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Odin's Gift (Runes)
by Arion Rhys
According to legend and lore, the Runes were a gift from the god Odin, or Woden, whom some
think of as the Norse Mercury/Hermes. From the outset the Runes were regarded as symbols of
great power, and the word "Rune" itself means "Mystery". Basically, this can be understood by
remembering that reading and writing were not the common skills they are now. The ability to
represent ideas in symbolic form was very much a mystery to most; and developed even further
into the use of those symbols as a medium of communication between the seen and the unseen,
between the visible "world of men" and the invisible "Realms of the Mighty Ones" or Spirits.
As with many Earth Based Religions, a Germanic Shaman's point of view is that everything is
alive, all things are of, and one with the Spirit, the Spirit is everywhere, and everything is Divine.
This should sound familiar, since it is also part of the Wiccan view. Thus the ancient Germanic
Shamans used the Runes in divination; to read the messages of the Spirits, and in spells, to invoke
the aid of the spirits. The word "Rune" also came to represent 'a spell', and the written or spoken
incantation used in spell-casting, as well as the mysterious and magickal runic letter-symbols
themselves.
The first runes were not written on paper, nor on parchment; rather they were carved/etched onto
bark, bone or stone, which probably accounts for the angular shapes the Runes are composed of
(Since, as I'm sure everyone knows, it's far easier to carve angular characters into a rough surface
than it is a circular, cursive script). As years moved on, some Runic alphabets did not retain their
original angular appearance, some changing to conform to what the ruling Clergies favored, the
Latin alphabet, and others being lost to time...
Runemal - The Art Of Runic Divination
The first symbol in the Elder Futhark is Feoh, which means 'Cattle'. Its main associations are those of abundance, fertility, and wealth, and to the ancient Germanic/Teutonic tribes cattle or herds meant survival -- and in abundance, meant wealth. Cattle are also associated with the land the herds grazed on. An increase in livestock is connected with 'fertility' or 'fertilization', the mating of cow with bull; so by analogy, this Rune can also indicate a fertility in connection with a person. From the cow we obtain leather, meat, milk - and from milk we get cheese, butter, and the like - so there is also a connection with 'nourishment', 'nurturing', or 'to provide for'. Once you learn to make the associations from one meaning to another, and then to another, the Runes will speak to you more clearly and with deeper levels of meaning.
One of the oldest methods of Rune Casting, or runic divination, is as follows: Grasp a comfortable amount of stones in your 'strong' hand, and then toss them gently onto your reading surface: a cloth, fur, skin, a circle drawn upon bare earth, or some other suitable surface you feel comfortable working with. I prefer to read them from a cloth in a spiral from the outermost Rune inward to the final Rune closest to the center. There are many other ways of casting and reading the Runes, and the best thing is to experiement with various methods to find which works best for you, that you are most comfortable with and speaks to you most clearly.
The Elder Futhark
The earliest version of runic alphabet consists of 24 runes, divided into 3 groups of eight known as 'Aettir', and were associated with and named after the Norse Deities Freya, Hagal, and Tiu.
Freya's Eight Runes
Hagal's Eight Runes
Tiu's Eight Runes
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Feoh |
"cattle" abundance, land, livestock, nourishment, possessions wealth |
Ur |
"yore or ox" endurance, physical prowess,stamina, strength, vitality |
Thorn |
"thorn or giant" adventure, barrier, gateway,inner conflict, threshold, Thor's rune. |
Oss |
"the divine" insight, gifts (not necessarily on the physical) speech, surprise |
Rad |
"sunwheel" communication, inner journey, self realization, union of self |
Kaon |
"torch or light" clear thinking, coming into the light concentration, self lumination |
Gifu |
"gift" a gift, Divine union, partnership or relationship, realization of the Divine |
Wyn |
"bliss" balance, blessings, deserved emotional or material rewards, revitalization |
Haegl |
"health or hailing" action, change (either for good or bad), a destabilizing factor, liberation, new freedom |
Nyd |
"need" flaw, introspect, necessity of self, obstacles, restraint |
Is |
"ice" lethargic, sacrifice, self-doubt, spiritual stagnation |
Jera |
"harvest" beneficial endings, seed stem, stem to bud, bud to fruit, spiritual harvest |
Eihwaz |
"Yew or Yew tree" earned reward, foresight, forethought, triumph through perseverence |
Peord |
"paddock or berg" enclosure, Initiation, inspiration, the Mysteries with in |
Algiz |
"stone axe" awakening, challenge, opportunity, protection through awareness |
Sigel |
"the Sun" energy, guidance, life force, spiritual achievement, the Sun, success, wholeness, |
Tiu |
"the God Tiu" character, courage, dedication, self realization and acceptance |
Beorc |
"Birch or Birch tree" cycles, fertility and growth (on various levels), a quickening, revitalization |
Eoh |
"the horse or steed" loyalty, teamwork, trust, a transitional state (both spiritual and physical) |
Man |
"mankind" change, clarity, man, the Divine within and without , the true Self |
Lagu |
"the lake of Life" cleansing, emotion, energy, mutability, personal growth, satisfaction |
Ing |
"offspring" beginnings, closure, completion, endings, foresight, harvest, intuition |
Odal |
"homeland or holding" acquisition, discarding stagnation, homeland, inheritance, retreat, separation from illusions |
Daeg |
"day" achievement, Initiation, enlightenment, prosperity, self-change, transformation |
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