What are Runes?

Know more about Runes, how to read them and interpret their true meanings.

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swetha
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What are Runes?

Post by swetha » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:41 am

Runes are the alphabet of the ancient northern European tribes, the northern Celts, the Vikings, and ancient Germans. Runes came into usage at least two centuries before the common era, and may have evolved after contact with the "civilized" people of the Mediteranean. The word rune is believed to have it's origins in the Gothic word runa, meaning secret, mystery or whisper, and the old German word raunan, which means to cut or to carve. Carved Runic inscriptions have survived all over northern Europe- Ireland, Scandinavia, the Ukraine, Iceland. There are several different forms of the alphabet, and the one most often used today for fortune telling is the Elder Futhark, which was the Norse version of the alphabet.

From the earliest times, Runes were associated with magick. In his "Germania", the Roman historian Tacitus wrote how the priests of Odin could use the Runes as an oracle; a branch was torn from a fruit bearing tree, and cut into strips. On each strip was painted the symbol of a single rune, and then the lot were cast into a white cloth. A priest of Odin would then pick three at a time, and from the particular combinations, he could divine the future. Runes were also used to carve "cursing stones", to defeat tomb robbers. The partial inscription on one ancient Swedish tomb stone reads, "I hid here magic runes undisturbed by evil witchcraft. He who destroys this monument shall die in misery by magic art". It's little wonder that so many of these ancient monuments have survived! Runes were even credited with bringing the dead back to life

Legend says that Odin, one of the old Norse gods, hung for nine nights on Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World, and grabbed the runes just before he fell from the tree.This sacrifice was what brought the runes to humankind.

Runes lost favor after World War II, when the Nazi party adopted several runes, most notably the swastika. It has taken many years for the Nazi taint to wear off.
 
Runic alphabets are called futharks, so named because the first six letters of any version spell out the very word. There are three main futharks: Elder, Younger, and Anglo-Saxon. Chances are that the set of runes you have bought (or made) is an Elder Futhark. Regardless, the pages that follow assume that you are working with Elder Futhark.

Usually, runes are inscribed on stones or wood. Depending on which set you have bought, or made, you will have either 24 or 25 runes. Modern-day rune sets that you buy at the local bookstore will more than likely have the Blank Rune, or Wyrd, as it is sometimes called; rune masters who deplore the Blank Rune will not add it to the set. That debate is explained on the Blank Rune's page.

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Post by Peter » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:49 pm

Hi everyone,

I have register a username on this forum mostly because of my love and long experience with Elder Futhark Runes. I am honored to discuss with all of you regarding Runelore and northern mythology from now on.

Yours,
Peter

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swetha
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Post by swetha » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:11 pm

hello Peter,
welcome to the forum:)
swetha

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Post by Peter » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:38 pm

Thanks Swetha for worm welcome, I am sure that we will have a plenty of topics for great discussion ;)

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Post by swetha » Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:06 pm

of course Peter,
hope u can enlighten us with new topics of discussion
swetha

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:39 pm

More Info on Runes.

The Runic alphabets are a set of related alphabets using letters known as runes, formerly used to write Germanic languages, mainly in Scandinavia and the British Isles. In all their varieties they may be considered an ancient writing system of Northern Europe. The Scandinavian version is known as Futhark (derived from its first six letters: 'F', 'U' 'Th', 'A', 'R', and 'K'), and the Anglo-Saxon version as Futhorc (also so named after its first letters). The earliest runic inscriptions date from ca. 150, and the alphabet was generally replaced by the Latin alphabet with Christianisation, by ca. 700 in central Europe and by ca. 1400 in Scandinavia. However, the use of runes persisted for specialized purposes, mainly in Scandinavia and in rural Sweden until the early 20th century (used mainly for decoration as Dalecarlian runes and on Runic calendars).

The three best known runic alphabets are:

   * the Older Futhark (ca. 150­800)
   * the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (400­1100)
   * the Younger Futhark (800­1910)

The Younger Futhark is further divided into:

   * the Danish futhark script
   * the Swedish-Norwegian runic script (also: Short-twig or Rok Runes)
   * the Hälsinge Runes (staveless runes)the latinised Dalecarlian futhark script (ca. 1500­1910)

The most likely candidates for the origins of runic scripts are the 5th to 1st century BC Northern Italic alphabets, Lepontic, Rhaetic and Venetic, all closely related to each other and themselves descended from the Old Italic alphabet. These scripts bear a remarkable resemblance to the Futhark in many regards.

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:50 pm

Background

Norse

In Norse mythology, the invention of runes is attributed to Odin: The Hávamál (stanzas 138, 139) describes how Odin receives the rune through his self-sacrifice.

The Icelandic sources do not relate how the runes were transmitted to mortal men, but in 1555, the exiled Swedish archbishop Olaus Magnus recorded a tradition that a man named Kettil Runske had stolen three rune staffs from Odin and learnt the runes and their magic.

The runes developed comparatively late, centuries after the Central European alphabets from which they are probably descended. There are some similarities to alphabets of Phoenician origin (Latin, Greek, Italic) that cannot possibly all be due to chance.

However, other letters seem to be independent. The Old Italic alphabet is usually quoted as a candidate for the origin of the runes. Their angular shapes are generally interpreted as an adaptation to the practice of carving in wood (rather than writing with a reed or a brush). This hypothesis is supported by the inscription on the Negau helmet dating to the 2nd century BC. This is in a northern Etruscan alphabet, but features a Germanic name, Harigast.

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:50 pm

Magic and Divination

The Björketorp Runestone. It is 4.2 m tall.The earliest runic inscriptions were certainly not coherent texts of any length, but simple markings on artifacts (e.g. bracteates, combs, etc.), giving the name of either the craftsman or the proprietor, or, sometimes, remaining a linguistic mystery. Because of this, it is possible that the early runes were not so much used as a simple writing system, but rather as magical signs to be used for charms, or for divination. The name rune itself, taken to mean "secret, something hidden", seems to indicate that knowledge of the runes was originally considered esoteric, or restricted to an elite. The eerie 6th century Björketorp Runestone warns in Proto-Norse using the word rune in both senses.

The same curse and use of the word rune is also found on the Stentoften Runestone. There are also some inscriptions suggesting a medieval belief in the magical significance of runes, such as the Franks Casket (AD 700) panel.However, it has proven difficult to find unambiguous traces of runic "oracles": Although Norse literature is full of references to runes, it nowhere contains specific instructions on divination or magic. There are at least three sources on divination with rather vague descriptions that may or may not refer to runes, Tacitus' Germania, Snorri Sturluson's Ynglinga saga and Rimbert's Vita Ansgari.

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:51 pm

Common use

Later runic finds are mainly monuments (rune stones) and often contain solemn inscriptions about people who died or performed great deeds. For a long time it was assumed that this kind of grand inscription was the primary use of runes, and that their use was associated with a certain societal class of rune-carvers.However, in the middle of the 1950s, about 600 inscriptions known as the Bryggen inscriptions were found in Bergen. These inscriptions were made on wood and bone, often in the shape of sticks of various sizes, and contained inscriptions of an everyday nature - ranging from name tags, prayers (often in Latin), personal messages, business letters, expressions of affection, to bawdy phrases of a profane and sometimes even vulgar nature. Following this find, it is nowadays commonly assumed that at least in late use, Runic was a widespread and common writing system.

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:51 pm

Gothic Runes

Theories of the existence of Gothic runes have been advanced, even identifying them as the original alphabet from which the Futhark were derived, but these have little support in actual findings. If there ever were genuinely Gothic runes, they were soon replaced by the Gothic alphabet. The letters of the Gothic alphabet, however, as given by the Alcuin manuscript (9th century), are obviously related to the names of the Futhark. The names are clearly Gothic, but it is impossible to say whether they are as old as, or even older than, the letters themselves.

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Post by Vishwas » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:52 pm

Modern Use

Third Reich - Runes have been used in Nazi symbolism by National Socialists and neo-Nazi groups that associate themselves with Germanic traditions, mainly the Sigel, Eihwaz, Tyr, Odal (see Odalism) and Algiz runes. The fascination that runes seem to have exerted on the Nazis can be traced to the occult and volkisch author Guido von List, one of the important figures in Germanic mysticism and runic revivalism in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1908, List published in Das Geheimnis der Runen ("The Secret of the Runes") a set of 18 so-called "Armanen Runes", based on the Younger Futhark, which were allegedly revealed to him in a state of temporary blindness after a cataract operation on both eyes in 1902. In Nazi contexts, the s-rune is referred to as "Sig" (after List, probably from Anglo-Saxon Sigel). The "Wolfsangel", while not a rune historically, has the shape of List's "Gibor" rune.

Neopaganism - The runes are a major element in Heathenry and Asatru in particular, often used to indicate ancestry, in crafts and for ritual purposes. They are not to be construed with political implications without additional evidence. Neopagans such as Wiccans and some occult groups may often also sometimes use runes under various conditions.

Military use - The German Bundeswehr uses a design reminiscent of the odal rune as a part of their shoulder-board ranking system on a variety of levels, including the German Army and German Navy.

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Post by EarlofLeicester » Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:58 pm

There is a lot of good historical context here, some I knew and some I didn't.  M-B is usually very educational (when I'm not busy ranting).  The only thing I think this thread lacked was a personal touch, so I will try and at least attempt to address that here.

The runes are a crutch.  I use that word deliberately.  In my case, I live in the real world (or R/W in Nicole vernacular) and the opportunity to live a spiritual life can be difficult because of the demands and distractions of that life.  To grow spiritually is difficult, especially at the beginning, because of these demands.  I wonder how many people try and give up because of the distractions of the R/W.  Meditation and faith, they can be really tough.  By the time the end of the day comes, after work and parenting, I usually collapse on the futon.  How to be more spiritually when living each day many demands seems insurmountable.  With spirituality, if there is a tangible sign, it is encouraging and encouragement is necessary.  So much the better if the encouragement promotes wisdom and sparks thought which could lead to meditation.  

The runes do this nicely.  They are easy to use and interpret, yet their is enough sophistication that they are marvelous tools to promote spiritual growth.  I am still on the beginning of a spiritual journey, and am still looking to find what works for me.  Although the definition of what works requires something that I can integrate into my life; if the "what works" is so difficult or demanding, it probably won't make it into my life.  The runes are not so taxing that they can't be there.  I do not need to be a scholar to use them either.  Much like the prayer beads of many faiths, the runes are designed for relatively simple thought processes that can spark greater spiritual activity.

Unlike prayer beads, and more to the credit of the runes, is that they speak back.  Yes, I know that is the divination part, which is something I haven't been use to (because Christian education, which I was brought up with, equates divination as one of the greatest evils) but it is a wonderful thing.  It seems that conventional (i.e. Christian) prayer is one way.  You put a lot of effort in and if you are fortunate (or blessed, in the Christian vernacular) you get your answer/result.  That is really hard for me.  Casting the runes provides a message right away, although interpretation is not as easy (that is the promoting of (pre-)meditative thought).  It is not faith in a vacuum, it is connection.  Connection helps keep the faith going.  

And who the connection with is important.  I recently blogged on an incident with the Ouija board which I found to be accurate.  But it was scary, too, because when I look back, I don't know who I was connecting with.  It is probably very naive to assume all supernatural forces represent benign entities.  Evil has it's place in our existence; just look at the atrocities in the world.  The runes are the legacy of the Norse traditions, specifically Odin who paid a sacrifice to learn the way of the runes.  For those who think Odin (or other Gods for that matter) is just myth, there is some historical context that they may have been real people who walked the Earth.  Explorer Thor Heyerdahl proposes that Odin may have been real; there are other theories for other Gods (like Brigid, an Irish Goddess, who was canonized by the Catholic Church).  The point being that the runes are the legacy, the connection, with Odin & Company which gave them to humanity.  In a world where there is cultural diversity, it is nice (and reassuring and encouraging) to connect with my ancestors who, probably many years ago, invoked names like Odin, Thor and Freya in their daily lives.  Our 21st century society has made great strides in technology, but a consequence of this has been to banish the past and spirituality. The runes are one of those bridges that let us reach back in time, to seek out more than the R/W offers us, and gives us a chance to grow beyond our R/W limits.

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Post by Vishwas » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:03 pm

Very well said Earl. Thank you for the post.

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Post by pop_tate33 » Wed Dec 26, 2007 5:16 pm

hi sweta
i want to know from where to purchase the rune stone in mumbai and can u suggest me some good book to study the runes
thanks
regard

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Post by MoonGoddess » Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:07 am

I would suggest you type runes into google and/or new age shop mumbai and see what it reveals.  Check out the thread in here called sources for further reading material.

MG
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