Runic History and Use
The runic alphabet, said to carry a magical quality, is a means to self-awareness and self-development. When appropriately used, the runes teach us to know ourselves and tap into the energies we all possess within us. They can be both teachers and tools.
The writer J.R.R. Tolkien, in his book Lord of the Rings, suggested that runes were implements of power. Runes are said by some to carry strong healing vibrations, to protect their owner and to help with finances.
Runes, like any other divination tool, should be treated with respect and cared for, and they should be thanked for their help each time they are used and ensured that they are looked after properly.
Runic Links
It is important to remember that runes are both an alphabetical system and a tool for self-help. Runes are linked to the astrological elements of earth, air, fire, and water. The runes also correspond to the signs of the zodiac and the planets. Runes have strong links with both the Tarot and I Ching. The runic alphabet also relates to the system of numerology, as with most alphabetical systems, and also has colour links.
The Runic Alphabet – Myth or Fact
Runic is an alphabet, a means of communication, and a set of symbols carved onto objects for magical purposes.
Nobody is totally certain where runes originated, or what the word ‘rune’ means. Whilst most runemasters suggest that the name means ‘mystery’ or ‘holy secret’, it is also worth considering that it may come from the German raunen, a word which has a variety of meanings, including ‘to cut or carve’. Runes were most probably cut or carved and not written by the Norse who used them in ancient times. Other students of language suggest a link with the Anglo-Saxon word secgan, ‘to say’, and the Latin secare, ‘to cut’, whilst others suggest a link with the Old Nordic run, the Gothic runa and the Icelandic runar, all of which mean ‘whisper’.
What is obvious from looking at the runes is that they are a series of straight lines with no curves or ellipses, which could obviously fit in with the idea of something carved by early man with basic implements. It is worth remembering that only educated people were taught to write or carve, and therefore those who could understand runes or carve them were people with extreme power.
There are several schools of thought on the origin of runes. Folklore suggests that they are older than the New Testament, and link with the one-eyed Norse god Odin (sometimes also called Woden the Wise). Odin was also called ‘the shape-shifter’ and had many guises. He sometimes hid the fact that he had one eye by wearing a large hat with the brim lowered. It is said that he gave his eye in exchange for being allowed to drink from the Well of Wisdom, hence his abundant knowledge. He is usually depicted with hat, blue cloak and staff, accompanied by two ravens, known as Hugin (Mind) and Munin (Memory), who kept him informed of what was happening.
Odin, a word which comes from the old Norse od, meaning ‘spirit’, is the Norse equivalent of the Roman Mercury, the Greek Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth. It is also interesting to note that spirit tracks (identified as ley lines in modem times) were considered sacred to Odin, so these, too, would seem to have a strong runic connection.
The story goes that Odin, wanting to understand life and death and needing to obtain wisdom, wounded himself with his own sword, with which he then impaled himself on a tree known as Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World or World Ash. He stayed there for nine days and nine nights without food, water or aid. Eventually he found enlightenment, fell, saw the runes and seized them. Later he wrote the Poetic Edda or Elder Edda, comprising 39 poems, in their honour. It is interesting to compare this story with the illustration on the Tarot card ‘The Hanged Man’.
There are three main runic poems, Anglo-Saxon, Norwegian and Icelandic, mainly from the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, and the Norse sagas contain many references to runes, their magic and power. The runic poems are important to the meanings of the runes, and all poems will be quoted as we continue on through our Rune Magic journey.
Odin is seen by many runemasters as an essential part of working with runes. You will find out more later about Odin and various other Norse deities during the class.
Other versions of the origin of the runes are more historical, and are often favoured by those who merely look at the runes as a history of language. The runes commonly used now contain 24 characters, plus a blank rune, fitting in with the Greek alphabet. It is said by many that the runic script was chiefly adapted from the Latin alphabet, but again this cannot be proven, and the characters used have not always numbered 24.
During the last Ice Age a tribe known as Volsungr, who were wanderers, used a system of wisdom known as Ur-Runes, which was said to give them certain powers. Moving down from the far north into Sweden, using a pathway called ‘White Wyrm’, they left behind examples of Ur-Runes in the Hallristningar rock carvings, dated between the second Iron Age and Bronze Age. Most runic inscriptions at that time were carved into rock, but this eventually changed as smaller stones, slivers of wood or bone as well as clay and metal were inscribed with runic characters. Unfortunately, few wooden runic crosses have survived.
Tribes moving further south carried runic knowledge towards what is now known as Austria, and in the fifth century BC, new alphabets were formulated, known now as North Etruscan, Alpine or North Italic. The Heruli warrior tribe became strongly identified with the runes and the name Herulian or Erilar became a common term for runemaster, long after the tribe had ceased to exist.
The Ur-Rune alphabet and the new Alpine alphabets at this point seem to merge. We are now at around 3 BC. Evidence of this exists in the Alpine text inscribed on a bronze helmet found at Negau, south of the Danube and dated at 3 BC.
The path of the runes then moved northwards down the Rhine, and there is evidence to suggest that the journey had reached the lower Rhine by around 1 BC. A first-century goblet on which runic symbols are etched has been found in the lower Rhine area. The journey continued along to the Friesian Islands (when possibly a further four new runes were added) then northwards into Denmark and Jutland and into Norway around AD 3, moving further north during the eighth and ninth centuries. The inscription on a fibula in Norway which has been dated AD 800, gives evidence that the Norse runic alphabet was being used at that time. There is evidence to suggest that the Futhark order of runes existed at this time but that the 24-character alphabet was not fixed.
When the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came to Britain, the alphabet increased to 29 runes, increasing in Northumbria during the early part of the ninth century to 33, possibly because more characters were needed to cope with the English phonetic system (as also in Germany), whilst in Denmark at the same time, 16 were used. A later progression saw 25 runes used in Scandinavia. The Northumbrian and Anglo-Saxon runes seemed to disappear for a time, but they reappeared in a 16-rune form during the time of the Norse and Danish invasions.
Examples of runic script in England can be found on the Bewcastle, Leek and Ruthwell crosses. The inscription on the Ruthwell Cross is the longest in the UK, and is located in the church in Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire. There are other runic inscriptions on a cross fragment in Lancaster and on a fragment at Thornhill in West Yorkshire. Runic was also used on some coins, as examples have survived with the names of kings written in runes. A visit to the British Museum to see Frank’s Casket is well worth while, as it is probably the best-known of England’s runic objects and the most studied. The runic script ceased to be commonplace in England following the arrival of Christian missionaries from Ireland, who introduced the Roman alphabet to the masses. For a time, the runic script was still used for reference marks and as ornamental capitals, but this was fairly short-lived.
In the Middle Ages, a system comprising 25 runes was used in Sweden, and this is the system often found on Swedish runestones or standing stones.
As we have seen, the Vikings travelled far and wide and it has been suggested that there were even examples of eleventh-century Norse runestones as far away as the USA. This, however, has been disproven. The so-called Kensington Stone which can be found in Alexandria, Minnesota has been the subject of much discussion since its discovery in 1898. Current thought is that it is a fake, since the inscriptions on it seem to be a mixture of modern Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and English.
It was hoped by the North Americans that the Vinland of the Norse sagas, actual location unknown, was somewhere on the North American coast. That may still be proven, but what is clear is that the Kensington Stone is really nothing to do with the Vikings or genuine runic artefacts, and that most North American runic connections are still to be authenticated by archaeologists. It is possible in some cases that the objects found may be Eskimo in origin. As suggested earlier, runes were probably not written down, but carved or etched on wood, metal, bone or stone. Only those who understood them learnt of their powers, and those who could decipher them were few and far between. As such, these people were often figures of authority who seemed to the masses to possess magical powers, being on a social level well above those unable to understand the symbols. Later on, the art of writing was reserved for the priesthood, for those connected with political matters, and for the nobility. Runes represented not only a method of communication or mnemonics but also symbols of knowledge.
During the seventeenth century there were serious attempts to ban the use of runes in Iceland, as the Church felt that there was a strong connection between runic writing, witchcraft and paganism. Records indicate that people were burnt to death in Iceland for merely possessing rune-staves. Likewise a ban was placed on the Bobileth tree writing, where every letter was named after a tree. Runic lettering had its supporters, however, one being Johannes Bureus, who sought to have the runes adopted as the official alphabet of Sweden in 1611, and runic calendars were still in use in some of the less populated areas of Sweden as late as the nineteenth century.
There are strong links between the runic alphabet and the Ogham alphabet of Wales and Ireland, and the Ogham script was one form of communication which was banned around the seventeenth century.
An interest in runes during the nineteenth century saw the creation of a new German system, known as the Armanen Runes, which has 18 characters. This was the ‘brainchild’ of Guido von List, and formed the basis of Nazi runelore. However, most runemasters used the 24 runes known as the Elder Futhark (also seen as futhorc or fupark), so called because of the order of the first six letters f, u, th, o, r and c.
During the twentieth century, interest in runes has revived, despite the stigma of Nazi usage, and the use of the SS during the time of Adolf Hitler of the double Sigel (also called Sol or Sygel) as their symbol, for political ends. However, this did not mean that students of the runes were exempt from persecution, and many runemasters and researchers were still persecuted. The association formed in the minds of many people between runes and the Nazi system meant that a true revival of runes did not begin until the late 1960s.
Runic Healing Correspondences
Practical Work
Using either your own rune set or the oracle cards that are available in the resources section of this class, pull out 5 runes and lay them in a row. What is your general feeling from the runes? Does it feel like a positive reading? Without knowing about the meaning of the individual symbols, just make a note of the runes that you pulled and what you felt or experienced from them. Keep these details in your journal.
In the Elder Futhark Rune Set, in other words the 24-plus-one runic set with which we are learning about in this class, there are three divisions. These divisions contain eight runes each, the blank or 25th rune being a separate item. This is similar to the Greek division of the alphabet into three ogdoads (groups of eight), said to reflect the three parts of the universe. Each of these sets has its own name, and is called an aett, an Icelandic word, with many meanings included in which are things connected with place, lineage and eight directions.
It is interesting to note that the Scottish word airt is very similar, as is the Irish word aird meaning an eighth of the horizon, and used as a means of direction. The number eight is said to have been a very powerful number to the Vikings and each set of eight runes forms its own ‘family’, and is assigned to a particular deity.
There are three sets of aetts, three being another particularly powerful number to the Vikings. The first set is called Freyr’s aett, the second set Haegl’s aett (the ninth rune itself is called Haegl), and the third set Tyr’s aett (the 17th rune itself is called Tyr or Tiw). You may also see the word aettir used instead of aett. It is important to realise that, whilst each runic set has its god, the overall ruler of the runes remains Odin, rather than those mentioned above.
Freyr’s set is said to represent growth, increase and unfolding, Haegl’s set the elements, and Tyr’s set courage in the face of adversity, Tyr being a warrior god. In addition to each set being assigned a particular god, many of the individual runes were also assigned a god. These will be detailed when we begin to look at each rune individually, along with details of the planet or zodiac sign connected with each rune, and other connections, such as animal or nature associations.
In this lesson we will be linking four of the runes with the elements of earth, air, fire and water and consider how other runes may also link with the elements, and also briefly consider a feminist connection. It would be worth pointing out out at this stage that the Nordic races had little connection with the zodiac, and so linking runes to zodiac signs is a relatively modern idea.
Each aett is set out in sequence, from right to left, with Freyr’s aett being the top row, and so on. Many runemasters will lay out the runes in these lines before use, feeling that this imprints the runes with their personal vibration, afterwards collecting them and putting them into their pouch.
Alphabetical And Language Links
We know already that each runic symbol represents a mnemonic. Each symbol also represents a letter. Each symbol can be shown in modern English lettering, Old English lettering or German lettering, as well as in Norwegian and Icelandic symbols. It is not vital to know all these connections, but it is important to be able to see that there are other symbols for the runes, as you may well buy or wish to make a set with slightly different symbols from the modern English with which we will principally deal here, especially if you have an interest in personalising your own runes or have a particular historical interest. In addition to each symbol in the languages mentioned, each rune has a name in that language.
Please note that some runemasters transpose the 23rd and 24th rune. In other words, you will sometimes find that Dagaz comes before Othila, rather than the order taught in this class, which is considered by many to be the traditional order. The Germanic letterings given will correspond to the runic symbol normally used.
Elemental Energy
Whilst Vikings had little or no connections with astrology and the zodiac, they were very aware of the elements, and there is no reason to suppose that the elemental links are totally modern in concept.
Indeed the runes are founded on the differences between fire and ice.
Elemental Links
Most people with even a small amount of knowledge of astrology will be aware of the elements of earth, air, fire and water, and that three zodiac signs fit into each element. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to learn that a rune also corresponds to each element.
Next we will be discussing the most widely accepted linkages between the elements and four of the runes. Also given are other runes which are said to link in with the element being discussed.
Earth
The element of earth is concerned with solid foundations, and with keeping in touch with reality. It may be interesting to learn that Eihwaz, an earth rune, is sometimes called ‘the Rune of Death’ because of the poisonous qualities of the yew tree with which it is associated.
Also associated with the earth element are Uruz, Wunjo, Berkana, Othila, Isa (which can also link with the water element, ice being frozen water) and Jera. Isa, Eihwaz and Jera are also said to link with the New Moon.
Water
Kaunaz is, surprisingly, a water rune. It relates to bonfires, but does not equate to the element of fire. To the Vikings, bonfires were a physical light in the darkness, as well as symbolising inner knowledge or enlightenment. It relates to emotions and intuition, and therefore its element is water. Some runemasters will disagree here, preferring to keep Kaunaz with its symbol of fire.
Also associated with the water element are Perth, Lagu, Ing, Raido and Gebo. Hagalaz has connections with ice, and so also correctly belongs with this element. Kaunaz, Raido and Gebo are said to link with the waning of the moon. Gebo and Raido also link with the element of air.
Air
Ansuz, an air rune has a strong connection with Odin, who was considered to have discovered the runes in the root of the Tree of the World, and as such has a link with the ash tree. He was also considered to be the source of knowledge and inspiration and it therefore follows that Odin should be described as the source of language, and the runes as a form of communication. Ansuz relates to the element of air, to divine breath, to thought and to the power of the intellect.
Also associated with the element of air are Teiwaz, Berkana (which also links to earth having a duality in element) and Ehwaz, which also link with the waxing of the moon. Algiz is also said to link with the air element, as do Sowelu and Mannaz. It should be noted that some runemasters suggest that Ansuz is more correctly linked with fire and water rather than air.
Fire
Dagaz is a fire rune, and represents day, breakthrough. It is associated, too, with the dawn of the world, since the earth was born in flames. Dagaz is considered to be the illuminator, the light, and as such cannot be destroyed. It is the guardian by the doorway, a protective force against anything harmful. Dagaz is another case of elemental duality, associated both with fire and air.
Also associated with the element of fire are Othila and Fehu, which also link with the full moon, and with the element of earth – again, being dual in elemental nature. Thurisaz, Nauthiz and Eihwaz are also said to link with fire, but it is worth noting that many runemasters consider Eihwaz as belonging to all elements.
The Feminine Connection
Feminism is often wrongly considered to be a modern concept. In ancient cultures there often existed a strong ‘goddess orientation’, and despite rather than because of the women’s movement worldwide, there has over recent years been a huge revival of interest in ‘goddess-oriented’ matters.
Women were often considered as special by virtue of the fact that they often possessed powers, magical to some, healing to others, which placed them at a high level in society. They were not always the subordinates that they have subsequently been portrayed as.
Whilst it may be difficult to comprehend when thinking of the all-male image of the Viking warrior, there is none the less a strong feminist link with the runes.
We have already discussed the fact that the knowledge of the runes was limited to a few people, normally those who were considered learned and wise. Amongst these were many women, who were often regarded as especially wise. Magical traditions in Scandinavia were mostly taught by women, and there is evidence to suggest that many women carved their own runes.
There were several female gods, including Freya, Frigg and Idunn. Freya was one of Odin’s teachers and is often shown as a patroness of war, possibly like Boudicca. The rune Fehu is connected to Freya. Frigg also has her own rune, Wyn. Frigg was considered to be the Fairy Queen.
Other runes, too, are connected to women figures: Thurisaz with the goddess Thrud, whose name means power and strength; Ansuz with the goddess Asir; and Kaunaz with Freya, Snotra, Vor and Var, all goddesses of wisdom and learning. Gebo has connections with Gefn, goddess of the material life, Hagal with the goddess Hela, and Isa with Rinda, goddess of the frozen earth. Jera, being connected with fertility, links well with the goddesses of fertility, Freya and Frigg.
Perth, one keyword for which is womb, has obvious feminine connections. Another of its keywords is sometimes given as ‘holy pot’, again with strong feminine connections. Sigel, whose other name is Sol (the sun) has connections with a goddess also called Sol, whilst Inguz has links with the Danish goddess Yngona, the symbol for Inguz having been found on stones within Denmark.
Othila, also seen as Ethel, again has obvious feminine links and is said to be the rune of Erda, whilst Dagaz links with the goddess Syn, guardian of the door, which fits with Dagaz’s associations with breakthrough and day.
The Gods and Poetry
In order to familiarise yourself with the runes, ideally you will need to have your own set. If you have not had time to purchase or make a set yet, or have not purchased a set with the class, then you can simply print out or refer to the symbols detailed on the Runic Magic Oracle Cards in the resources section of this class.
Before we begin to start to look at the runes in detail, we must look at the main Viking gods, familiarise ourselves a little with them, their alleged powers and also their names, as runes often relate to a specific god or goddess.
The Viking Gods
There were three main Norse gods – Odin, Freyr and Thor. However, that was not always the case. Evidence suggests that Odin, whose name is so strongly linked with the runes, was not always the principal god, the All-Father or sky god. The original holder of this position was a god called Tyr, Tiew, Ziu, Tiwaz or Teiwaz. He is linked to his own rune, as we will shortly see, as well as to the third aett named after him, and his name was often engraved on the bracelets of warriors to protect them in battle. You may come across him linked with the goddess Zisa, who was his consort.
Tyr was the Norse equivalent of the Roman god Zeus, and his following was particularly strong in Denmark. He was a god of war, was considered exceptionally powerful and courageous, and it is said lost his right hand in a battle with a wolf. He was, therefore, frequently known as ‘the one-handed god’. Odin, it is said, superseded Tyr.
Odin was a god of mystery and disguise, and of deep power. He often disguised himself to travel around the world, and was a sinister figure rather than an attractive one. To the Anglo-Saxons, Odin became Woden, which was said to mean ‘fury’, but it is said that he had up to 170 other names, all reflecting his complex personality, one of which was ‘Lord of the Slain’. Sometimes you may come across the name Thund. This is yet another name for Odin, as is All-Father.
It is said that within his heaven, or Asgard, was Odin’s palace, called Valholl (or more usually in English Valhalla), the Hall of the Slain, where fallen warriors went after their death to feast and prepare for the Last Battle which would mean the doom of the Gods, or Ragnarok. Valholl,was a huge palace, containing around 640 doorways, through which 960 warriors could march shoulder to shoulder. Legend suggests that the runes, which Odin seized having suspended himself on the tree Yggdrasil, were representative of the magical knowledge which could only be obtained from the dead.
Creatures with strong connections with Odin were the wolf, the eagle and the raven. A wolf was said to lurk near the western door of Valholl, whilst an eagle hovered overhead. The ravens stayed with Odin, apart from flying round the world on his request to see what could be spied. In addition to the wolf guarding a doorway to Valholl, Odin had two pet wolves, to whom he gave all his food, preferring to receive all his nourishment from wine.
Odin was considered god of the dead, of warriors, war and magic, and the patron of poetry. His spear, Gungnir, was always with him, and he is often shown with his horse, Sleipnir, an animal with eight legs. He was frequently found with an old blue cloak, a wide-brimmed hat pulled over one eye, and his ravens for company. He had a wife called Frigg (commemorated in the word Friday or Frigg’s day), and two sons, Thor and Baldur. Thor, however, was far more powerful.
Thor is Odin’s most well-known son. He is shown as a huge red-haired man, with a red beard and red eyes, waving a hammer, known as Mjolnir, with which he protected the world. The hammer could be thrown or swung, and always returned to Thor’s hand, in much the same way as a boomerang. He is sometimes known as the Lord Protector of the Universe, or God of Thunder, as he had under his power the elements of thunder and lightning. Thor spent his time in the heavens in his chariot drawn by two sacred goats, killing the giants who lived just outside the limits of civilisation, in an attempt to protect Asgard (heaven) and Midgard (the universe inhabited by man).
The Vikings believed that a storm resulted from Thor moving around heaven in his chariot, the thunder being evidence of his movement, the lightning of the throwing of his hammer.
Thor was the god of seamen and farmers, governing thunder and lightning, and wind and rain, as well as better weather. He was also guardian of the world, was powerful, brave and noble, and one to whom man and god alike turned in times of trouble. One of the runic symbols is said to represent Thor’s hammer. His other treasured possessions are said to have been a magic belt and a pair of iron gauntlets.
There is a theory that Thor was as powerful a figure in Viking life as Odin – or more so – as Thor’s temple was always given the prime spot.
The other important god to the Vikings was Freyr or Frey. Freyr and his twin sister Freya were linked with ancient gods concerned with the earth and associated with the seasons. Freyr was the god of fertility and of increase, associated strongly with the spring as well as the summer sunshine, and was considered to control both rainfall and sunshine. Freyr was not only a god of fertility but of peace as well as good fortune.
The animal most sacred to Freyr was the wild boar, and he was considered the most important god of all to the Swedish. Legend says that Freyr’s most treasured possession was his ship called Skiobladnir, built by dwarfs, like Thor’s hammer, and large enough to carry all the gods. However, this large ship could be folded up and put in a pouch when not in use! Freyr’s aett is dedicated to this god.
Other Viking gods included Njord, god of the sea, and father of Freyr and Freya, Heimdal, guardian of the bridge leading up to the heavens, after which Hagal’s aett is named, together with the underworld guardian goddess Mordgud, and Loki, brother to Odin and considered to be a trickster.
Runic Meanings
Runes can have spiritual meanings in castings and other meanings based on their traditional foundations. These will be given, as will also the animal or nature connection, any zodiac connection and any planetary connection. Please remember, however, that the astrological connections are based on modern thinking, and are not traditional. We will be quoting from all three main runic poems and will also be giving details of the god associated with that particular rune. We will also link each rune with a Tarot card (using Thorsson’s versions), a colour and a polarity. Meanings will be given for the rune in upright and reverse positions, but it is worth noting here that not all runemasters use reverse meanings. This is the same concept as those who do not read the reverse meaning in tarot.
It is important that you consider any hidden or spiritual meaning when looking at the runes. Where the rune specifically calls for you to address this part of yourself, this will be clear in the text. However, don’t assume that when no spiritual meaning is specified none exists. That may be for you to find alone. It may be necessary for you to meditate on this for yourself, or conversely call up any intuitive powers you have and formulate your own ideas. As you progress, you may discover that the runes have special personal meanings for you. All this will come with experience, and you must be patient.
Runic Poetry
The names of the runes will follow the Germanic or Elder Futhark but information will be given quoting from all the runic poetry. It is worth noting here that that the Norwegian and Icelandic runic poems relate to the 16 runes used in that system, whereas the Anglo-Saxon runic poem covers 29 runes.
We are only covering the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark. We will briefly discuss the remaining five Anglo-Saxon rune verses in a later lesson, plus the others from the Norwegian and Icelandic poems which do not feature as part of the Elder Futhark. Other symbols for the runes will also be given where they are dramatically different from the Germanic symbol, but the names for the runes will be their Germanic ones.