Wolves of Vinland is aNorse neopagan group based in the outskirts ofLynchburg, Virginia.[1] In 2018, theSouthern Poverty Law Center added the Wolves of Vinland to itslist of hate groups.
The Wolves of Vinland raised $3000 onGoFundMe to purchase materials for a Viking-stylelonghall, and accepted donations from white nationalist organizations such asCounter Currents Publishing. Members of the group routinely post photos ofritual animal slaughter onInstagram. Prior to his resignation from the organization in late 2018, authorJack Donovan was an outspoken supporter of the Wolves, along with Kevin DeAnna, the founder of the now defunctYouth for Western Civilization.[2] One member of the group, Maurice "Hjalti" Michaely, served two years in prison after being found guilty of attemptedchurch arson against theMount Pleasant Baptist Church, a historic Black church inGainesville, Virginia. The fire did not injure anyone, but caused $1 million in damages to the building.[2]
The group has been compared toChuck Palahniuk's novelFight Club and itsfilm adaptation, and members have quoted the work as an influence, specifically the story's antiheroTyler Durden.[3][4] Members of the group have been associated with thewhite power music andblack metal scenes inBaltimore, Maryland, and elsewhere.[5]
In 2022, two men with ties to Wolves of Vinland and theAsatru Folk Assembly were arrested and charged with plotting to rob a bank. They reportedly ran aTelegram channel that engaged in militantaccelerationist rhetoric.[6]
TheSouthern Poverty Law Center lists the Wolves of Vinland as a "neo-Volkisch hate group"[7] and as a "white nationalist group".[8]