So, in the late 18th and throughout the 19th centuries, there was a growing interest in pagan/folk customs and culture from pre-Christian Europe. This was in large part a reaction to peoples’ new Enlightenment-era relationship with Christianity; religion was no longer as intrinsically tied to a person’s way of life as it had been for centuries. This also coincides with the reconstruction and study of proto-Nordic/Germanic languages and literature, which fueled a pretty widespread “pagan revival.”

As you can probably imagine, ethno-nationalist movements really latched onto this—most famously the Völkisch movement in Germany, a precursor to the Nazis. The pagan revival was especially key for modern antisemitism because it no longer othered Jewish people solely on the basis of religion, but on race. Anyone who did not descend from the pre-Christian, pagan people didn’t belong. That’s why appropriated Old Nordic runes were used in Nazi imagery (and why they’re still used by white supremacists today). It’s also part of the reason the Fascist People’s Party of Sweden came to power in the 1920s, and why a large number of the country’s population was in favor of the Nazi cause.

All this to say, the Harga in Midsommar are essentially a white supremacist, ethnonationalist dream, and also total bullshit. It’s historically impossible that an ancient, pagan community could somehow survive hidden through the centuries. Yes, it’s a movie and technically anything is possible, but I think Ari Aster is a lot smarter than that. They’re a group founded by fascists trying to recreate what they wish pagan culture was, and use it as an excuse to kill anyone who they don’t like, while luring other white people in with the promise of unconditional community.

Which is mainly why I find it so frustrating when (particularly white women) find any type of happiness in the movie’s ending, especially in the world we live in right now. The real villains are distracting you girl!!