Runes are no longer in common use, but retain their mystical, magical and even sinister reputation.
Ancient Runes have been featured in many legends, novels and films, including ‘Game of Thrones’, based on the novels by George R Martin, Tolkien’s epic ‘Lord of the Rings’, and the current series ‘American Gods’, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, with ‘Mr. Wednesday’, or Odin, as the leading god in the war of the old gods against the new. Odin’s sword is engraved with runes. But what exactly are runes?
Rune script. Image: Wikimedia Commons
The word itself, ‘rune’ or ‘runa’, means a secret, mystery or whisper.
The runes were and still are used by some in three ways:
- Primarily as a written alphabet
- In divination (the clairvoyant search for or elucidation of hidden information)
- Magical work (talismans, amulets, spell work)
The Runic Alphabet
The runes were the alphabets used in Scandinavia, Germany and Britain before the adoption of the only modern Latin alphabet with the advent of Christianity. The native language of the runic alphabet was probably the ancient Etruscan and Greek alphabet, which spread north across the Mediterranean via Norse traders.
The runes are designed in straight lines to make the characters suitable for carving into wood or stone. The earliest runic inscriptions on stone date from the late 3rd century AD, although runic alphabets were probably in use several centuries before that.
The main difference between a runic alphabet and our modern Western alphabet is that each letter, or rune, is not only a letter, but also a word in itself. Where we recite our alphabet and “ay”, “bee” and “cee” and these are just sounds that denote the first three letters of our alphabet, the names of the first three runes, “fehu”, “uruz” and “ thurisaz ” are real words in the proto-Germanic language, meaning “cattle”, “aurochs” and “giant” respectively.
The Scandinavian (Norse) runes are also known as Futhark (or fuþark, derived from their first six letters: F, U, Þ, A, R and K)
Pictured below: The 24 runes of the Old Norse Runic Alphabet: ‘The Elder Futhark’
The runes are organized into three lines of eight runes, called ‘aetts’.
Line 1) Freya’s Aett,
Line 2) Hagalls Aett
Rule 3) Tyr’s Aett.
The letters of the elder Norse runes (The Elder Futhark)
Image: Katie-Ellen Hazeldine, author’s own artwork, may be shared with attribution.
Line 1: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gyfu, Wunjo
Meanings: cattle, aurochs, thorn, answer, ride, torch, gift, joy
Line 2: Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Perdro, Elhaz, Sowilo
Meanings: Need, Ice, Harvest, Yew, Paddock, Elk, Sun
Line 3: Tiwaz, Beorc, Mannaz, Ehwaz, Laguz, Ingwaz, Dagaz, Othala
Meanings: justice, birch, humanity, horse, lake, fire, day, family, home
You see, many of these words are derived from the natural world, and many of these words still live on in modern English. For example:
The first letter of the runic alphabet, Fehu gives us the modern English word ‘fairy’. Fehu literally means cattle, and wealth was measured in cattle.
The fourth letter Ansuz gives us the modern word ‘answer’ – wise advice.
The seventh letter Gyfu gives us the modern English word ‘gift’. From this rune we get the modern kiss mark ‘X’, which signifies love or a contract and exchange between equals.
The tenth letter Is a gives us the modern word ‘ice’, which literally means ice, or a situation that is frozen. It’s stuck and no progress can be made
The nineteenth letter Mannaz gives us the modern word ‘Man’, referring to a man, other people or humanity in general
The twenty-third letter Dagaz gives us the modern word ‘Day’ (Sources vary. Some sources call this the final runic letter.)
Runes for divination and magic
In Norse legend, the king of the gods, Odin, sacrificed an eye in exchange for receiving the knowledge of the runes.
Odin: Image: public domain
To our ancestors the earth and all created things were alive; a belief system called animism. Twigs and stones were used for runic divination because as natural objects they embodied sacred powers.
The runes were cut into pieces of wood, metal or leather and then colored with pigment in which human blood was sometimes mixed to increase the power of the spell. These may simply have been a few drops of the reader’s own blood.
The rune reader asked the question, shook his bag of runes, carved into twigs or stones, and spread them on a cloth, then interpreted the runes that landed right side up. Most readers used smooth, flat pebbles with runes painted on one side.
The first readers of these stones were honored and respected and sometimes feared in their communities. There were runic spells to influence the weather, tides, crops, love and healing.
Runes of fertility, curses and removal of curses, birth and death. Runes were carved on amulets, drinking cups, shields, spears, on doorways and on the bows of ships.
Psychic readers today often read them in exactly the same way, often using the runes as a source of advice rather than as divination. I use them sometimes, along with my cards.
The simplest rune reading is a single rune reading. Shake the bag, ask the question, draw a single stone and meditate on the answer.
Or draw 3 runes, representing the past, present and possible future; known as The spread of the Norn.
Today, many psychic readers still read with runes, but some still use them for magical purposes or “lucky work.”
It is very easy to obtain a set of runes online. You can buy a set of wooden, stone or crystal runes very affordably. Or you can collect your own stones and make your own set.
Using the runes for personal luck
One must be careful here. Don’t even think about using runes to get revenge on someone, or to try to get something you don’t rightly ask for. The runes won’t help you, but any rune thrower will tell you that these are ancient symbols of great energy and can come back and ‘bite’ anyone who disrespects them or tries to misuse them for selfish gain at someone else’s expense.
I have observed favorable results at FEHU for job search and RAIDHO for smooth and safe travel. To protect your car or another vehicle against theft or damage, research the use of EHWAZ, ‘the horse’. To protect your home from unwanted intruders, explore the magical uses of OTHALA.
Experienced rune readers greatly respect the power of the runes and will avoid invoking the power of particular runes except with extreme caution. But some runes are considered safe for everyone to use when respectfully asking for divine help and protection. The ones mentioned above are generally considered safe
Now meet ALGIZ, also known as ELHAZ, the mighty elk. See the antlers, like arms raised to the sky.
Algiz/Elhaz is a powerful rune that provides general overall protection. Norse warriors painted this rune on their shields. Today some wear this rune; Algiz (pronounced Al-jeez) Elhaz is pronounced El-hazzz.
See it in your mind’s eye. Say its name, whichever name appeals to you most. Say it nine times for extra strength. Ask for its protection for you and your loved ones. Draw it on a piece of paper and carry it with you. Now trust the elk to provide its magical protection.
And that is simple runic magic.
