Vegvisir

There’s a good chance 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 looks cool). But there’s a whole FASCINATING story behind this symbol, and that’s what I’m going to talk to you about today. First of all, you should 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 runes! Viking runes are sacred.

 So where was this super cool symbol discovered? Well, it was in the Huld Manuscript found in Iceland (a land once Viking) in 1880 that this symbol was rediscovered. And today this symbol, whose meaning I will reveal to you in a few lines, is very popular among Icelanders… but not only them! (and yep, they’re not the only ones who can enjoy really cool symbols) Now, I’m going to reveal the meaning of the symbol called Vegvisir.

The symbolism of the Vegvisir

You probably know… 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 powerful nomads and warriors. They traveled in large boats, the Drakkars (just the name is scary). Vikings also loved to fight with their neighbors… and often, since they were nomads, well, they had to manage to feed themselves. Whether at home, on their native land, or in the lands of the enemies they had invaded.

In short, these were guys who traveled a lot. And back then they didn’t have GPS! They navigated by looking at the stars and… a bit by feel. So they needed luck to reach their destination safely and not sink into the ocean depths. And that’s where the Vegvisir rune comes in. The Vegvisir symbol’s purpose is to help the Viking with his navigation and 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 great about the Vikings? It’s that they didn’t just give cool, random names to their symbols. No, like all other sacred runes, Vegvisir has a very special etymology. It’s the combination of two words: Vegur and Visir. Vegur means “the way” while Visir could be translated as “to guide” or “to aim.” Literally it would mean “to aim the way”… but that doesn’t sound quite right. Vegvisir rather means: the one who shows the right way.

Did the Vikings use Vegvisir?

At first, I thought the guys used this symbol to navigate… But actually, not at all! It’s really more of a good luck charm than a compass. Vikings used a sunstone to navigate with their Drakkars. It allowed them to know which direction to take even when the sky was very cloudy. (which in Nordic countries must have often been the case) Well, the sunstone is still a hypothesis… there’s a good chance the guys navigated by guesswork.

The representation of Vegvisir

The Viking rune Vegvisir is represented by 8 branches arranged symmetrically. One of the most serious and common hypotheses is that each branch represents a world from Norse mythology. So if you’re a pro you know… “But there are 9 worlds in total!” Yes! At the intersection of all these branches would be Midgard. And that makes sense, because Midgard is at the center of the trunk of the Yggdrasil Tree that supports the 9 worlds.

Moreover, some suppose that each branch would represent a cardinal direction, kind of like a compass. You know, that kind of thing:

• North
• South-East
• East
• North-West

Anyway, we will probably never know for sure what our Viking friends wanted to convey with this symbol… And I think it’s even more beautiful that way! So, congratulations, now you know everything about the Vegvisir rune. Now that you’re an expert, I’m going to present 3 of our Viking jewelry models that feature this symbol.

The 3 Vegvisir models

Now that you know more about the Vegvisir and understand the power of its symbol and the importance it had for the Vikings… I’m going to reveal 3 of our models featuring the Vegvisir symbol. We really wanted to create a category dedicated to the Vegvisir, because the Vikings were nomads! So orientation and luck in travel… well, that was super important to them. And today, you’ll be able to get your hands on one of the Viking jewelry pieces with the Vegvisir symbol. Here, let me show you:

To start, the Viking spear necklace – Vegvisir symbol

This Viking necklace isn’t flashy… It’s not colorful either… Yet its original look will attract the attention of your friends and acquaintances! They’ll probably ask you questions… and then you can tell them all about the Vegvisir symbol since you’re an expert now (Pssttt, it can be a great way to start a conversation with the one you’re crushing on).

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 it breaking at the first impact. We know you have the Viking spirit 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 can match all your outfits! We wanted this bracelet to have a modern, classy, and elegant design. Nothing flashy or too coarse. Just a beautiful Viking jewel you can wear on any occasion. This bracelet is made of braided leather, which gives it a very trendy design while making it durable and strong against all the little daily hassles.

 Oh and by the way… whether you have a small or large wrist… no worries, 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… we use this material so much because it’s solid. (we even use stainless steel in fields like surgery, medicine, and shipbuilding… it’s not fake!)

There’s also the Vegvisir Viking rune ring – stainless steel

A simple ring. A modern ring. A ring with class. You’ll notice on the ring’s seal the large Vegvisir symbol that accompanied brave Vikings on their journeys around the world. A minimalist ring that can accompany you wherever you go. (and since you don’t change a winning team, we made it in stainless steel, here’s a gift)

To finish…

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