It is helpful to understand the true origin and background of each symbol. Some of these iconic images were primarily used before or not until well after the Viking age. As well, the original true meaning of these symbols are simply educated guesses by archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians.
A few symbols that are often considered 'Viking' actually have no proof of ever being used during the Viking age, such as the the Elder Futhark runes which most scholars believe were replaced by the Younger Futhark runes around the beginning of the Viking Age. But of course, just as we can still interpret these runes a thousand years later, it makes sense that at least some Vikings were able to do so as well.
Two other very popular symbols known as the 'Viking Compass' (Vegvisir) and the 'Helm of Awe' (Ægishjálmur) which were both first found in Icelandic magic books from the 19th century. We offer an entire separate article discussing the controversy of their origin. Other examples of non-Viking aged symbols include the Troll Cross (not shown) which is based on later Swedish folklore.
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By the end of the Viking age, Vikings were already beginning to blend with the cultures they settled in. Many of the last few generations of these Vikings were often the children of a Celtic mother ...or Slavic, English, etc. The National Museum of Ireland stated the following on their website:
By the end of the 10th century the Vikings in Ireland had adopted Christianity, and with the fusion of cultures it is often difficult to distinguish between Viking and Irish artifacts at this time.
Symbols played an important role in Norse culture. The spirituality of the Norse Vikings was so ingrained in their culture and thought process that they had no word for religion. There was no separation (as there so often is today) between faith and reality. The cosmic forces and fate were active in everything. Thanks to the Marvel movies, nearly everyone now knows about Thor's hammer (Mjölnir) which was a very popular choice for Vikings to use in their jewelry as represented in this ancient Danish artifact to the right.
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The Vikings also had letters (known as runes), but writing itself was sacred and even magical. So, while the Norse culture was very rich in poetry, stories, and songs, this was all transmitted orally. The stories of Odin, Thor, Freya, or the Viking heroes that we have now were all passed on by careful word of mouth until they were finally written down as the
By descendants of the Vikings centuries later. Symbols and motifs visually convey (instantly and across language barriers) messages that were deeply meaningful to the women and men that held them.
Symbols themselves were thought to have power. Vikings sailed at the mercy of the mighty seas. They were intimately acquainted with the dangers of battle. Whether as warriors or as settlers, they lived in the wind, rain, heat, and cold. They depended on the bounty of the land to feed their children. Through everything, they felt the hand of fate governing all things. Divine symbols on amulets, boundary stones, stitched onto clothing, painted on shields, carved into their longships, or as items around their hearths could offer the Viking that small edge he or she needed to face the uncertainties and dangers of life.
The Mystery, Magic And Meaning Of Viking Runes
The difference between symbols and motifs is simply a question of formality. A symbol is an established, recognized visual image that is almost always rendered in a specific way. Because of this, symbols tend to be very simple (so that almost anyone can draw them). Don’t let that fool you – symbols are usually considered to be older and more powerful than motifs or written words. Things like Mjölnir, the Valknut, or the Helm of Awe are symbols. Motifs are much less formal and can vary greatly from one artist to another. Motifs are meant to call something to mind, and though they can attract the attention of the gods (especially images of the god’s familiar, such as Odin’s ravens or Freya’s cats) they are not necessarily “visual spells” the way symbols are. Because of this flexibility, new interpretations of ancient Viking motifs are still being made today.
Following is a brief introduction to some common Norse symbols and motifs. The list is not all-inclusive, nor is it meant to be exhaustive but rather just a basic starting point. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.
In the most basic sense, runes were letters, but the word rune also comes from the word for ‘secret’. Runes denoted phonetic sounds (like letters) but also had individual meanings (like the glyphs of other ancient languages). Runic alphabets are called futharks. Just as our term alphabet comes from the first two Greek letters (alpha and beta), the first six runes are F, U, Th, A, R and K. The oldest known futhark arose sometime between the second and fourth century, which is not surprising considering that was the time when war and trade between Germanic and Mediterranean peoples were accelerating.
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The Vikings had an oral culture and did not use runes to write just anything. Runes had power. They were seldom (if ever) penned onto parchment, as the enemies of the Vikings did in France, Ireland, and England; they were carved into wood, stone, metal, or bone (hence their angular appearance). Most of our surviving examples of runes are inscriptions on rune stones commemorating the lives of great rulers. Runes also had expressly magical purposes and were engraved on amulets, talismans, beads, and shields to ensure protection and victory.
Rune casting was another magical use of runes in the Viking Age. Rune casting or “casting rune sticks” involves spilling pieces of bone or wood (each carved with a rune) onto a piece of cloth. The skilled practitioner then deciphers the message rendered, not only of the runes but also their orientation to each other (similar to Tarot, in which the same card can have very different meanings depending on context).
Runes are associated with the god Odin, who first discovered them (at great pain and effort) from the Well of Destiny, at the foot of Ygdrassil. For the Vikings, this discovery of runes meant that they were not invented tools of humankind but part of the larger, deeper truth.
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The early runes became known as the Elder Futhark and were used by a wide range of Germanic and Norse tribes. Just before the Viking Age began, the Elder Futhark began to gradually give way to the more streamlined Younger Futhark. The Younger Futhark has fewer runes (only 16) to reflect changes in the Scandinavian language and dialects at that time. Again, the transition was gradual, and runes from the Elder Futhark that were no longer useful as letters remained in use as glyphs for quite some time. And just as we can still interpret the Elder version today (1200 years later), Vikings skilled in rune lore were most likely were also capable of reading both. Most of today's modern Viking jewelry relating to Runes reflects the Elder version as it offers more letters for easier translation to the English language.
The Vikings believed that people who lived ordinary lives went on to a shadowy existence after death, but those who died gloriously in battle lived on in Valhalla. The Valkyries would carry the souls of these heroes from the battlefield. In Valhalla, they would live the Viking version of the good life: fighting great battles against each other every day but – in their immortal state – spending each night in revelry and feasting. This paradise comes with a price, though. For the slain warriors are Odin’s army, and they will join the gods in the last, great battle of Ragnarok. They will fight this doomed battle against the giants and fearsome creatures of darkness for the sake of our world and the world of the gods.
Based on interpreting stories that appear on Norse picture stones, the Valknut is most-commonly believed to be the symbol of these slain warriors. The exact meaning of the three interlocking triangle shapes is unknown. Clues arise from Celtic and Neolithic art from Northwestern Europe in which interlinking triple shapes are common indicators of magical power and magical essence. Experts hypothesize that the Valknut may depict the cyclical path between life and death that these warriors experience. Others believe that the nine points represent the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Yet another theory holds that this symbol is the same as Hrungnir’s Heart, a triangular symbol described (but not pictured) by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda. Hrungnir was a fearsome giant – the only giant that was ever able to wound Thor – so in some ways Hrungnir may also symbolize death.
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While the details are lost to time, the Valknut symbol now calls to mind courage, bravery, and destiny throughout this life and the next.
The Ægishjálmr, or Helm of Awe, is a post-Viking Age, Icelandic symbol of protection and victory. The Helm of Awe is mentioned in several of the Eddic poems as being used by both warriors and even dragons! The
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