Runes

RUNES



~ Historical Uses~

Runes were angular symbols meant to be scratched onto hard surfaces, such as wood, bone, or antler. Some later Anglo-Saxons did however write them with ink on parchment.

Runes are first and foremost a writing system like any alphabet. Runes are meant to convey words and sentences. The majority of runic artefacts convey simple words or prosaic messages.

However, any writing symbol can also be used for esoteric purposes (magic). There are a considerable number of artefacts that seem to be used for magic. Their use and meaning is hotly debated among scholars. But in general, runes could be said to work the will of the magician, whatever purpose that might be.

Tacitus mentions the old Germanic tribesmen carved symbols on branches and cast lots with them. He does not mention those symbols were runes. There is in fact little evidence for runes as a divination tool in the historical era. Nonetheless, runes have become a favorite divination tool for some in the modern era.


~Origins~

The first bona fide runic artefact known to archaeology is a hair comb. It was created some time in the first two centuries of the Common Era.

There are different theories on how the Germanic tribes developed the runes, but nearly all have them being inspired by the alphabets of nearby Mediterranean peoples. Many of the runes resemble Latin letters, the Roman Empire was the dominant power in the first two centuries CE, and Germanic tribesmen were acquainted with Rome through trade and war. Some connection to Rome and the Latin alphabet is therefore highly likely.


~Alphabets~

The Elder Futhark was the first alphabet develop on the Continent, consisting of 24 symbols.

The later Anglo-Saxons expanded the runes in alphabet commonly called the Futhorc. 29 symbols were widely used and have corresponding rune poems: another 4 symbols were rarely used and have no surviving rune poems.

The Viking Era Scandinavians reduced the number of runes to 16 in an alphabet known as the Younger Futhark. This simplification seems to have aided in the spread of literacy (at least among the upper classes). The majority of runic artefacts come from this era.

The runes survived into the Medieval era in Scandinavia. They were extremely simplified, and the runes are often called “stick runes.” In Iceland, runes developed into elaborate glyphs called galdrstaffir and were used by magicians who were nominally Christian (but who called on old Heathen gods as well as the demons of Hell).

Runes survived as an antiquarian interest among very educated man from the Medieval era through the Modern Era. Tolkien helped resurrect widespread modern interest in the runes. He developed a runic alphabet for his Dwarves based on the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.


~Mythology and Sagas~

In the Poetic Edda, Odin discovered the runes after hanging on the World Tree for nine nights, in a rite that is usually spoken of in terms of shamanism. He is said to have died, a sacrifice to himself, and having entered the realm of the dead was able to perceive the runes on the bark of the World Tree. Meanwhile, Heimdall is the god who actually taught the runes to humanity, or at least to the noble classes. (It should be remembered runes are a writing system, and in pre-industrial societies literacy was the realm of the higher classes).

Runic artefacts mention a number of gods, particularly Odin and Thor (and their variants). In the Viking Era, the runes especially called on Thor, the most popular god. Thor was asked to “hallow the runes.”

In the sagas, various personages of either gender use runes to effect magical change. Runes are sometimes used alone, or sometimes in conjunction with the poorly understood art of seidhr (Norse witchcraft).


~Interpretation~

The New Age press in the 80s and 90s often treated the runes as the Germanic version of the Chinese I-Ching or the Jewish Kabbalah. While this may be effective as a modern understanding, it is by no means historical.

Since the 1990s, a lot more authors have placed the meaning of the runes within the Rune Poems. There are three sets of Rune Poems, one each from Icelandic, Norway, and Anglo-Saxon England. The poems seem to convey the meaning of the runes through poetic imagery.

Others have tried to place the meaning of the runes based on their connections to ancient Germanic language or to associations with Germanic culture. For instance, the first Rune, Fehu, is linked to cattle and wealth. Knowing the connections between cattle and wealth in very early Germanic society helps us know what the rune might have meant to ancient Germans.


~Modern Uses~

The magician has to decide which alphabet to use. The most commonly used and studied is the Elder Futhark. Those who want more symbols to work with or who are inspired by Old England prefer the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Those who want less symbols to work with or are inspired by Viking-era Scandinavia prefer the Younger Futhark. I know of no one who uses the stick runes of Medieval Norway. There are some like myself who are into the Medieval Icelandic Galdrstaffir.

First, runes can be used much as they were historically as a writing system. The number of people who can effectively read runes is still quite small compared to the total population (although growing as interest in Norse paganism and the runes grows). It thus serves as something of a semi-secret alphabet for those that need it.

Second, runes can be used for magic. The magician writes or carves the runes onto an object. Some people also blood the rune, and charge it by singing its name (galdr). The object is then charged with the runes according to the magician’s intent.

Finally, while not exactly a historical practice, runes serve handedly in divination. They are often carved or burned into wood chips, or sometimes stones or antler bits, and make a very effective mobile divinatory set.

 

[Öwnchef]

Good introduction. Probably we can do a rune tutorial thread together sometimes. Lots of interesting things there like the Aetts or the theory of Uthark.

 

[Silsebyl]

yeah, great post! All historical facts in a nutshell, awesome!

 

[RabbitPants]

You neglect to mention a few things, firstly, the Havamal mentions 18 spells, each of these are related to the Runes. The Runes themselves used to be 18 in number at some stage. You're also wrong about Tolkien, though I'm not surprised since you probably only read English. There is something referred to as the "runic revival", late 19th century magicians in Germany and Austria made the usage of the Runes more popular in Volkish circles, not Tolkien.

Next, regarding the relation to Rome, this is false information, you're referring to the Etruscan alphabet, which predates Rome. However, this is only one theory, and there is a lot of evidence against this too. Another theory is that the Runes themselves are not an alphabet in the sense of a writing system, but initially Runes were Ideograms, similar to all older forms of writing. Interestingly enough, all of these older forms of writing always had either 16 or 18 "letters". I will emphasize again that these aren't letters in the sense of a writing system, rather originally meant to represent ideograms. It is historically observed that a scared alphabet can also be used for mundane purposes, and over time the sacred aspect of it can be lost, the Greek alphabet is a good example of this too so there is a precedent.

The magician also doesn't have to decide which to use, since the energies are exactly the same. The reason the Runes increased from either 16 or 18, to 24, 26, then 33, is because the meaning of the runes were "unfolded" through the ages. An example of what I mean would be the the iar/ior and haegel/hegel runes in the Anglo-Saxon/Anglo-Frisian futhorc both containing the same energy as the Hagal rune in the Armanen or Younger systems. So the meanings are still the same, they've simply been split into more symbols, which may or may not be necessary, but all work the same. Although the bindrunes using the larger Rune systems may be more complex in nature.

 

[Öwnchef]

You neglect to mention a few things, firstly, the Havamal mentions 18 spells, each of these are related to the Runes. The Runes themselves used to be 18 in number at some stage. You're also wrong about Tolkien, though I'm not surprised since you probably only read English. There is something referred to as the "runic revival", late 19th century magicians in Germany and Austria made the usage of the Runes more popular in Volkish circles, not Tolkien.

Next, regarding the relation to Rome, this is false information, you're referring to the Etruscan alphabet, which predates Rome. However, this is only one theory, and there is a lot of evidence against this too. Another theory is that the Runes themselves are not an alphabet in the sense of a writing system, but initially Runes were Ideograms, similar to all older forms of writing. Interestingly enough, all of these older forms of writing always had either 16 or 18 "letters". I will emphasize again that these aren't letters in the sense of a writing system, rather originally meant to represent ideograms. It is historically observed that a scared alphabet can also be used for mundane purposes, and over time the sacred aspect of it can be lost, the Greek alphabet is a good example of this too so there is a precedent.

The magician also doesn't have to decide which to use, since the energies are exactly the same. The reason the Runes increased from either 16 or 18, to 24, 26, then 33, is because the meaning of the runes were "unfolded" through the ages. An example of what I mean would be the the iar/ior and haegel/hegel runes in the Anglo-Saxon/Anglo-Frisian futhorc both containing the same energy as the Hagal rune in the Armanen or Younger systems. So the meanings are still the same, they've simply been split into more symbols, which may or may not be necessary, but all work the same. Although the bindrunes using the larger Rune systems may be more complex in nature.

Veiztv hve rista scal?
veiztv hve raþa scal?
veiztv hve fá scal?
veiztv hve freista scal?
veiztv hve bidia scal?
veiztv hve blóta scal?
veiztv hve senda scal?
veiztv hve soa scal?

I wish the runes or bindrunes were named in the following context. Really.

The Vikings, when they started to "trade" with the Ottomans had no letters. They could not write.
You may want to look up the letters the Ottomans used at that time. They are 90% identical to the later Futhark runes.

You are right, there are very few instances of an actual use of the Futhark for writing. But there is a stone, not far from Constantiniopel, that has the longest text I ever saw written in runes: "Here lies my brother ... who died as a hero on our journey to Constantinopel".

It would make sense. Those with direct contact had help to transfer the rune letters to their language. But they were few.

The others played with them magically. Without any knowledge what they originally were, or how to use them, the next best thing was magic. To heal, to curse and the like.

And there is a tremendous impact of jewish legends in the Eddas. Hel is of Hebrew origin. Almost everything is. It just looks as if a Rabbi had invented and written them. That happened before. The Rheingold saga was written by a monk.