Vegvisir

Chances are, this symbol looks familiar to you... The Vegvisir! It's true that it's very popular. Especially as a tattoo design(and I admit it's stylish). But there's a whole PASSIONATE story behind this symbol and that's what I'm going to tell you about today. First of all, you need to know that the Vegvisir is a rune... and as you may know, runes communicate emotions, concepts and beliefs. So it's still an alphabet... but you're not going to write your shopping list in runic! Viking runes are sacred.

So where did we find this stylish symbol ? Well, it's in the Huld Manuscript found in Iceland(a former Viking land) in 1880 that we rediscovered this symbol. And today this symbol, whose meaning I will reveal to you in a few lines, is very popular among Icelanders... but not only!(and yep, they are not the only ones who can benefit from classy symbols) Now, I'm going to reveal you the meaning of the symbol called Vegvisir

The symbolism of the Vegvisir

You probably know this... the Vikings? They weren't the kind of guys to sit quietly in their hut watching Netflix with a hot chocolate in hand. Nope, they were mighty nomads and warriors. They traveled in great ships, the Drakkars(just the name alone is creepy). The Vikings also loved to fight with their neighbours... and often, as they were nomads, they had to manage to feed themselves. Whether it was at home, on their native land or at the home of the enemies they had invaded

In short, they were guys who travelled a lot. And at the time, they didn't have GPS! They navigated by looking at the stars and... a bit by feel. So they needed luck to arrive at their destination and not sink into the abyss of the oceans. And that's where the rune Vegvisir comes from. The Vegvisir symbol is meant to help the Viking in his orientation and to bring him luck while protecting him during his travels. The Vegvisir symbol is also known as the Runic Compass or the Vegvisir Compass

The meaning of Vegvisir

What's good about the Vikings? It's that they don't just give their symbols classy, hand-picked names. No, like all other sacred runes, Vegvisir has its own special etymology. It is the combination of two words: Vegur and Visir. Vegur means the path while Visir could be translated as "to aim". Literally it would mean to aim at the path... but it doesn't sound like it. Vegvisir means rather: the one who shows the right way

Did the Vikings use Vegvisir?

At first, I thought that the guys used this symbol to orient themselves... But in fact not at all! It's really more of a good luck symbol than a compass. The Vikings used a sunstone to navigate their Drakkars. It allowed them to know which direction to take even when the sky was very cloudy.(which in the Nordic countries was often the case) Finally, for the solar stone it is still a hypothesis ... there is still a chance that the guys did their navigation with a wet finger.

The representation of Vegvisir

The Viking rune Vegvisir is represented by 8 branches that are arranged in symmetry. One of the most serious and common hypothesis is to say that each branch represents a world of the Nordic mythology. So if you're a pro you know... "But there are 9 worlds in all! ". And yes! At the intersection of all these branches would be Midgard. And that makes some sense, as Midgard is at the center of the trunk of the Yggdrasil Tree that supports the 9 worlds.

Also, some people assume that each branch would represent a cardinal, kind of like a compass. But if you know, that kind of thing:

• North
• South-East
• East
• North West

In short, we'll probably never know for sure what our Viking friends wanted to convey with this symbol... And I think it's even more beautiful this way ! Well, congratulations, now you know everything about the Vegvisir rune. Now that you're an expert, I'm going to introduce you to 3 of our Viking jewellery models that use this symbol.

The 3 Vegvisir models

Now that you know more about the Vegvisir and that you understand the power of its symbol and the importance it had for the Vikings... I'm going to show you 3 of our designs with the Vegvisir in representation. We really wanted to make a category dedicated to the Vegvisir, because the Vikings were nomads! So orientation and luck in travel... well, it was super important to them. And today, you can get your hands on one of the Viking jewels with the Vegvisir symbol. Let me introduce you to it:

To begin with, the Viking spear necklace - Vegvisir symbol

This Viking necklace is not bling-bling... It is not colorful either... And yet its original look will attract the attention of your relatives and acquaintances! They'll probably ask you questions... and then you can tell them all about the Vegvisir symbol as you're an expert now(Pssttt, it can be a great way to start a conversation with the one you're falling for).

This necklace simply has a very raw and minimalist design with the Vegvisir sign in the middle. The shape of this necklace is that of a Viking spear... and you can choose between two necklace lengths. Oh, and I almost forgot... this necklace is made of stainless steel. What does that mean? It means it's solid. You don't have to worry about the thing breaking on impact. We know you're a Viking, so we made you something solid(like you).

Or maybe you'll prefer the Vegvisir Runic Compass bracelet

This bracelet featuring the Vegvisir runic compass will go with all your outfits! We wanted this bracelet to have a modern, classy and elegant design. Nothing flashy or too crude. Just a beautiful Viking jewel that you can wear on any occasion. This bracelet is made of braided leather, which gives it a very fashionable design while making it resistant and strong against all the little hassles of everyday life

Oh and by the way... whether you have a small or large wrist... don't worry, it will fit you, because you can even choose the length of your bracelet. And of course the metal in which the Vegvisir symbol is engraved is stainless steel... if we use this material so much, it's because it's solid(we even use stainless steel in fields like surgery, medicine or even shipbuilding... it's not fake!)

There is also the Vegvisir viking ring - stainless steel

A simple ring. A modern ring. A ring that has class. You will notice on the seal of the ring the large Vegvisir symbol that accompanied the brave Vikings on their journeys around the world. A minimalist ring that can accompany you wherever you go(and as we don't change a winning team, we'll make it in stainless steel, come on, it's a gift)

Finally..

You know it now, the Vegvisir symbol is much more than a simple drawing made by the Vikings. It is a sacred symbol of protection for travellers and I hope that by taking your Viking jewel today you will be safe and find the right path in your life! So to get your jewel, just click on the model you like and order it.