The Vegvisir is a relatively modern symbol with no known usage before the 17th century. Common translations include “signpost” and “wayfinder”, though similar phrases might be used. Vegvísir is a compound Icelandic word formed from veg, which translates to a road or a path, and visir, which translates to a sign or indication of a way forward. In that version of the runic alphabet, the upright version of the triple fork is the rune Madr, or “man”, and the upside-down version is the rune Yr, or “yew”. The Younger Futhark was used closer to the first known instance of the Vegvisir. In the Elder Futhark, the shape stood for the rune algiz. In particular, the triple forks are seen across many staves and many variations of the Futhark, the runic alphabet. While not entirely formed from runes or intended to be legible, many of the staves are clearly derived from runes. Magical staves came about in Iceland as one such adaptation. Over time, both the runes and their usage changed with the times. Odin, the wise and mighty leader of the Viking gods, hung himself from Yggdrasil the World-Tree for nine days in order to unlock their secrets, and he passed on a portion of that wisdom to mankind. Runes have magical power in Norse mythology. The text included with the stave suggests that it protects those who would get lost due to bad weather and other unforeseen events. The Vegvisir is one of many magical staves that originate from the unique mixture of Norse paganism and Christianity that emerged in Iceland after the Viking Age. What is the difference between the Helm of Awe and Vegvisir?. Is the Vegvisir connected to the Nordics?.
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