Helm of Awe Symbol’s Meaning and History Explained

Norse mythology produced some of the most iconic symbols in history. From Thor’s Hammer to Odin’s ravens, these symbols permeate both the historical record and pop culture. One interesting Norse symbol that isn’t as well known is the Helm of Awe. Let’s explore this symbol’s obscure Norse roots and how it’s changed in the centuries since the Viking Age.

Viking Age History of the Helm of Awe

The first mention of the Helm of Awe that has survived comes from the poem Fáfnismál contained in the Poetic Edda.¹ Written in Iceland between 1000 – 1300 AD, the Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse mythology and literature which informs much of what we know about Viking culture. The authors of the Edda captured centuries old tales of Norse gods, heroes, and mythical creatures. In Fáfnismál, or Lay of Fafnir, we get a great glimpse into these types of Norse stories.

The Lay of Fafnir tells the story of Sigurd, sometimes spelled Sigurdr, Sigurth, or Sigur∂r, and how he defeated the dragon Fafnir. In the story, Sigurd sets out to kill the dragon after being goaded into by his step-father, Regin. When Sigurd enters Fafnir’s lair, he finds the dragon sitting upon a pile of gold (a detail that would inspire J.R.R. Tolkien a millennium later). To kill Fáfnir, Sigurd sets a trap by digging “a great ditch” and hiding in it. When Fafnir (for unknown reason) gets restless and moves off his pile of riches and crosses Sigurd’s trench, “Sigurd drove his sword into the serpent’s heart.”²

His enemy mortally wounded, Sigurd emerges from his trench to converse with the dying Fafnir. It’s at this point in the poem that the Helm of Awe emerges. During their conversation, the dragon tells Sigurd that because of the Helm of Awe “I found no one I had to fear, few were worth a fight.”³ Unfortunately, the Lay of Fafnir provides no further clues as to what the Helm of Awe might be.

There are, however, two pretty good theories. The Icelandic word for helm, hjálmr, translates literally as “covering.” This has led some experts to believe that the Helm of Awe refers to a physical helmet worn by Fafnir. Others, however, think that it refers to a magical rune that provided protection.⁴

Helm of Awe Symbol Enters the Record

The Poetic Edda does not contain an actual visual representation of the Helm of Awe. To get physical evidence of the Helm of Awe, we had to wait another few centuries. The actual Helm of Awe symbol, also called the Aegishjalmur stave, first appeared in a seventeenth-century Icelandic manuscript known as Lbs 143 8vo (catchy name, I know). A set of Norse lore and Icelandic folktales collected into a single source, this manuscript can tell us a lot about what the people of Iceland believed during this era.

By the 1600s, Icelanders had long since converted from Christianity. As such, this manuscript appears to be a grimoire that combines beliefs from Old Norse polytheism with early modern Icelandic Christianity.⁵ In fact, in this text, the Helm of Awe symbol is accompanied by a common Christian symbol of protection, the seal of the Holy Spirit.⁶

Later publications in Iceland continued to carry on this tradition of the Helm of Awe as a symbol of protection. The most famous example is the Huld Manuscript. Written in 1847 by Geir Vigfússon, the Huld Manuscript contains hundreds of runes and magical symbols. In this collection, Vigfússon noted next to the Aegishjalmur symbol that one should “carry this sign with you and you won’t get lost in storms or bad weather, even though in unfamiliar surrounds.”⁷

Breaking Down the Helm of Awe Symbol

Now that we know what the Helm of Awe looks like, let’s break down its intricate design. 

To start, the Helm of Awe is made up of eight spokes that emanate from a central point; this central point is sometimes shown with a small circle around it. Each of these spokes seems to be derived from z runes, runic symbols that were thought to provide protection against enemies. This ancient symbol was part of the Old Norse runic alphabet called Elder Futhark and has been found on Viking Age carvings in Denmark.⁸

The perpendicular lines that cross the z runes are isa runes. These runes, too, come from Elder Futhark and literally translate into English as “ice.” More symbolically, isa runes could have represented forces of nature.⁹

Though we know the meaning of the runes that make up the Helm of Awe, it’s still unclear when and why they were put together to form this magical symbol.

Modern Day Uses of the Helm of Awe

A modern reinvention of the Old Norse religion, the Asatru religion, has continued to carry the protective meaning of the Helm of Awe into the twenty-first-century.¹⁰ Informed by medieval sagas and Christian accounts of Old Norse belief systems, Asaru is a religion that combines ancestor worship, belief in the Norse gods, and Nordic ritual practices. Practitioners of this religion worship in the same way their medieval ancestors did. This includes meeting at authentic Norse sites to carry out rituals and wearing jewelry in the shape of important Viking symbols. Most people who use the Helm of Awe for protection choose to wear it as jewelry or have it drawn or pressed onto their forehead between their eyes.¹¹

Unfortunately, the Helm of Awe has also been picked up by white supremacist groups. Typically associating the symbol with notions of power, fear, and militarism, extremist groups (especially in Scandinavia) have co-opted the Helm of Awe to push their agenda.¹²

Sources on the Helm of Awe

1. Mark Johnston, “What is the Helm of Awe? Runes, Symbols, and Viking Magic!” ancient-origins.net
2. The Lay of Fafnir,” olli.gmu.edu
3. Ibid
4. Johnston, “What is the Helm of Awe? Runes, Symbols, and Viking Magic!” ancient-origins.net
5. “Grimoires,” galdrasyning.is/en
6. Ibid
7. Justin Foster, “Huld Manuscript of Galdrastafir Witchcraft Magic Symbols and Runes – English Translation,” academia.edu
8. Jantina Helena Looijenga, “Runes around the North Sea and on the Continent AD 150-700; texts & contexts,” pure.rug.nl
9. Ralph Warren Victor Elliot, Runes: An Introduction (Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1959), 55
10. “The old Nordic religion (asatro) today,” en.natmus.dk
11. “Spells,” galdrasyning.is
12. Johnston, “What is the Helm of Awe? Runes, Symbols, and Viking Magic!” ancient-origins.net