We have not talked about this in a while, so we are going to do a little refresh.
What are 5 viking tattoos that you should not get (unless informed of its meaning) and why?
Let the list begin! And before you get too agitated - This list is just education and advice. Get what you want tattooed, it is your body, we just try to give you a chance to know what you get, before you get it
The Valknut
Also known as Hrugnir’s Heart, it is a symbol that occurs in the Viking Age, but also predates the Viking age.
The symbol exists in several forms and has many beautiful examples, such as the Nene river ring from England
- The bedpost from the Oseberg grave in Norway
- Part of the tapestry from the same Oseberg grave
- The Lärbro Tängelgårda stones from Gotland (Stone 1 in particular), where the Valknut occurs twice, clearly related to Odin and most likely a death and/or burial ritual.
- The Stora Hammars stone, also from Gotland. Stone 1 holds a panel depicting what is most like a scene of sacrifice, possibly a bloodeagle ritual, with the Valknut depicted right above this interaction.
It also occurs on a bucket lid or cutting board, also found in the Oseberg mound. This artefact has been the cause of our Death-bucket design!
Because of the places this symbol has been found, someone had the brilliant idea to name it the Death Knot, but it’s a more modern name for it, penned by a historical enthusiast in Norway.
If you want to get the Valknut tattooed, go for it, just be aware of it potentially holding a different meaning than intended. That being said, it is 3 triangles with a total of 9 points, which in itself can relate to the 9 worlds and 3 roots of Yggdrasil, so there is always that bit of magic to enjoy!
Vegvisir
Shockingly enough, this design is not something made in the viking age, it is not going to help you find your way to anything (not even Aldi), and it is not a bind-rune, as many believe it to be. The design comes from the Huld Manuscript from 1860, and while the idea and even design might be older, this is the oldest attestation we have of it.
"If this sign is carried, one will never lose one's way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known"
English translation of the Icelandic prose for the stave.
It is worth mentioning that the Vikings were a thing of the past in the 19th century, and the most Viking-like activity that was experienced at the time by Icelanders, was the constant raids by more modern slavers and pirates, who assailed the shores.
The design has been the source of inspiration for many a bindrune across the world, but alas, it is not really a Viking design itself - Not that there is anything wrong with this, just be aware that you are having a sigil from Christian and Judaic magic tattooed on your skin, not a “Viking compass”
The Helm of Awe
This one has a bit of medieval connection, making it somewhat viable, as it’s closer to the viking age historically but still not really “Viking”. It’s mentioned in the Fafnismal, an Eddic Poem from the anonymous collection of Old Norse Myths, as well as the Völsung saga and Reginsmal.
In the poems, the Helm of Awe is described as a physical item, but in the first time this design comes to life is in 1670, again, in an Icelandic Manuscript that does not really have to do with anything Viking, it just got connected over the decades and centuries as a viking symbol and people didn’t really check up on the validity of this idea.
How the concept of the Helm of Awe or Helm of Terror went from a physical object in poetry, to a graphical design more bound to the idea of striking fear into one's enemies, that is hard to determine, but storytelling in one form or another surely plays a part.
As with the above, you can also have this one as a tattoo but know what you are getting tattooed onto your skin, just be aware of the idea and history. And of course, remember, it is meant to scare anyone away, hardly the best to wear as a human, pack-animals that we are!
Web Of Wyrd
In 1993, Jan Fries wrote the book Helrunar, a manual of Rune magick. For this book, the design is featured twice.
The earliest mention of the name that we can find, is from “the Web of Wyrd: Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer”, by Brian Bates.
All evidence points to this design and concept to be a fairly modern idea, even though the idea of weaving fates is an ancient one, and everything connected to cloth-making holds a sacred place in old Norse culture.
The idea of the symbol is that all the runes are present within the weave, and the three times three staves crossing symbolise the branches and roots of Yggdrasil.
So, while this symbol is beautiful in idea, it lacks the tie-in to ancient times. Still a worthy tattoo to get.
On another note - Isar did find the image to be somewhat lacking in elegance, so attached here is a modernised version, more consistent with his designs, free for anyone to use.
The Black Sun, or Sonnenrad
The last of this list, and the very black sheep of this bunch, this is the only design we ask you to avoid, as its maker had dark intentions with the creation.
To decorate the floor of his private castle of Wewelsburg, Himmler appropriated other symbols and created his own variation, a corrupted sunwheel consisting of 12 overlaid Sowilo runes, the same rune used by the SS.
Please note, that there are plenty of designs from historical artefacts that are very similar, worth admiring and potentially getting tattoos, many from the European migration period, but this particular Black sun, is not of an ancient origin. There are also many other symbols with similar spiralling movement, Swastikas, Fylfot and more, which are not “broken” designs, not to be associated with fascist movements and they deserve positive attention.
Sadly, many get the Sonnenrad tattooed, as they see it on Pinterest and the like, without knowing its origins, and as mentioned, there are hundreds of alternatives to use from, so we politely encourage you to avoid this design, and choose from the wider selection.
