focus is white nationalism. Odinism is the official religion of the National Socialist Movement among other racist gangs. This is essentially the Westboro Baptist Church or the Warren Jeffs group of Norse/Germanic Pagans. Many Odinists are Odinist because they reject Christianity due to its ties to Judaism.
Asatru: Meaning "True to the Gods" this form of Norse Paganism was revived in the late 1960's and early 1970's across Europe and the US. In the United States, it has taken on a more racist tone, with members focused on racial purity of members. Keep in mind, in Europe and South America, Asatru is NOT always racist.
Heathenry: An umbrella term for any of the pre-Christian religions of Northern Europe. Most Heathens are inclusive, which means we believe anyone can worship the gods. They make up a majority of modern Norse/Germanic Pagans in the world.
Odinite: a rock
Now, to put this in perspective:
The guards?
Heathen
The guys in town?
Asatru
I have yet to see anyone who is actually an Odinist named in this case.
The problem I have with the defense's assertions is they don't know the difference, and it's a big one. They also don't understand the mythology. They tried to turn the symbology to Odin hanging from a tree, but miss that story is about self sacrifice for knowledge. Their assertations these are all "Odinites" reads to me like someone said "This has all the hallmarks of a murder committed by Catholics, so let's go arrest the Mormons."
In addition, there has been exactly one murder tied to Odinism -
Varg Vikernes, a black metal musician, killed his bandmate.