The first four runes of the first aett illustrate the
different polarities of energy. Fehu represents 
the primordial fire (heat) and raging flames of 
Muspelheim, while Uruz represents the eternal 
ice (cold), frost, and mist of Nifelheim. The 
interaction between fire and water (ice), and 
hot and cold, plays out in everything that exists, 
representing the polarities inherent in the universe.

 The polarities of fire (creativity) and ice (structure) 
first meet in the abyss of the Ginnungagap. From this 
meeting came the first being, the cosmic cow called 
Audhumla. She symbolizes the first feminine creative 
principle in nature and the first incarnation of the 
Mother Goddess. Both Fehu (cattle) and Uruz (oxen) 
were bovine creatures, and can be viewed as compli-
mentary opposites in this context, for Fehu represents 
the creative force of fire and Uruz the structure of 
ice (frozen water).

 The giant troll Ymir emerged from the same material 
as the cosmic cow. From him came a son and a daughter, 
and from them all giants. These beings are embodied in 
the third rune of the first aett, Thurisaz. The cosmic 
cow then licked away the ice from the frost-covered 
stones until Buri appeared. He was the first of the 
Aesir Gods, and Odin's grandfather. The fourth rune, 
Ansuz, symbolizes this event.

 The Aesir then began to consolidate their power, 
taking control of the creative process by killing 
Ymir. They created the Earth from his corpse, and 
set the paths of the sun and moon in motion along 
with the cycles of night and day. Raidho, the fifth 
rune, represents this cyclic principle.

 The sun and moon were also celestial torches, and 
are linkedd to the sixth rune, Kenaz. This rune also 
represents the knowledge gained by the Aesir through 
creation.

 The native deities called the Vanir enter into the 
picture at this point, in particular the goddess Freyja, 
who later teaches Odin the art and craft of love magic.

The ruling goddess and god of the first aett were 
Freyja and Frey. Their names mean "the lady" 
and "the lord." Freyja ruled over the plant life 
of the Earth, the trees and animals of the forest, 
natural love, female sexuality, and magic. She was 
also the goddess of love between men and women, 
and she was often called upon for assistance in 
love affairs. She wore a magical necklace called 
Brisingamen, made of amber or quartz that she 
obtained from four dwarfs. She traveled through 
the worlds wearing a cloak of falcon feathers or 
in a chariot pulled by cats or bears.

 The Norse god Frey ruled over fertility, male 
sexuality, prosperity, marriage, and sacred kinship. 
His father was Njord, the god of the wind and sea, 
and his mother was the goddess of Earth, Nerthus. 
Considered the god of growth and the fruitful rain, 
Frey was called "Veraldar Gudh" in Sweden, which 
means "God of the World."

 So far, the progression of the first aett has moved
from the elements to the giants, and then finally 
to the Aesir. Once the Aesir created Midgard (Earth) 
and Asgard (home of the gods and goddesses), they set 
the stage for the next course of events. These events 
came in the form of the seventh rune, Gebo, embodying 
the gift of life. This gift was bestowed by Odin and 
his brothers Vili and Ve, who gave it to the human-shaped 
trees, Ask (the man) and Embla (the woman), the first 
human couple. From this couple came humankind, who eventually 
took control of Midgard. Wunjo, the eighth and last rune of 
the first aett, symbolizes the completion of the first stage 
of Creation. In Northern Mythology, this period, known as the 
"Golden Age," was a "Garden of Eden"-type time of bliss before 
the advent of evil in the world.

Fehu

Uruz

Thurisaz

Ansuz

Raidho

Kenaz

Gebo

Wunjo

The Second Aett

The Third Aett

The Runes

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