Odin with Sleipnir, Valknuts are drawn beneath the horse (Tängelgarda stone) The valknut (Old Norse valr, slain warriors + knut, knot) is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangles.
It is also called:
It appears on Scandinavian image stones in connection with Odin, e.g. on the 7th century Tängelgarda stone from Gotland.
According to one interpretation, that of H. R. Ellis Davidson in Gods and Myths of Northern Europe (ISBN 0140206701) (p. 146), the valknut —
- is thought to symbolize the power of the god [Odin] to bind or unbind [a man's mind] ... so that men became helpless in battle, and he could also loosen the tensions of fear and strain by his gifts of battle-madness, intoxication, and inspiration.
The symbol of the valknut plays a role in neopagan faiths drawn from Norse mythology. In these, it represents the interlinking of the nine worlds, and the spirit and power of Allfather that binds and pervades them all, and it is worn by those who chose to give themselves to Odin.
One Ásatrú website [1] (http://hometown.aol.com/_ht_a/xcalabr08/himinbjorg.html) says:
- The nine lines symbolize the nine worlds of the Norse tradition. The three triangles are said to represent the three realms of existence, and the ability to travel among them. The symbol is also associated with Fate, each triangle represents the Past, Present & Future, and their influence to each other.
See also
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