Hellers considers it likely that, if it existed at all, the word *valknútr had the meaning 'knot of those who fell in battle '. The first, on the other hand, could be derived from several words: from val, 'the choice', from valr, 'the falcon' or its homonym meaning 'one who has fallen in battle', from vala, 'the phalanx' or from vǫlr, valr, designating a rounded stick. The latter does not pose any particular problem of interpretation and is generally recognized as coming from Old Norse knútr, 'knot '. The word is divided into two compounds: val and knut. The word is divided into two components: the first is the term for a knot in which a knot is made, and the second is the term for a knot in which a knot is made. The visual appearance of these shapes is quite different from that of the present Valknut, so there is no certainty about the connection between them, although this tends to show that the term is not a recent invention and may indeed have an ancient origin. However, Hellers notes that the term existed as early as the eighteenth century to refer to both an S-shaped double knot and a geometric pattern used in tapestry, similar to the Bowen knot. The term valknut comes from Norwegian and is not attested in Old Norse. It is thus connected to the symbolism of the three and the nine in Norse mythology. In particular, it is linked to the god Odin evoking valour and death (in the sense of liberation of the soul) and the roots of Yggdrasil (in the sense of the interconnection of the nine worlds of the Nordic religion). Although the age of its name is debated, it is an old symbol of Norse mythology that can mean several things. The valknut, 'knot of the slain' in Old Norse, from valr, 'slain warriors' and knut, 'knot', is a figure composed of three intertwined triangles.

Valknut meaning