Vegvisir derives its name from the combination of the Icelandic words vegur (road or path) and visir, the closest translation of which in this context is "guide". Its most basic meaning is that of a signpost or guide. From this we can deduce the meaning of vegvisir - the runic compass.
But how does the Vegvisir compass work?
Well, it is used in a magical way. It is not to be confused with a real Viking compass.
Of course, as experienced sailors, the Vikings were used to travelling on open water, and to do this they had to use something to navigate. The first Viking compass was one of the most memorable Viking achievements that earned them the title "The First True Navigators". Here we are not talking about that.
The first thing that is important to mention is that Vegvisir does not date back to Viking times. The origin of the vegvisir comes from Icelandic grimoires. To clarify, the Icelandic grimoire is a book of spells and various things related to magic. One source is the Huld manuscript and the other is the Icelandic book Galdrabok.
Since the Huld manuscript dates from the 19th century and Galdabrok from the late 16th or early 19th century, Galdrabok is arguably the earliest mention of the Vegvisir symbol.
As we know, the Viking Age lasted until the 11th century, and as the first mention of the vegvisir symbol dates from the end of the 16th century, we can say with certainty that the vegvisir symbol appeared at least 500 years after the Viking Age (and probably a bit later).
We wanted to use 316L steel for this pendant, an alloy mixing iron and carbon, to guarantee strength and durability over time.
For practical reasons, we thought it was essential that this collar could be used in water, no worries there, the 316L steel is stainless, no corrosion is possible.
Of course, no skin problems or allergies. We have taken care to use a hypoallergenic material with a low nickel content to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Category: Necklace
Metals: 316L Steel
Style: Viking Style
Color: Silver / Tin
Chain Length: 23.62"(60cm)
Pendant Size: 1.77"*0.98 (45mm*25mm)
Weight: 50g