Wewelsburg heraldic plaque

[Michael Fay]

SS Wewelsburg attributed Plaque

For your consideration,
This wooden plaque, as many of you are aware, has been pictured in many books describing it as being attributed to the Wewelsburg castle. As the previous owner stated “It was bought some years ago from Paderborn, near Wewelsburg.” It is thought to be an example of a runic heraldic crest, either a division or a specific personage. The runes are Sig, (Sigel) and Wyn(wunjo). So phonetically correspond to “S” and “W.” In ancient Elder Futhark, the runes meant Sowulo/Sol= sun and wunjo=perfection. In runic tradition when two runes are entwined together they are known as “bind-runes.”
I wonder to who or what this crest is actually meant to represent. Sadly, I have discovered the medieval rules of heraldry in Germany are not by any means standard, as opposed the case in Britain, where a very precise symbology (or language) was followed. Apparently, in Germany every fiefdom and their attendant royalty had heraldic symbols used in different ways and meaning different things than their neighbors. This meant that the heraldic symbols used can mean totally different things in all the various kingdoms of greater Germania. So even if the SS followed a specific tradition, it may be impossible to figure out (if they did not just re-invent their heraldic runic symbols as they saw fit, or follow Wiligut’s rules for runic meanings)
One hint is the image of small waves at the bottom of the plaque. So wind waves on a lake, most likely.
Does anyone have any ideas? I would be interested to hear them.
thanks,
-Michael

[Michael Fay]

wewelsburg

wewelsburg

[Michael Fay]

wewelsburg

last photo

[Anthony Evans]

Interesting Piece, I like the patina on the wood. All this is my theory. As far as the symbols if it deals with wewelsburg and during ww2 era you can be pretty sure that Himmler or Wiliguit had the symbols translated from Wilguits research of the Hagal Journals he published. Interesting dagger on it, the cross guards have a curl to them. I would look that up. as far as the "waves" as you mentioned could have been for decoration, or symbolic meaning like a child was born. In some of the rune books I have read water was the symbol for life. Also S W could have been a name of a staff member to the castle and this is a plaque celebrating his retirement or his contribution and he could have been burried at sea type deal. Again this is all just my theory it will probably be ripped to shreds soon enough. But I hop that some guidance can come out.

[Robin Lumsden]

Does anyone have any ideas? I would be interested to hear them.

So would I!

[Anthony Evans]

this could have been from a ww1 vet, the helmet almost reminds of the stalhelm helmet.

[Michael Fay]

hey Tony

hey Tony!

well I also see the possible shape of helmet as late WWI, Freikorp-Alt Kampher. But then again a bit of artistic licence on the carvers part may be the reason.
But then again, as in old heraldic custom, the shape of the shield and placement of a knight's helm and weapon can have significance--I just have no way of knowing if these placements conform to a German heraldic design structure or were merely pleasing to the eye, put in a pseudo heraldic design.
It is a fact that some antiquarian genealogical "study groups" were into runes and the occult, were filled with veterans and did their part to bring back a reactionary conservative political atmosphere...and gave Himmler and Wiligut alot to work with. The least obscure had names like Germanenorden and List Society and of course, Thule Orden/Gesellschaft.

As for the water motif, could be a person who had an old or new association with a lake, or river, or even the ocean, either as by profession but seems more likely a historical connection.

The dagger is in appearance vaguely Roman empire(spatha-short sword) to my eye, or very early medieval (before rapiers), but then again, may just be the carver's artistic preference?

Any German heraldry experts or Wewelsburg scholars or obscure esoteric SS experts out there?
Or maybe just a regular person with an idea?

[Rob E.]

Wow, that is a beautiful piece.

It isn't easy to find items from Wewelsburg, especially these days.

[Michael Fay]

Wow, that is a beautiful piece.

It isn't easy to find items from Wewelsburg, especially these days.

Thanks no~one,
I found this item to be unbelievably beautiful, fell in love the first time I saw in a book.

MF

[Michael Fay]

possible

Possible names for runic Wewelsburg plaque

“Round Table of 12”
( Cook/Russel. “Heinrich Himmler’s Camelot.”)

Karl Wolff
Gottlob Berger
Hans Juttner
Walter Darre/ Richard Hildebrandt
Paul Scharfe/ Franz breithaupt
Walter Schmitt/ Maximillan von Herff
Reinhard Heydrich/ Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Kurt Daluge
Oswald Pohl
August Heissmeyer
Werner Lorenz
Ulrich Greifelt

12 Senior Obergruppenfuhrer

Franz Xaver Schwarz
Sepp Dietrich
Frtiz Weitzel
Kurt Daluge
Walter Darre
Walter Buch
Udo von Woyrsch
Friedrich-Wilhelm Kruger
Josias Erbprinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont
Max Amann
Karl Freiherr von Eberstein
Phillipp Bouhler

“In Wewelsburg conferences with Himmler at the round table the obergruppenfuhrer sat in high backed leather chairs where behind each general hung his SS coat of arms specially designed by Karl Diebitsch…”
(Lumsden, Robin. P. 106 “The Black Corps.”)

“In the years just before the war the SS officers set up a castle called the Wewelsburg for meetings of the top SS officers around a round table, where each “knight” had his own seat, replete with his coat of arms. Himmler busied himself to help his top SS generals procure “appropriate” coats of arms as well as “family marks” {Sippenzeichen} composed of Germanic runes.”
( Hatheway, Jay. “In Perfect Formation.” p.60)

[Michael Fay]

anyone

Well,
I did not get much feedback. Oh well...It could an area with little being known. I will probably have to hunt out some German based esotericists.
Does any one have any ideas at all on this plaque?
I would enjoy and appreciate any one else's contribution.

cheers, Michael

[JoeW]

Sorry, to be a bit late to read this thread.

I don't believe that this piece can be associated with the style of coat of arms Himmler wished to be prepared for his generals. The published photos of coats of arms of Pohl and Keppler show something more akin to the English style of coat of arms with shield, helmet and crest, though Keppler's seems only a partially finished wooden rendition of the shield.* I have seen an unpublished photo of another general's arms that is unusual in that the helmet was replaced with a full figure.

Though Diebitsch was commissioned to design the arms, Weisthor was involved in the written interpretations.

*"Heinrich Himmler's Camelot" by Stephen Cook and Stuart Russell

[Robin Lumsden]

I don't believe that this piece can be associated with the style of coat of arms Himmler wished to be prepared for his generals.

I agree with that..................this is more of a decorative piece than a personal coat of arms.

Coats of arms were far more elaborate.

After SS General Oswald Pohl was granted his coat of arms, he had himself painted as a knight in shining armour....................

[jimt]

I agree with that..................this is more of a decorative piece than a personal coat of arms.

Coats of arms were far more elaborate.

After SS General Oswald Pohl was granted his coat of arms, he had himself painted as a knight in shining armour....................

Robin ,
I have always found this painting "a little Odd" Pohl was known not to have even liked to wear his earned medals and had to be told by Himmler to do and here we see him all dressed up as a medieval knight just seems to have ring of fantasy to it , I would sure like to know the province of this painting ? Can you shed any light on it ? I remember it selling in one of the European auction house perhaps 10 years ago ?????
jim

[Robin Lumsden]

Robin ,
I have always found this painting "a little Odd" Pohl was known not to have even liked to wear his earned medals and had to be told by Himmler to do and here we see him all dressed up as a medieval knight just seems to have ring of fantasy to it , I would sure like to know the province of this painting ? Can you shed any light on it ? I remember it selling in one of the European auction house perhaps 10 years ago ?????
jim

Hello Jim.

The painting has been in the German Historical Museum in Berlin since 1988.

According to their records, it was painted in 1940.

Here's a link.......................

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/objekte/pict/g0000017/index.html