Vöknun

Vöknun is an Icelandic noun meaning awakening or coming into consciousness. In literal use it describes waking from sleep, but it is more commonly employed metaphorically to denote a shift in awareness, understanding, or belief. The word is derived from the verb vakna, “to wake,” with the suffix -un forming a noun that signifies an act or process.

In everyday language, vöknun can refer to personal development, such as a spiritual or moral awakening, or to a cognitive shift, such as realizing a new perspective. It is also used to describe collective or social awakenings—moments when a community or society becomes more consciously aware of issues, values, or identities. In literature and religious writings, vöknun functions as a motif signaling turning points in a character’s life or in a narrative’s ethical or existential orientation.

Translations into English usually render vöknun as “awakening” or, when appropriate, “enlightenment.” The term sits within a family of Icelandic expressions for shifts in consciousness and is used across secular and religious discourse.