First Anglecyn Church of Odin

The First Anglecyn Church of Odin was founded in 1936 in Melbourne, Australia by Alexander Rud Mills, an early proponent of modern Odinism. Mills, a barrister and writer, sought to revive what he considered the ancient religion of the "British race", which he believed was more natural and spiritually fitting than Christianity. His theological framework centered on Odin as the supreme deity, integrating elements of Norse mythology with an ideological blend heavily influenced by Aryan and racialist thought.

Mills authored several influential texts, including The First Guide Book to the Anglecyn Church of Odin (1936) and The Odinist Religion: Overcoming Jewish Christianity (1939). These works provided liturgical guidelines and hymns for the church, drawing heavily on Anglican liturgical forms while infusing them with anti-Christian and anti-Semitic sentiments. During World War II, Mills was interned by the Australian government for his Nazi sympathies, which suppressed the church's activities. Despite this, his writings continued to influence later generations of Odinist and Ásatrú practitioners.

Offshoots

One significant offshoot inspired by the First Anglecyn Church of Odin was the Odinist Fellowship, founded by Else Christensen in the United States. Christensen, often referred to as the "Folk Mother", was heavily influenced by Alexander Rud Mills's writings and vision for a racially-focused Odinism. She established the Odinist Fellowship in the 1960s, aiming to promote the practice of Odinism within a framework that emphasized the cultural and racial heritage of people of European descent. Christensen's organization became a key player in the modern Odinist movement, spreading Mills's ideas and integrating them into a broader neopagan context.

Kerry Bolton, a New Zealand-based far-right activist and writer, also drew inspiration from the First Anglecyn Church of Odin. In 1980, he founded the Church of Odin as a branch of Mills's original church. Bolton's Church of Odin also considers Christensen's Odinist Fellowship as a parent organization, maintaining strong ideological and organizational ties. Bolton's iteration of the church continued to emphasize the racial and cultural aspects of Odinism, aligning with Mills's original vision and integrating it with his far-right political activities.

Works cited

• Bird, David S. (2014). Nazi Dreamtime: Australian Enthusiasts for Hitler’s Germany. London: Anthem. ISBN 978-1-78308-124-0.
• Introvigne, Massimo (2016). Satanism: A Social History. Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 978-9004244962.
• Winter, Barbara (2005). Dreaming of a National Socialist Australia: The Australia-First Movement and The Publicist, 1936-1942. Brisbane: Glass House Books. ISBN 978-1-876819-91-0.
• Wood, A. P. (2023). Shadow Worlds: A History of the Occult and Esoteric in New Zealand. Massey University Press. ISBN 978-1991016379.