The Vegvísir (Old Norse: "sign post" or "wayfinder") is an Icelandic magical stave — a runic compass believed to help its bearer navigate through storms and find their way even in unknown lands.

The symbol's earliest known appearance is in the Huld Manuscript, compiled around 1860 by Geir Vigfússon in Iceland. The manuscript collected older Icelandic folk magic and galdrastafir (magical staves), though the Vegvísir's true origins likely stretch back centuries into Norse and Germanic magical traditions.

The inscription above translates as: "If this sign is carried, one will never lose one's way in storms or straying paths, even when the way is not known."

Source: Huld Manuscript · Lbs 143 8vo · National Library of Iceland