NORSE VALKNUT TATTOO TV

The Yggdrasil Vegvisir tattoo / Maxpixel (CC) The Icelandic singer/songwriter Bjork has said that she chose the Vegvisir as a tattoo on her arm so that she would always be able to find her way safely back to Iceland. It could also be because the Vegvisir has a simple, stylish graphic image that looks good as a tattoo, or perhaps because of its significance of endowing protection and a safe homecoming on the wearer.

NORSE VALKNUT TATTOO TV

Vegvisir tattoos are incredibly popular at the moment, perhaps because of the influence of the Marvel superhero films and the Vikings TV series. To hear some real-life examples of the word being pronounced, check out the video below. The most common way of pronouncing Vegvisir is “ vague vee seer”, with the stress on the first syllable. If, however – as is much more likely – you date it from its first published mention in Vigfússon’s Huld manuscript, it’s a mere 162 years old! Vegvisir pronounciation If you believe that the Vegvisir is indeed a true ancient Norse symbol and that it dates from the Viking era (around 800–1066), that would make it between 14 years old. Neo-pagan groups also claim the Vegvisir as a popular symbol, while others attach a magical mysticism to it. However, the images depicted in Solomon’s Testament look more like the Helm of Awe than the Vegvisir, and similar symbols have never been found in any Christian churches or other religious documents, so it seems unlikely that it has a Christian origin. Some people use this to attach Christian significance to the Vegvisir. Pic: Galdrastafir.sigil (CC) Is the Vegvisir pagan?Īn image similar to the Vegvisir is depicted in a 15th-century English document called Solomon’s Testament in the Harley Manuscript (now part of the British Museum’s collection in London). Since plenty of other Viking symbols have been found on rune stones and carved into Viking jewellery, it seems unlikely that the Vegvisir was widely used in Viking times. There are no known depictions of the Vegvisir before this date: the symbol has not been found on any Viking rune stones or cave drawings, nor has any Viking jewellery ever been excavated that depicts it. The manuscript was written in Icelandic by Geir Vigfússon, and states “If this sign, called the Vegvisir (way-shower, or way pointer), is carried, one will never lose one’s way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known”. However, the first recorded depiction and description of it is in the Icelandic Huld Manuscript, which was written in 1860 – several hundred years after the Viking age. Today, the Vegvisir is closely associated with the Vikings and the ancient Norse people. Tradition has it that the ancient Norse people believed that wearing a Vegvisir symbol would help them to find their way back home safely, and Viking ships were thought to bear the Vegvisir to ensure a successful homecoming.

The word Vegvisir means “way finder” or “signpost” in Icelandic and the Vegvisir symbol is supposed to give guidance and protection.

It’s made up of eight Viking rune staves radiating out in a circle from a central point. The Vegvisir is traditionally thought of as an ancient Norse symbol that is also known as the Viking compass. Read on to find out all about the Vegvisir symbol, its history and what it means. Viking symbols and ancient Norse mythology are most definitely on trend at the moment, both for tattoos, on jewellery and in the movies.īut do you know your Vegvisir symbol from your Valknut? And is the Vegvisir even a Viking symbol at all? What is the Vegvisir symbol, and what does it mean? by Amanda Tomlin

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