1 Unfortunately, that means some Norse tattoos are best avoided. For the most part, this has remained true, with the symbol not being considered offensive, despite attempts to appropriate it. However, many neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have co-opted Norse tattoos for their own uses. Others believe the symbol is an iconic part of North European culture and shouldn’t be considered a symbol of hate. In 1971, a display of this tattoo caused a race riot in North Carolina. This is especially true for people who have lost someone who died in a war since Valknut is largely associated with battles. This has led some to claim that the Valknut is a hate symbol. In the USA and Europe, political tattoos that are considered offensive, extremist and racist are The Odin’s Cross popularized by the KKK in 1920, this tattoo is generally worn by neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups. "Is he aware of this tradition, or is it a coincidence? Or is it not just a coincidence and he's not aware, but it's something which travels through our culture in the background? Maybe he doesn't even know what he's doing, but he's doing exactly what he would have done in the 19th century. What is a Valknut tattoo The most common meaning that people do give their Valknut tattoos is the classic one: they are honoring a deceased loved one or friend. It is thought to be a symbol of the transition between life and death, which was basically where vikings lived the majority of their lives, on the edge between life and death. "When I looked at this weirdo who was dressed as a Viking, I was like, 'Does he know what he's doing?'" Frantz tells NBC THINK about Angeli. The Valknut, also known as Odin's Knot is a very popular viking tattoo. For Frantz, who also wrote a book about the birth of the KKK, the parallels between the appearance of 19th century Klansmen and the Jan. As historian Elaine Frantz explains in her essay "Midnight Rangers: Costume and Performance in the Reconstruction-Era Ku Klux Klan," the early Klansmen wore something far more similar to the hodgepodge we saw on display at the Capitol last week: animal horns, fur, fake beards, homemade costumes that drew on traditions of carnival or Mardi Gras, masks, pointy hats, polka dots. When the Ku Klux Klan started in the mid-1860s, Klansmen did not wear the white hoods and robes we imagine them in now. They want to openly proclaim their affiliation to the cause. We spend $750 billion annually on "defense" and the center of American government fell in two hours to the duck dynasty and the guy in the chewbacca bikini /ZMR76cbN2c- (((YousefMunayyer))) January 7, 2021 When people have a hate symbol they tend to want to use them in one of three ways, and they are not mutually exclusive.