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Attested
Found in inscriptions or medieval manuscripts.
Ōþalan writes the sound /o/. It is one of the last two runes of the Elder Futhark, whose order varies between inscriptions.
Only the Old English poem includes this rune. It calls it ēþel, an estate or home, dear to anyone who can enjoy there what is right and proper in lasting prosperity.
Reconstructed
Scholarly reconstruction from linguistic evidence.
The Proto-Germanic name is reconstructed as *ōþala, "inheritance" or "household."
In practice today
How people use this rune now, in divination, magic, and devotion. Valid in its own right, and labeled modern so it isn’t mistaken for history.
In Ralph Blum's modern divination system, this rune (spelled Othila) is read as separation.
Misused by hate groups
Where hate groups have taken this rune, so you can recognize it.
The Nazis adopted this rune as part of an invented "Aryan" past, and it appeared in the insignia of two Waffen-SS divisions. Since the war, white supremacists in Europe, North America, and elsewhere have used it in tattoos, flags, and group logos. Non-racist pagans also use it, so any particular use has to be read in context.
Practice today: wyrd, galdr, and other old words people use when working with the runes now.