Hi.
I've got a question about 5. Waffen-Panzer Division der SS 'Wiking'.
Has it's emblem any own name? Is this emblem derived from Scandinavian (or German) culture or it is just a curved swastika?
That would be the Sonnenrad or Sun wheel, which was an old Germanic rune. The 4-armed version used by SS-Wiking as a divisional emblem, and the 3-armed version was used for the same purpose by SS-Nordland.
Nothing, really. While technically, all divisional emblems were supposed to be the same, there were a lot of changes in the field.
One of the most obvious was the application. Was it put on with a stencil, or drawn free-hand? How much attention to detail was the man showing?
Time factored in there as well. If the emblem was being applied in the rear, more care could be taken than if someone just needed to show 'ownership' real quickly.
Another factor was visibility. Some of the outlined emblems provided the marking, but were low-visibility. Background color was another factor. If your vehicle was whitewashed, why put a white emblem on it?