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Tattoo Related Terms-V
Viking:------------------------------------------------------
Tattoos that pay homage to Danish, Icelandic, Nordic, Scandinavian, and Swedish ancient ancestors. This is, as most religions are, a pretty vast topic. I will scratch the surface here with the following elements:
Aegishjalmr-The Helm of Awe (or Terror) is a symbol of protection. It is said that it can make one invisible, or impervious to attacks.
Gods:------------------------------------------------------
Freya- Goddess of Love
Loki- God of Trickery
Odin- As the god of War odin is fierce and bloodthirsty. He cares not why people fight, just that they fight well. He is also a god of poetry and is portrayed as a wise old man. Odin has many facets as the all father.
Thor- God of Thunder
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Jormungandr- The great serpent and would be destroyer of Midgard (Earth). This sea wyrm is said to battle with Thor during Ragnarok.
Mjolnir- Thor's hammer is a fairly recognizable symbol to those interested in Viking lore. It is said to have developed as a symbol in opposition to the Christian cross.
Runes- Ancient lettering generally inscribed on stones for learning the future, past, and present. Each rune has a meaning and it's position may invert it's symbolism. They are read right to left in older times but eventually began to be read in many different directions. Some of the meanings have been altered by more modern readers to be more socially acceptable, because if you don't like history you just change it right?
Valknut- Currently a symbol of Odinists and followers of Asatru. It is said to symbolize the nine worlds, nine days Odin hung from Yggdrasil, where he learned 9 powerful songs, and the secret of the runes.
Vegvisir- The Viking Compass. This is an Icelandic magical stave that is said to keep you from getting lost in dense fog. In more modern times it is used to represent staying the course and not losing your direction.
Yggdrasil- This is the tree in which the nine realms and many other creatures exist. It is essentially the tree of life since all existence is said to be within it's embrace. This is not to be confused with the Celtic Tree of Life that represents the cycle of nature, but is commonly intertwined anyway because humans are just that way.
