Original Painting: Oil on Wooden Panel

Size: 59 cm in Diameter Rotunda

Different elements are combined in this fractal symbol of Valknut. The painting was made using a combination of faux decorative effects to create an illusionary wooden marquetry surface. Tortoise shell, tamo ash, pitched pine, walnut and rose wood all form the various elements of the piece. Valknut: found on old Norse stone carvings is called "Hrungnir's heart," after the legendary giant of the Eddas. It is best known as the Valknut, or "knot of the slain," and it has been found on stone carvings with funerary motifs, where it signified the afterlife. The valknut can be drawn universally (in one stroke), making it a popular talisman of protection against spirits. The Valknut's three interlocking shapes and nine points suggest rebirth, pregnancy, and cycles of reincarnation. The nine points are also suggestive of the Nine Worlds (and the nine fates) of Norse mythology. Their interwoven shape suggests the belief of the interrelatedness of the three realms of earth, hel, and the heavens, and the nine domains they encompass. The Valknut is also an important symbol to many followers of the Odinist faith, who often wear it as a symbol of the faith.