

Almost 30 years later, the symbol still persists. A series of symbols affiliated with their most prominent gods help us better understand their central beliefs. Tasked with finding a symbol to represent the very abstract notion of “command,” Kare came upon the current now-iconic pretzel-shaped design, a shape used in Nordic countries to indicate a campground on a map. That decision meant there would also need to be an alternative logo, a duty that fell to Susan Kare, Apple’s resident bitmap artist at the time. It was a situation Jobs described as “taking the Apple logo in vain.” The Apple logo, for instance, was everywhere - on every menu screen, all over the keyboard and, of course, directly on the Apple key. During the development of MacDraw, a drawing app that released with the Apple Macintosh in 1984, Steve Jobs decided the Apple name and logo were being overused, which was diluting the brand. The name “Command” key, and the now-iconic symbol, are in part thanks to the whims of Steve Jobs. The current pretzel-shaped design is used in Sweden to indicate a campground on a map. In combination with the other keys, it allows you to operate your machine without ever touching - or even having - a mouse, a situation that was far more common before the trackpad laptop took over computing.
Valknut symbols software#
The Command key dates back to the early 1980s, and its secrets are bound up in its original name: the “Apple key.” According to Andy Hertzfeld, an American software engineer who helped develop the original Macintosh computer, the original purpose of the key is to allow you to completely do away with a mouse. But what was the original purpose of this key that is unique to Macs and, more curiously, why does it look so weird? The Command key is arguably the most important key on a Mac, and required for just about every major keyboard shortcut. If so, you probably never met the Command key - that large button with a pretzel-shaped logo next to your space bar - until well into your computer-using life.
Valknut symbols how to#
If you’re over the age of about 25, there’s a good chance you didn’t learn how to use a computer on a Mac. In this case, the symbolism in Norse mythology showing three multiplied by three might designate the nine worlds, which are united by the Yggdrasil tree. This week: the mysterious symbol on Apple’s Command Key. Neo-pagans, usually supporters of the Scandinavian pantheon, frequently use the valknut as a symbol of Scandinavian culture without any radical right-wing. A Valknut is made of three parts, and the number three is a very common magic symbol in many cultures. It is sometimes used in popular culture like as logos of companies, sports teams, and organizations.Welcome to Further Details, a series dedicated to ubiquitous but overlooked elements hidden on your favorite products.

Most likely the 'meaning' of the symbol was prestige, like so many other foreign influenced fashions. If there was any meaning ascribed to the symbol, we are left in the dark, but claims of Odinnic or mortuary connections are unfounded. The Valknut symbol holds significance even today for the Germanic Neopagan faiths. The 'valknut' was most likely simply borrowed from Christian Anglo-Saxons and Carolingians. Interlinking of the three triangles is symbolic of inter-connectedness of the 3 realms of heavens, earth, and hell. The Valknut appears on various urns from East Anglia, alongside wolves and ravens, other symbols of Odin. It appears on a 10th-century tombstone from Yorkshire, while it was under Viking control. There appears in the famous Oseburg ship burial engraved on the base of the ship. The nine sides or nine points of the three triangles are associated with the Nine Worlds of the Norse mythology. There are many other relics that use the Valknut symbol. Some theories connect it with reincarnation and consider it a talisman against evil. The symbol has been found often in art depicting Odin and is believed to represent the afterlife. Another theory connects the Valknut with the Norse God Odin and his powers to bind and unbind the mind of men. The basis for this assertion is the 13th-century book, Prose Edda that describes the giant Hrungnir’s heart as made of stone and having three sharp corners. According to one, the Valknut refers to ‘Hrungnir’s Heart’. No one knows exactly what the Valknut represented for the ancient people, but a few theories have been put forth.
