It was strange, as soon after getting my Valknut, a plan began to form in my mind & I’ve no real idea of where it came from? Whilst the second, but most important reason was that I wished to dedicate my life, as well as my death, to Odin & all that he means. The first was to compliment my pentangle & to show that I was taking a different path. I became disillusioned with Wicca as no matter what you did, nothing ever sprang out to me from the rituals, so I drifted away & began reading about my ancestors, the Norse & Saxons. I have an earlier tattoo on my right wrist of a pentangle, as I used to be a believer of Wicca. I had a Valknut inked onto my left wrist 8 years ago. Images of Stora Hammar and Tängelgarda stones are public domain. In modern times Valknut, like Triquetra and Horn Triskelion, is often interpreted as a symbol pointing to heathen convictions.Ĭopyright notice: Valknut images above are by © The Viking Rune. However, in Scandinavian context three multiplied by three might designate the nine worlds, which are united by the Yggdrasil tree. The number three is a very common magic symbol in many cultures. The original meaning and function of the valknut is not wholly clear. It was made of hard stone with three sharp-pointed corners just like the carved symbol Hrungnir’s Heart (hrungnishjarta).” This name is based on a description found in the Prose Edda: However, knot of the slain is not the only possible interpretation of the valknut. Other instances of the valknut in Viking ornaments are Lärbro stone, River Nene ring and a bedpost found on the Oseberg ship. The unicursal type of valknut (which can be drawn with one stroke) appears on Tängelgarda stone: All the symbols around the valknut, which is in the central position here, point to death and to Odin as a god of slain warriors. The other sign of Odin’s presence is a warrior hanged on a tree to the left of the mound. The spear is probably Gungnir, Odin’s weapon. A dead warrior is put there by someone with a spear and accompanied by another raven. Below the valknut is probably a burial mound. Here above the valknut we see a raven, Odin’s symbol. Consider the Borromean triangles type, which occurs on the Stora Hammar rune stone.

One should keep that in mind when using the valknut in Viking tattoos or runic tattoos, since only the above two designs are genuine Viking valknuts. Note that other types of valknuts, such as closed three-link chain, never occur in the original Viking ornaments. The triangles may be joined in two ways: either as Borromean: Valknut is a Viking symbol of three interconnected triangles. The word valknut is a neologism: it is formed in modern times through combination of ON valr, ‘the dead’ or ‘the slain’ and knut, ‘knot’.

Valknut ring drawings