Sig Rune

Two Sig Runes: The symbol of the Nazi SS

Sig Rune is the name given by Guido von List for the Sigel or s rune of the futhark. While the rune itself, under its name Sowilo or Sigel has no direct connection to Nazism, List's term "Sig rune" (with a connotation of Sieg "victory") was used in the context of Nazi mysticism and is most commonly used to refer to the insignia of the Schutzstaffel (SS) of Nazi Germany.

The SS Sig Runes design was created in 1931 when Walter Heck, a Sturmführer in the SS, drew two Sig Runes side by side and noticed the similarity to the initials of the SS. For 2.5 Reichsmarks, Heck sold the rights of the Sig Runes to the SS and the runes were quickly adopted as the insignia of the Schutzstaffel and became one of the most commonly used forms of SS unit insignia.

The Hitler Youth also used a single Sig Rune as the emblem of its organization. The similarity to the SS insignia was an indication that the Hitler Youth was considered by many to be a central recruiting area for membership in the SS.

The last two letters of the logo for the American rock band KISS resemble the SS symbol. The band had no National Socialist or antisemitic leanings, bass player Gene Simmons being an Israeli-born Jew, and the likelihood is that the similarity is probably intended to be provocative. The band uses a modified version of the logo in Germany, where display of the SS symbol is illegal.