Valknut meaning

The valknut, "knot of the slain" in Old Norse, from valr, "slain warriors" and knut, "knot", is a figure composed of three intertwined triangles. Although the age of its name is debated, it is an old symbol of Norse mythology that can mean several things. In particular, it is linked to valknut meaning god Odin evoking valour and death in the sense of liberation valknut meaning the soul and the roots of Yggdrasil in the sense of the interconnection of the nine worlds of the Nordic religion. It is thus connected to the symbolism of the three and the nine in Norse mythology, valknut meaning.

The Viking world was full of symbols. Not only were they a powerful way to express ideas, but the Vikings also thought that symbols had power. As well as expressing the world, the Vikings believed that symbols, when made by the right hands, had the power to shape the world. One of the most common but enigmatic symbols that the Vikings used was the Valknut. It appears in association with death and burials throughout the Viking world, but none of the surviving literary sources makes mention of it.

Valknut meaning

Archaeologically, it appears on several runestones and pictorial memorial stones that date from the Viking Age and stand on the Swedish island of Gotland, as well as on grave goods from the Oseberg ship burial in Norway. In the archaeological record, the Valknut appears only in connection with the cult of the dead, as in the aforementioned runestones and ship burial. Similar-looking symbols can also be found on the cremation urns of the Anglo-Saxons, [3] another Germanic people closely related to the Norse linguistically, ethnically, and in terms of their pre-Christian worldview and religion. In most of these cases, Odin is also present. For example, the Anglo-Saxon urns feature depictions of horses and wolves, two animals that are often the companions of Odin in the Norse mythological tales. To find associations with both death and Odin together should come as no surprise, since Odin was, among many, many other things, a psychopomp — that is, a figure who ferries the spirits of the dead to the underworld and then back to the world of the living — as well as the leader of various hosts of the dead, such as the warriors of Valhalla and of the Wild Hunt. Odin was also one of the most powerful of all magicians and shamans. In the literary sources , Odin and his attendant spirits such as the valkyries often use magic that is described in terms of binding and unbinding, tying up the mind or untying it. In the words of historian H. This explanation is all the more plausible since the form of heathen Norse magic that the sources mention the most often, namely seidr , used imagery related to spinning and weaving fiber to symbolize altering the course of events. Weaving in this symbolic sense and spiritual power were almost synonymous, so it should come as no surprise that a symbol involving power over life and death would be visualized as a knot. So, given the present state of our knowledge, we can reasonably assume that the meaning of the Valknut has much to do with death, the transition from life to death and probably back again, Odin, and the power to bind and unbind. This powerfully and convincingly suggests a particular range of possible meanings. It tells us something of its meaning, but this is so general that it can hardly be the whole picture.

The valknut as Borromean rings Knot Atlas L6a4.

The valknut is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangles. It appears on a variety of objects from the archaeological record of the ancient Germanic peoples. The term valknut is a modern development; it is not known what term or terms were used to refer to the symbol historically. Scholars have proposed a variety of explanations for the symbol, sometimes associating it with the god Odin , and it has been compared to the three-horned symbol found on the 9th-century Snoldelev Stone , to which it may be related. The valknut appears on a wide variety of objects found in areas inhabited by the Germanic peoples.

Their powerful blessings fortified their warriors for battle and their curses would crush their enemies. These shaman left behind an ancient symbol, called the Valknut, which represented their magical powers. The Valknut pronounced: val-knoot is a symbol in Nordic mythology depicting three interlocked triangles. The Valknut symbol itself, however, dates back to ancient times and relates to the cult of the dead. The three triangles of the Valknut were seen most often on gravestones and runestones, usually alongside the figure of Odin, or the animals which represented him, the horse or wolf. A number of possible explanations of the origins of the Valknut have been suggested by historians. The Valknut symbol was believed to be linked to Odin, a revered and powerful god in Nordic mythology. He was a powerful magician associated with wisdom, war, poetry, shamanism, magic, and the dead.

Valknut meaning

The Valknut is a recognizable yet somewhat enigmatic symbol. The Valknut has several fringe variations but its two most prominent designs are both comprised of three interlocking triangles. Very often, the triangles create a tricursal form meaning that each of the triangles is depicted as its own separate shape with them simply interlocking with each other.

Established synonym

Examples of the Valknut mainly survive on a number of Viking runestones, and in association with burials. The historically attested instances of the symbol appear in two traditional, topologically distinct forms. So, given the present state of our knowledge, we can reasonably assume that the meaning of the Valknut has much to do with death, the transition from life to death and probably back again, Odin, and the power to bind and unbind. Size Guide. Similar symbols also appear on contemporary Anglo-Saxon funeral urns and on the grave goods of some Germanic people closely related to the Vikings, confirming the association between the Valknut symbol and death. The valknut appears on a wide variety of objects found in areas inhabited by the Germanic peoples. However, everyone has a different interpretation of the valknut symbol, and if its meaning fits your idea and itself, then why not get it tattooed on your body and show how you see the symbol, or even the world. A partially preserved tapestry found within the ship burial also features the symbol. The Gotland memorial stone is the best example of an association between Odin and the Valknut. Davidson says that similar symbols are found beside figures of wolves and ravens on "certain cremation urns" from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in East Anglia. Behind the burial mound there is also shown a warrior hanging from a tree. In this seemingly ordinary triangle, the secret of "3" is actually hidden.

The valknut is always composed of a succession of three triangles that often overlap.

With this in mind, the Valknut may have been a symbol that was used as part of Seidr magic rituals to send those that had not died in battle to Valhalla. The most likely explanation for the three horns of Odin comes from the story of how he stole a special brew of poetic mead from the jotun Suttungr. This powerfully and convincingly suggests a particular range of possible meanings. The symbol also appears in tricursal form, consisting of three linked triangles, topologically equivalent to the Borromean rings. There are comparisons in the Eddas, with the heart of Hrungnir made of stone with three corners, as the carved symbol hrungnishjarta. For example, the Anglo-Saxon urns feature depictions of horses and wolves, two animals that are often the companions of Odin in the Norse mythological tales. The valknut is topologically equivalent to either the Borromean rings , the trefoil knot , or in modern use only a closed three-link chain, depending on the particular artistic depiction:. The term valknut is a modern development; it is not known what term or terms were used to refer to the symbol historically. In Europe, the Swedish forest products company Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget uses a triquetra valknut as their logo, which can be commonly seen on many products produced by the company; the DFB has used a logo inspired by the unicursal form of the valknut for the Germany national football team since For these movements, the valknut symbolizes the warriors who died in battle and whose souls go to Valhalla. Make sure to head over and subscribe! Free Shipping World Wide. It is also a software program.