It is one of the most mysterious and powerful symbols in Norse mythology. Just looking at its shape, without any prior knowledge of what that shape symbolizes, is enough to inspire fear and awe: eight arms that look like pointed tridents radiate from a central point, as if defending that central point by going on the offensive against anyone and all hostile forces surrounding it.
When we think of Norse mythology, one of the first things that comes to mind is the wealth of symbolism it contains. It is simply not possible to understand the Norse faith without a good understanding of Norse symbols and their meanings.
That’s why we thought it was time to start going through them one by one. So here comes Aegishjalmr/Aegishjalmur/AEgishjalmr, the helm of dread and terror, one of the most prominent Viking symbols.
The Norse were a hardy race who battled the ravages of nature in some of the most inhospitable lands ever voluntarily populated by humans. The Viking warrior was tall, broad, and muscular; fearless and universally feared in battle.
Through their legends, we know of a charm that gave them the last two of these qualities: Aegishjalmr, the helm of dread and terror.
1. Concept of the Aegishjalmr
Such overwhelming power was apparently what this magical symbol was intended to produce. In the Fafnismal, one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, the rampaging dragon Fafnir attributes much of his apparent invincibility to his use of the Helmet of Awe:
The Helm of Awe that I wore before the sons of men in defense of my treasure; Among all, I alone was strong, I thought to myself, for I found no power for my own rival.
Like most ancient Germanic symbols, the form of its visual representation was far from strictly fixed. For example, spell 41 in the Galdrabok, a 17th-century Icelandic grimoire, includes a drawing of the Helmet of Awe with only four arms and without the sets of lines running perpendicular to the arms.
Although references to the Helm of Awe in the Poetic Edda describe it as a physical object imbued with magical properties, the original meaning of the Old Norse hjalmr was “to cover.” He continues with the theory that:
This helm of fear was originally a kind of magical power sphere for attacking the enemy. It was associated with the power of snakes to paralyze their prey before attacking (hence the connection with Fafnir).
The helm of fear, as described in the manuscript [the Galdrabok], is a power centered in the pineal gland and emanating from it and the eyes. [In Aristotle and Neoplatonism, sources of much medieval magic, the spirit is connected to the body through the pineal gland, and the eyes emit rays of spiritual power.
It is symbolized by a cross-shaped configuration, which in its simplest form is made up of what appear to be four younger M-runes or older Z-runes. These figures can, however, become very complex.
The connection with runes is particularly apt, as several of the shapes that form the Helm of Awe have the same shapes as certain runes. Given the centrality of runes in Germanic magic as a whole, it is highly unlikely that this correspondence was a coincidence.
The “arms” of the Helm appear to be Z-runes. The original name of this rune is unknown, but it is now often called “Algiz.” The meaning of this rune has a lot to do with protection and prevalence over enemies, making it a suitable choice for inclusion in a symbol such as the Helm of Awe.
The “spikes” running perpendicular to the “arms” could be Isa runes. While the meaning of this rune is more or less unknown due to the confusing and contradictory information provided by primary sources, it seems reasonable to speculate that, given that “Isa” means “ice,” its inclusion in the Helm of Awe could have imparted it.
The symbol conveys a sense of concentration and hardening, as well as a connection to the animating spirits of winter cold and darkness, the fearsome giants. This connection is made more likely by the fact that the dragon Fafnir occupies a role in the tales of the human hero Sigurd analogous to that occupied by the giants in the tales of the gods.
Such connections are necessarily speculative, especially since the marks that may or may not be Isa’s runes are, graphically speaking, nothing more than straight lines, which makes them much more difficult to identify positively. However, the tenacity of the connections here is quite striking.
2. The origin of the name “Aegishjalmr/Aegishjalmr.”
The name Aegishjalmr is a compound word made up of two root words, “Aegis” and “Hjalmr.” In Old Norse, Aegis meant “shield” and Hjalmr meant “rudder.”
The word “helmet” is itself the root word for “helmet,” a fact that becomes the source of enormous confusion about the interpretation of the word “Aegishjalmr.” The prevalence of the word “helmet” over “helmet” among English speakers has fueled the misconception that the name referred to an actual physical helmet worn in battle.
In truth, a correct understanding requires that one remain loyal to the translation of the original root word, Hjalmr as “rudder.” The word “rudder” means “at the forefront” or refers to an elevated position that oversees everyone.
Thus, the Aegishjalmr actually referred to a symbol that was marked on the forehead and between the eyes of the Viking warrior before battle. We know this to be true thanks to the Volsungasaga (Saga of the Volsung Clan), a 13th-century Icelandic tome that tells of the rise and fall of the Volsung clan.
In chapter 18, one of the heroes of the saga, Sigurd, speaks to Fafnir, a man turned into a dragon by the curse placed on a treasure of gold he coveted, just before going into battle. Fafnir tells him of his exploits as a young warrior and speaks of the Aegishjalmr that gave him victory in every battle:
AN AEGISHJALM THAT I WORE BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE… SO THAT NO ONE DARED TO APPROACH ME, AND I WAS NOT AFRAID OF ANY WEAPON, NOR HAD I EVER SEEN SO MANY MEN BEFORE ME, AND YET I CONSIDERED MYSELF STRONGER THAN ALL OF THEM; FOR ALL MEN FEARED ME GREATLY.
The Sorla battr, written by two Christian priests in the 14th century, refers to the Aegishjalmr as the “Helmet of Terror.” In it, one warrior warns another not to look at the enemy knight’s face because he is wearing the Aegishjalmr, but the text seems to imply that the helmet is a physical shield worn by the knight.
3. The origins of the Aegishjalmr symbol
When one studies the Aegishjalmr closely, it becomes easily recognizable as a symbol of protection rather than an offensive symbol.
There is a circle in the center surrounded by eight points, four at the cardinal points and four between them. The ends of the points have three points each and can be represented as curved or straight lines, but are much more often seen in the earlier style.
Sometimes, the Aegishjalmr is shown with a circle of runes around it, but this is a stylistic addition made in recent times and no real Aegishjalmr has ever been found with this design.
The central circle represents the circle of protection within which the bearer is safe. This is a representation common to many cultures and is similar to the Magic Circle of protection and invocation used in Wicca.
The eight points represent protection against evil intent, perceived or not, from all directions.
In the Aegishjalmr, it is believed that the presence of the crossbars reinforced the spell in the same way that physical crossbars on a spear pointing outward would provide greater protection in real life.
The eight points of the Aegishjalmr are actually tridents, a very common symbol in Hinduism. Shiva, the Destroyer of worlds, is always depicted in Hindu iconography as holding a trident, called trishool in Sanskrit.
The Hindu trishool also often features the same horizontal crossbars immediately below the head of the trident as seen in the Aegishjalmr. The three horizontal lines are also a tilak or forehead mark very common among followers of Shiva. They can be drawn right across the forehead or right in the center.
There is abundant evidence of the common roots of European and Indian peoples, particularly through the migration of the Aryan people to the subcontinent.
However, there is also evidence that certain elements, particularly the shape of the trident, may be of more localized origin. The trident is sometimes depicted in the form of the Algiz rune, which is the “z” of the Elder Futhark runic alphabet. Algiz means “elk” and its shape is reminiscent of the animal’s horns.
Algiz has also been interpreted as a man with his hands raised toward the sky in supplication or as a flower opening toward the sun, a metaphor for receiving knowledge and protection from the divine world.
It may be that the Proto-Indo-Europeans held the trident shape in high esteem before the original division of the two groups and that it came to be interpreted and represented in a similar way in the branch cultures that preceded it.
4. How did the Aegishjalmur work?
There are several sagas that refer to the Aegishjalmur, but none go into detail about the mystery of how it worked. There is a discernible difference between what the pentagram was said to be capable of achieving as a symbol in the early stories and in the later ones.
In the early tradition, the Aegishjalmur was applied to the warrior’s forehead using a stained image of the symbol carved in lead or copper. Then he said the phrase “Aegishjalm” I carry between my eyebrows. This ritual was said to ensure victory in battle.
Later versions, dating from the 14th century onwards, when Christianity had been accepted by large sections of the Scandinavian population, saw the appearance of physical Aegishjalmr helmets that could be worn. These helmets had far greater abilities than those envisaged in the earlier sagas.
5. Placement
The placement of the Aegishjalmur between the warrior’s eyes is also an insightful clue to two things we understand about the symbol today.
First, the placement tells us that the symbol would have been small. It was not emblazoned on the chest or helmet; the entire intricate design had to fit into a space barely half an inch wide.
This strongly suggests that Viking warriors did not view the Aegishjalmur as an object of physical intimidation. It is completely different, say, from a terrifying horned mask bearing a menacing face that would act as a source of fear and strike fear into the hearts of enemy troops who laid eyes on it.
No, the Aegishjalmur was a personal charm. It would probably never have been noticed by an opposing warrior due to its small size. This would be particularly true in the heat of battle, where the attacking and defensive movements of the warrior wearing the amulet would make it virtually indistinguishable from his face.
The second thing that the placement hints at is again the origin of the symbol. Placing a mark between the eyes is a prominent feature of Indian religions because it was believed to be the location of the mystical Third Eye.
In Eastern traditions, the left and right eyes see the physical world. The Third Eye, located between them, is the Eye of the Mind. It perceives all things beyond the apparent or physical. This idea fits perfectly with the Aegishjalmur’s ability to induce awe and terror in the opponent’s mind even before the battle is joined.
The design of the Aegishjalmur gathered energy at the point where it could be projected onto its intended targets (who would be seen as aggressors intent on harming the bearer). The Third Eye sought signs of weakness within them that could be prey to fear and terror.
It then unleashed those people’s greatest fears to protect the wearer. When Fafnir spoke in the Volsungsaga, “…no one dared to approach me…”, this was perhaps the truth of the Aegishjalmur’s power to which he alluded.
6. Seidr (say-der)
Seidr is a branch of ancient Norse magic that dealt with destiny. Seidr masters could perceive the lines of destiny woven into the existence of a particular person or thing and alter them minutely to affect their future, rewriting the hand of fate.
In practice, seidr was said to cloud the perception and judgment of people in the vicinity of the practitioner, usually a woman. They could make things appear different from their true form, cause an observer to completely forget something (hide something or someone in plain sight), or even forget something they did see.
It was the first of these three that the Aegishjalmr had to achieve in order to work on the battlefield. It is believed that the use of the staff caused the people surrounding the warrior, both friends and enemies, to perceive him differently.
To those who fought alongside him, he would be a vision of fearless power and readiness for battle, ready to divide the enemy with his individual weapon and lead them collectively to a resounding victory. Soldiers on the opposing side would see a terrifying vision of an invincible warrior whom they had no chance of defeating and would be discouraged upon seeing him.
However, it is unclear how seidr would work with a warrior through the Aegishjalmr. From all accounts, seidr only works within a certain area around the shaman or witch; the more powerful and skilled they are, the larger the circle and the people over whom they can hold their spell.
However, an Aegishjalmr is used by the warrior and not by the magic practitioner. Could a blessed spell cast directly on the warrior with the staff have the ability to convey the same illusions that only the magician could control?
Certainly, warriors were not magicians in the same way that we do not have fighter pilots who are Navy SEALS today. In that sense, if the Aegishjalmr had worked through seidr, it would have been in a form of which we no longer have any knowledge.
7. Invisibility and other gifts
Invisibility is perhaps the least known aspect and also the least supported by much of the surviving literature from the Viking era. It is alluded to in later material, when the Aegishjalmr is considered a physical helmet, very different from what was imagined in its early iterations.
Once again, exact descriptions and images are non-existent and can only be guessed at from the material that was shaped to a certain extent, very similar to the hats that wizards and witches were supposed to wear.
Pointed hats were always associated with improved mental acuity and dexterity; in fact, the “donkey hats” that children were forced to wear in school were shaped that way for that very reason.
Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) takes the idea to fantastic extremes with an Aegishjalmr called Tarnhelm that gives its wearer the ability not only to become invisible, but also to change shape and even teleport.
It is perhaps a sign of the times that the warrior’s staff of invincibility is today sometimes promoted as a kind of love spell to “guarantee victory” in the bedroom. Needless to say, the Aegishjalmr does none of that and was never intended for the pursuit of futile pleasure. It is a construct of a time when life was hard and brutal, and death was ever-present.
8. The life of an Aegishjalmr
It was not meant that once the symbol was applied to a warrior, he would be invincible forever; the magic behind Aegishjalmrs was finite. There is no material that alludes to the exact longevity of the spell, and it is unclear whether it lasted for a skirmish, a battle, or a campaign.
However, it is clear that it followed a rule of diminishing returns. In the Volsungasaga, when Fafnir taunts Sigurd with the feats he has performed and the warriors he has killed with his Aegishjalmr, Sigurd replies:
FEW CAN HAVE VICTORY BY MEANS OF THAT SAME ÆGISHJÁLMR, FOR WHOEVER COMES AMONG MANY ONE DAY WILL FIND THAT NO MAN IS BY ANY MEANS THE MOST POWERFUL OF ALL.
