Vegvisir

Symbols and their meaning

A little history of symbols appearing in the footsteps of the Vikings.

Hugin och Munin.

Hugin and Munin (Old Norse Huginn ok Muninn) are in Norse mythology Odin's two ravens, which personify his thought. Hugin means "hugen/hågen", i.e. "thought". Munin means "memory".

Odin sends the ravens out into the world daily to gather information for him. Hugin and Munin fly over both Asgard and Midgard. They see everything and return to Odin and tell him what they saw. At home, they sit on his shoulders. Odin is, according to Grimnesmål, very worried that one day they won't come back, especially Munin.

 

Tree of Life: Yggdrasil

The branches reach down to connect with the roots in the eternal cycle. The tree of life, Arbor vitae (Latin) is found in several cultures and has different names. In Old Norse mythology, it is referred to as Yggdrasil and is the center of the Viking worldview, its branches connected the different worlds and creation as a whole. 

 

Ask o Embla:

The first humans according to Norse mythology.


The moon: 

The symbol of life, death and rebirth.

 

Pentagram:

Fire, air, water, earth and the soul (Universe, Etern)

 

Triskele:

The Triskele symbol, also known as Odin's horn, represents three drinking horns. Behind this symbol there is a story. Odin came to the giantess Gunnlöð to obtain the mead of the poem (skáldskaparmjöðr). He negotiated for three nights to get three sips of the mead.

 

Mjolnir:

Thor, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods, would be nothing without his famous hammer, Mjölnir.

This magical item, always with Tor, would automatically come back to him after throwing it.

When Vikings would hear thunder or see lightning, they thought it was Thor wielding his hammer in battle with giants.

Mjölnir was not only a weapon used to kill giants but also a symbol of protection and safety.

For a long time, and even today, it is common for northerners to wear Mjölnir as a necklace for protection and strength.

 

Signpost: 

Vegvisir is a famous symbol that you might
most recognize from Iceland and its folklore.
The symbol is a Galder.

The name itself means "Guide", "vegur" means road and "visir" means pointer.
This symbol has eight branches that meet in the middle.
There are some people who believe that the 8 branches represent the cardinal points (North, South, West, East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast) while others believe that the 8 branches represent the 8 worlds of Old Norse mythology and the middle represents the 9th world, Midgard, the world of men.

Vegvisir is a very powerful symbol in Norse mythology.

It is believed that this symbol had the power to guide people who carried it to the right direction for those who lost their way.
Vikings used to go on raids often and sailing into the unknown was quite common, therefore most of the ships were decorated with Vegvisir to give them luck to find their way while protecting the sailors from storms.

In general customs it is also used as a talisman for luck, protection and blessings.

For those who believe in magical powers like the Norse shamans, Vegvisir would guide your heart and steps to make the right choices in your life, helping you find your confidence back when you lost yourself and your faith.

White 

Valknut, also known as Odin's knot, is a symbol mostly related to the cult of death.

This symbol is found on viking memorial stones and would also be associated with Odin as Odin or his Valkyries are the ones who guide the souls of fallen Nordic warriors to the various Nordic afterlifes such as Valhalla or Hel.

Valknut is basically the symbol of accompanying the fallen in battle.

It is also said that in the symbol itself, the nine corners of the triangles represent each of nine worlds in the Norse universe united by Yggdrasil. Valknut has been given another name, "Hrungnir's heart" related to a story of the legendary giant Eddas.

This symbol shows the power of the gods over death and can also be used as a talisman to protect against evil spirits.

 It is also called: The Slain's Heart, Vala's Heart, Rungner's Heart and Odin's Knot.

 

 Vargkor

The Wolf Cross, also called the Wolf Hammer, is a symbol about which opinions are divided. Is it pagan or Christian, or does it symbolize the coexistence of these two religions? No one knows, but there are many theories and interpretations about its meaning. Because of that, Wolf crosses are used by Asa believers and Christians.