Therefore, any death associated with Odin would’ve been a warrior’s death.Īlso see What Is Odinsleep? to learn more. In Norse mythology, Odin only chose the most fierce warriors to go with him to Valhalla, and he sent his valkyries to retrieve them. Those who believe the valknut symbolizes the transition between life and death often ascribe it specifically to a warrior’s death. Since one of Odin’s powers includes guiding people through that transition, the symbol also gets equated with the All-father. That’s why so many, though not all, scholars agree that the valknut symbolizes the transition between life and death. The symbols often appeared on burial mounds and stones found inside or near burial mounds. However, scholars have found it on surviving artifacts. These two things go hand-in-hand and are the most commonly accepted meanings of the valknut symbol, sometimes called “Odin’s knot.”Īs mentioned earlier, the word valknut doesn’t appear in any Norse or Viking literature. The Transition Between Life and Death & Odin They’ll also discuss a common opinion among scholars on what the symbol’s various aspects mean individually.Īlso see Who is Ymir in Norse Mythology? to learn more.
The following sections will look at each of these different associations of the symbol as a whole.
Other accepted meanings of the valknut include: Still others take the analogy further and claim it represents a sacrifice to Odin.
One of the most common interpretations is that it symbolizes the transition between life and death.Īnother common association with the valknut is the god Odin. The word valknut means “knots of those fallen in battle.” However, people have different opinions about what the symbol itself means. There’s no single, uncontested meaning of the valknut symbol. Unfortunately, being able to see it doesn’t necessarily equate to understanding it. The Oseberg Ship (carved into a bed and on a surviving tapestry).Today, people who want to see the valknut can view it on various artifacts in Scandinavian museums, including: That’s good news really, when you think about it – as your tattoo design, color choices, and style can really make your own Valknut Tattoo quite unique and you don’t even have to get complicated with it.What is the meaning of the valknut symbol? See below What Is the Meaning of the Valknut Symbol? That said, with it heavy religious overtones then you will most often see it depicted very starkly and meticulously. While the symbol’s depiction doesn’t change much other than this, it works well in just about any tattoo style that you can think of. Runes inside the lines of the triangles are one example of this, or even the colorations – a white, gray, and black triangle, for instance. You can personalize the symbol quite a bit to your needs, of course, and many choose to do this. Valknut Tattoos are mostly depicted in two styles, one being 3 thin, interlocking triangles where each triangle is quite clearly depicted, while the other most popular method is a tribal-sort of Valknut where it seems almost as if one piece – until you look closely at it. Characteristics and Styles of Valknut Tattoos
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