Viking Rune Tattoos in the 21 Century
In the viking age, runes were used as a practicality. Some carvings were inscribed in portable objects or as a type of decoration, similar to what we might call graffiti. Many though, were carved into stones and displayed. They were intended to remember notable people, by amplifying the good deeds they did well on earth (Jesch, 2001: 8). They may also have been used to signify boundary lines, as they were put up near paths, waterways, and speculated to be in significant meeting places (Bennett and Wilkins). These markers were extremely visible and meant to be, much like tattoos.
Getting into the tattooing of some of these rune inscriptions, one of the earliest accounts of tattooed vikings was made by an Arab named Ibn Fadlan who was part of an envoy. He remarked,
“I have never seen bodies more perfect than theirs… they are fair and ruddy… from the tips of his toes to his neck each man is tattooed in dark green.”
Ibn Fadlan c.922
Viking rune tattoos have been brought into the 21 century and popularized in mainstream media by shows such as the 13th warrior (1999) and Valhalla Rising (2009) as well as many more recent viking productions. Common viking tattoos in these shows include the ‘Gripping Beast’ (pictured) and other knotwork typical of the time leading up to the 10th century. This modernization and reimagining of viking tattoos can be called a cultural convergence: where old and new media interact (Jenkins 2008). I will, however, be focusing on the more controversial rune tattoos within this genre rather than the knotwork.
In today’s world, knowledge of the medieval is kept alive in new media environments, which stresses this benefit of convergence culture. Though we think of tattoos as a permanent media, compared to the runes carved into stone slabs they’re fairly impermanent. Used in this way the functions of the runes change. Although tattoos can also be used to remember those who did good deeds on earth like the carvings of the vikings; tattoos also have an additional level of the tattoo narrative. Tattoo narratives are when people make sense of their life through permanently altering their bodies with ink (Oksanen and Jussi 2005). These additional personal meanings can change the way that the runes are used. The wearer of the runes is going to have different and of course, personal, meanings to the symbols that the vikings didn’t have.
“A tattoo functions as an engravement into the skin that links to life and history in a personal way”
Bennett and Wilkins 2019
“Tattoos function… as maps that enable life stories to be told.”
Oksanen and Jussi 2005
This brings us to the different categories of Viking rune tattoos: new age, neopaganism, and white nationalism (which is a gross twisting of rune meanings but we’ll get there). New age Viking rune tattoos are considered secular mysticism which is basically a fancy way of saying that they’re deeply personal in meaning. Secular mysticism is a devotion to be intimate with oneself, others, and nature, in a divine sense.
New age is defined by convergence culture, the mixing of old and new. It borrows from past and existing spiritualities to give the runes a new, personal meaning. The theory a lot of people use when getting rune tattoos is the law of attraction, that suggests what you put into the world you will get back. Many new age rune tattoos reflect this in their intentions, such as getting: Ingwaz symbolizing balance, peace, and acceptance; Algiz for protection; Tiwaz representing leadership; or Dagaz representing hope and clarity. These can be viewed as using the law of attraction, by forming a magic like armour, to manifest these attributes that the symbols represent for the wearer (Oksanen and Jussi 2005).
New age is defined by convergence culture, the mixing of old and new. It borrows from past and existing spiritualities to give the runes a new, personal meaning. The theory a lot of people use when getting rune tattoos is the law of attraction, that suggests what you put into the world you will get back. Many new age rune tattoos reflect this in their intentions, such as getting: Ingwaz symbolizing balance, peace, and acceptance; Algiz for protection; Tiwaz representing leadership; or Dagaz representing hope and clarity. These can be viewed as using the law of attraction, by forming a magic like armour, to manifest these attributes that the symbols represent for the wearer (Oksanen and Jussi 2005).
Of course meaning is ultimately up to the wearer, rune tattoos don’t have to have such deep meaning, however these meanings are present in new age rune tattoos. Runes also can have many different meanings that are up to the wearer, these are the meanings outlined in my main source, Viking Tattoos of Instagram: Runes and Contemporary Identities by Bennett and Wilkins. These runic symbols also go by many names. There are over 3000 runic inscriptions so there are too many to cover; as well as all the room for interpretation that comes with convergence cultures.
Another style that uses viking rune tattoos is neopaganism. The vikings are pre-Christian peoples so today they fall under the wide umbrella of neopaganism. Neopaganism is not just one religion but a wide range of “modern” religions (modern compared to vikings and the origins of Christianity) which have all evolved separately but with bases in neopaganism. Because the vikings struggled against Christianity, the divide from western religion, viking markings in neopaganism have come to represent a resistance to mainstream culture and sometimes to mainstream religion (Bennett and Wilkins). Certain rune inscriptions were even perceived to have the ability to charm or curse the stories that they were inscribed alongside. This is because runes are depicted as having a divine link to Odin’s intervention. Through these neopagan runes and the self-identification of tattooing the idea of magic and knowledge of the old gods is preserved and reimagined.
The reimagining of Odin however is an issue. A new version of Odin is a prominent figure in white nationalist beliefs and their accompanying rune tattoos. There are runes that represent being a part of nordic culture. These are necessary to form the sense of culture and cultural memories. Culture instills a sense of belonging and in the case of the runes that the vikings used, there was a rune of national identity (Oksanen and Jussi 2005). The vikings are known to have a strong sense of cultural and national pride that is associated with the nordic identity. Many people with nordic heritage share this passion with the vikings and get some of these rune symbols to share their nordic pride.
Unfortunately some of these runes have been taken and twisted to be used by white nationalists. In World War II, nationalist came to be associated with the nazi’s and many of the vikings symbols of national pride were recycled by them to fit their cause. Tattooing Odin’s divine symbols were now not only associated with the viking self but also particular leaders and nationalist identities. Old norse symbols such as óઠal, meaning inheritance and family rights to land, has been so drastically changed by white nationalists that is not recognizably óઠal anymore but rather hate symbols. The phrase ‘norse heritage’ because of this adaptation of the viking runes has become a nationalist phrase in some circles causing many tattoo artists who do norse tattoos share them with accompanying specifications, put as simply as stating, ‘not racist’ when sharing their work.
Individuals make their own meaning by borrowing viking runes to tell their stories. For many of us with nordic ancestors this can be a beautiful and lasting way of remembering where you came from. However leaving this room for interpretation means that in some instances there is a white nationalist agenda associated with rune and viking tattoos. Runes can connect you to the past, they can reaffirm faith and project peace and happiness but in the wrong contexts they can be extremely volatile and offensive.
So enjoy your Viking tattoos, but make sure before getting inked that the symbols you choose have the right meaning to you. Be sure to do your own research if you’re thinking about getting a rune tattoo (or any tattoo).
Sources:
- Bennett, Lisa, and Kim Wilkins. “Viking Tattoos of Instagram: Runes and Contemporary Identities.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 26, no. 5-6, 2019, pp. 1301–1314., doi:10.1177/1354856519872413.
- Dunion, Paul. “Secular Mysticism.” Paul Dunion, EdD, pauldunion.com/2013/10/01
- Jesch, J (2001) Ships and Men in the Late Viking Age: The Vocabulary of Runic Inscriptions. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press.
- Jenkins, H (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collilde. New York: NY University Press.
- Palotekknoo. “Gripping Beast Viking Art .” Clipartkey.com, www.clipartkey.com/view/iiRmwJh_image-gripping-beast-viking-art
- “Runes 101 – Runes in History 6: Runes, Viking Symbols, Viking Runes.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.nz/pin/559501953684601722/.
