People often ask why I use the Vegvísir symbol so frequently in my work.
Partly because I like the design.
But mostly because I think it captures something recognisably human.
As a jeweller, I’ve realised that people rarely buy jewellery simply because it looks nice.
The pieces that stay with people tend to represent something.
A relationship.
A memory.
A period of life.
A decision.
A reminder.
The Vegvísir seems to fit naturally into that.
It’s Not Quite The Viking Symbol Most People Think It Is
The Vegvísir is often described as a Viking compass.
The reality is slightly more complicated.
The symbol appears in Icelandic manuscripts from the nineteenth century, most famously the Huld Manuscript from 1860, rather than surviving Viking Age sources.
For some people that diminishes the symbol.
For me, it doesn’t really change anything.
Because what interests me isn’t whether Vikings wore it.
What interests me is why people still do.
The Part That Matters To Me
I’ve spent years making jewellery for people marking important moments in their lives.
Engagements.
Marriages.
Anniversaries.
Losses.
Fresh starts.
Inherited jewellery carrying family stories.
One thing I’ve noticed is that people often choose symbols when they’re standing at some kind of crossroads.
Not because they believe a symbol will change the outcome.
Because it helps them remember who they want to be while they’re moving through it.
That’s what I think the Vegvísir represents.
Not certainty.
Direction.
Why It Belongs At The Middle Green
The Middle Green has never really been about recreating history.
I’m not interested in making museum replicas.
What interests me is creating modern talismans.
Pieces that feel personal.
Pieces that feel carried rather than displayed.
The Vegvísir fits naturally within that idea.
Not because it’s ancient.
Not because it’s Viking.
But because people still connect with what it represents.
Guidance.
Direction.
Finding your way when the route ahead isn’t entirely clear.
That’s something people needed in 1860.
It’s something people need now.
And it’s probably something we’ll always need.
Every Vegvísir piece is designed and handmade by Tom McDanielson in my Wiltshire workshop.
