In Norse lore and Viking tradition, the concept of direction—especially North—held deep symbolic and practical meaning. While the Vikings did not use magnetic compasses as we know them today, they were master navigators who relied on sunstones, landmarks, and celestial cues to find their way across vast and dangerous seas. The mythical Vegvísir, or "wayfinder," often called the Viking compass, appears in later Icelandic grimoires and was believed to help the bearer “never lose their way in storms or bad weather.” North itself symbolized the unknown, the spiritual, and often the realm of gods and giants, such as Jötunheimr, the land of the giants. To the Vikings, the journey toward the North wasn’t just physical—it was a passage into the heart of mystery, fate, and the divine.
