ARE NORSE GODS REAL?
Yes, because they are concepts. On a level of practical magic they are real, but on a more constructional level - it’s a personal thing. I don’t run around in a forest yelling for Odin, but if anyone feels like doing that and importantly believes in it, then I assume to them Odin is very real. Personally, I see them as constructs and concepts that were historically needed in human society. Interestingly, the Nordic Pantheon doesn’t require you to only believe in Nordic gods. For example, Vikings believed in both the existence of Norse gods and Christ, as they seemed to have seen them as competing forces.
WHAT IS A GOD MASK?
We believe that god masks are representations of divine beings. And with this being said, we already run into our first problem. The concept of divine beings in Nordic mythology is a very broad term. Sadly, we don’t know all the concepts included within it.
For example, we have Animism, as well as a reverence for the ancestors, and the worship of divine beings like the ‘Disir’ - powerful, but non divine female entities like the Valkyries and the Norns that all carry great importance within Nordic mythology. Even within the Pantheon, it is divided into the Aesir and Vanir. Two similar but very different families of gods. There are also primitive gods like the Jotnar, who represent more earthy, primal forces.
Therefore, god masks could be representing a vast variety of things - spirit, giants, Nordic versions of demons or gods. Sadly none of the stones these designs exist on don’t allude to their truth or the secrets behind them. God masks are shrouded in mystery, and thus are down to individual interpretation.
ARE THERE VIKING GOD MASKS?
Yes. There have been findings of god masks carved on stones and boats from what is commonly known as the Viking Age, but we have no idea if they have any semblance of being inherently Viking.
ARE GOD MASKS NORSE?
No. Masks representing divinity is a concept that exists in countless mythologies and folklores across the globe.
IS THERE A GOD MASK FOR LOKI?
Yes, it is believed so. There is a Snaptun stone that has a representation on it that is mostly likely Loki. The lips have stitches on them - similarly Loki had his mouthed stitched for telling too many lies.
HOW DO I GET A GOD MASK?
You can find a few original designs on stones and historical findings. We sell PDFs in our webshop explaining the significance of these artefacts, as well as god mask designs that can be used for art, tattoos and other such creative pursuits. We also have free god mask designs that can be found on our social media platforms.
DO YOU HAVE ANY GOD MASK TATTOO EXAMPLES?
If you are looking for god mask tattoos specifically, we recommend you look at our library of tattoo work full of god masks here: https://northernblack.com/tattoos/
