The Valknut in an 8th century AD ring at the British Museum / photo British Museum The name Valknut is modern, created from the ancient Norse valr, meaning dead warriors, and knut, knot. In any case, we don’t know how it was called either.
In this sense it is currently used by Germanic Ethenism or Neopaganism, for which it symbolizes the sacrifice to Odin and his triple nature. Also, associated with Odin, it could represent the power of binding and unbinding. Others believe that it represents Odin’s horse and his cult in general, as it has been found accompanied by other motifs such as the hanged man, the Valkyries, bears or scenes alluding to Ragnarok. They also relate it to Loki’s and Balder’s ties, and to the paralysis that Odin could inflict on warriors. Some scholars such as Ellis Davidson relate it to the Celtic triskel and the symbol of the three legs of the Isle of Man, as they are all tripartite and made up of interlacing. The Valknut between the legs of Odin’s horse at Tängelgårda Stone / photo public domain on Wikimedia Commons It consists of three interlocking triangles whose meaning is not clearly known.
It is a symbol that appears on inscriptions and rune stones, rings, furniture, ships and other objects of Nordic paganism and in territories occupied by the ancient Germanic tribes.
Although today it is sadly famous for its appropriation and use by some supremacist groups, the truth is that Nordic Valknut seems to be more related to religion and funeral rites than to politics or other types of issues.
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