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Runes
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Runes are an ancient Germanic
alphabet, used for writing, divination and magick. They were
used throughout northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles,
and Iceland from about 100 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E. Runic inscriptions
of great age have even been found in North America, supporting
stories that the Vikings arrived in the Americas long before
Columbus.
Runes are an oracle from which one seeks advice. They work best
if you detail your current circumstances and then ask a specific
question. Rune readings are sometimes obscure. They hint toward
answers, but you have to figure out the details. This is when
the rune casters intuition becomes paramount. |
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Runic divination or "rune
casting" is not "fortunetelling" in the sense
that one actually sees the future. Instead, runes give one a
means of analyzing the path that one is on and a likely outcome.
The future is not fixed. It changes with everything one does.
If one does not like the prediction, one can always change paths.
Since ancient times, runes have
been used for divination and magic, in addition to writing.
The word "rune" actually means mystery, secret or
whisper. Each rune has esoteric meanings and properties associated
with it, beyond its mundane meaning and phonetic value. Each
translates into a word or a phrase signifying concepts important
to the early peoples who used them, representing the forces
of nature and mind. Each rune has a story attached to it, a
relationship to a Norse God. |
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Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir,
hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear,
for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes.
When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took
them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power . He later passed
on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn,
taught him the magic of seidr. Heimdall, the god who guarded
the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.
Runic alphabets first appeared among
German tribes in central and eastern Europe. Some runes symbols
are likely to have been acquired from other alphabets, such
as the Greek, Etruscan, and the Early Roman. The runes were
made of straight lines to make the characters suitable for cutting
into wood or stone. The earliest runic inscriptions on stone
are dated to the late 3rd century AD, although it is probable
that runic alphabets had been in use for some centuries before.
The Old Germanic Runic alphabet or "Elder
Futhark" contains 24 runes. The first six runes of
the alphabet spell out the word "FUTHARK".
As the runes spread northwards into Scandinavia, some rune symbols
were dropped and the alphabet was reduced to only 16 runes.
Between 400 and 600 AD, three Germanic tribes, the Angles, the
Saxons and the Jutes, invaded Britain. They brought the runes
with them. The forms of several of the runes changed, notably
the runes for A/O, C/K, H, J, S, and Ng. Also, changes in the
language led to nine runes being added to the alphabet to compensate
for the extra sounds, and several runes were given different
corresponding letters. This alphabet, expanded to 33 symbols,
has become known as the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The rune names
themselves have been passed down relatively intact. Although
no manuscript exists listing the names of the older, Germanic
runes, the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian rune poems agree to
such an extent that their common origin can be deduced.
One who aspires to become adept with
runes must have some knowledge of the mythology, history, and
culture of ancient Europe and Scandinavia. The kenning of runelore
is inextricably dependent upon these. Much of what you find
here will merely point you in the right direction. The rest
is up to you. Delve as lightly or as deeply as you wish. I hope
you fall in love with runes as I have.
For more in-depth discussion and information
Ingrid
Halvorsen’s website will provide a wealth of insight
into the runes.
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