According to studies and sources, the rituals may have involved sexual stimulation and energy - in other words, sex magic. When practicing Seidr, the women practitioners collectively prayed, chanted, and entered a state of trance during the rituals. Regular men who risked practicing Seidr were persecuted as doing so was seen as going against Germanic social norms in that period.

Valknut, the Knot of the Slain by Tata Donets on Shutterstock Generally, it was only practiced by women, but many believe that its chief practitioner was Odin himself. Seidr (SAY-der) was the heathen Norse practice of magic and shamanism. Valknut As a Norse Magical Symbol and the Practice of Seidr If you would like to learn more about symbols of Odin, read our extensive list by clicking here. That is why Valknut is thought to represent Odin’s magical powers of binding and unbinding. People believed that Odin had the power to use magic to bind and unbind things, as well as to control people’s minds. As such, among other things, he was believed to be a powerful magician associated with concepts such as wisdom, royalty, healing, death, war, victory, poetry, and sorcery. Odin’s name is translated into English as “the Master of Ecstasy”. However, the general consensus is that the symbol has been being used to represent Odin, the most powerful and revered god in Norse mythology, since the early ages. There are a number of theories regarding where the Valknut originated from and what it means. This is considered to be the reason why the Valknut symbol has been closely associated with Odin and eventually has come to be known as the symbol of Odin. The three-triangle Valknut was commonly seen on runestones and gravestones, and it often appeared alongside the figure of Odin the Allfather, or animals that represented him, such as the wolf or horse. One of the popular pieces of evidence regarding the ancient use or inscription of Valknut symbol was on the Tängelgårda stone from 7th-century Gotland, Sweden. The symbol, which is also sometimes called Odin’s symbol/the symbol of Odin, is believed to date back to the ancient times.

Valknut symbol tattoo