Woden's Cross / Odin's Cross
The pagan Woden's Cross pre-dates the Christian symbol by thousands of years.
Woden's Cross / Odin's Cross
Woden's Cross
And here's another wheel that people mistake to be a cross. Like Taranis, Woden was not supposed to represent the Sun.
Woden was a bit of a trouble-maker; fond of starting wars and carrying off the dead from the battle field. The wheel represents the turning of life, into death. Perhaps this is why Hitler was fond of another rotating wheeled cross, the Swastika. In more recent times, Woden's Cross has been adopted by white nationalists. (See also the Yellow Cross.) These people glorify Aryan, Teutonic and Norse heritage, hence their appropriation of Woden's Cross and similar symbols.
Like the Taranis symbol, Woden's symbol is neither a cross nor represents the Sun. Indeed, Woden's legacy has given us the middle of the week, Wednesday, the day that's furthest away from Sunday.
Where Woden was a Germanic god, a deity with similar attributes further north was the Norse god Odin. (Woden and Odin are usually considered to be the same god.) In Norse mythology, Odin was the highest ranking god and his symbol was a cross in a circle. Being the leader of the Wild Hunt, streaming across the skies in his chariot pulled by white horses, he is one of the foremost candidates for being the original Santa Claus. (See also St. Nicholas's Cross.)
"Wednesday's child is full of woe."
Rather strange that Odin (or Woden), that grumpy old god, should be associated with Santa.
See also Sun Cross
