Runes

Runes are an ancient form of writing that was used widely for thousands of years by the peoples of northern Europe. According to Viking tradition, the word “rune” means “ a whispered secret”. The Oxford Concise Dictionary further defines the word “rune” as “any of the letters of the earliest Germanic alphabet used by Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons from about the third century B.C. and formed by modifying Roman or Greek characters to suit carving.” In western culture, we are usually familiar with the mythology of ancient Greece and Rome, and knowingly incorporate their symbolism into our daily lives. We make references to the Norse pantheon more often but perhaps do not realize it. The days of the week are named after Norse gods and goddesses: Tuesday stands for Tiw’s day, Wednesday is named after Odin, Thursday is named for Thor, and Friday has it origins from the goddess Freya.

It is from the Norse culture that runes come, and it was in the old Teutonic world of northern
Europe that runes were established.

The Germanic “alphabet” was called “Futhark” after the first six letters, similar to how the Greek alphabet was named after the first two letters, “alpha” and “beta”. The three main groups of alphabets are the Germanic Futhark, the Anglo-Saxon Futhark, and the Scandinavian Futhark. The Germanic Futhark consisted of twenty-four letters divided into three groups of eight known as “aettir“. The was an extra, or blank, rune that symbolized the unknown. The numbers three and eight had special symbolism and importance in Nordic culture. The three aettir were named after the Norse gods Freya, Hagal, and Tir.

The Anglo-Saxon Futhark had twenty-eight symbols, which later expanded to include thirty-three symbols. The Scandinavian Futhark was comprised of only sixteen symbols, but each had double or triple meanings. The general belief is that the Germanic Futhark was the original, and that the others were derived from it. There is little or no evidence to verify or repudiate this claim.

It is generally thought that ancient
Greece was the most likely source of the runes as they show a striking resemblance to the letters of the Greek alphabet. The theory supporting this belief is that Gothic merchants from southeast Europe learned both Greek and Latin in their travels, and thus created an imperfect Greek blended with Latin. Separated from the classical world, runic writing began to be used primarily for inscriptions in wood, metal, or stone.

Another theory is that runes originated in the ancient Etruscan language, as many similarities between the two can be noted. The Etruscans lived north of present-day
Italy, and the Goths inhabited the adjacent lands. There is some evidence that the Goths adopted the Etruscan alphabet, at least in part.

Yet another theory to the runes origins lays within the Hallristingnor carvings, found in southern Germanic lands and northern present-day Italy. These carvings are believed to date back to The Bronze Age, and some of the carvings are identical to some of the runes. It is nearly impossible to determine the exact origin of runes, as there is next to no evidence to clearly identify the origins. Early runes were most likely engraved on wood, which somewhat explains the angular shape of the runes. Carvers would have had to go with the grain and used straight lines in much of the carving to avoid splitting the wood. As in common in ritual or ceremony, after the rune was used, the wood was likely burned or naturally decomposed, leaving behind only ashes and memories.

 Elder Futhark

 

 

 

 

 

Freyja's Ætt

 

Fehu - cattle, wealth

Letter value: f

Keywords / Magical:

Prosperity, social success, foresight, money, wealth, "inner-wealth" and creative fire.

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Frey, Freyja and Njord

Lore:

This is the principle of mobal power-within nature, within the self, and within society. Fehu is a power that flows outward like fire from its course and must be circulated in order to be beneficial.

Positive Meaning:

Foresight is needed. Wealth may be in the future, but it must be used with wisdom and shared to avoid conflict. Also true of "inner wealth" of knowledge.

Negative Meaning:

Greed can cause you to become a outcast. Discord may be in the future, discord based on a lack of circulation of the power of fehu. Excess of fehu can cause you to "burnout" your creative energies. Control them but use them with wisdom.


Uruz - aurochs

Letter value: u,v

Keywords / Magical:

Vital strength and virility, defense, primal forming force, tenacity, freedom, health, understanding, sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better).

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Audhumla,  Urd

Lore:

This is the principle of vital organic life energy, original procreation, and organic transformation. Uruz is the primal cosmic bovine-force that shapes manifestation and defends that manifested form. The aurochs was a wild and powerful large bison-like long horned bovine that roamed Europe until it became extinct. The beast was known for its power, ferocity, and tenacity.

In the mythology this is represented by the great cow Audhumla, which licked a great icy block of salt in order to form the primal androgyne Buri. Also, she was the source of sustenance for the cosmic giant Ymir. Audhumla was herself formed from the dripping rime produced when the world fire met the world ice. This is also the unmanifested energized essence from which the cosmic ice and Audhumla were originally formed.

Positive Meaning:

Vital strength is its essence. There is a up-welling and out-pouring of energy. This energy leads to strength if it is tenaciously held onto and controlled. Properly this strength should be used to defend your "homeland", be that the physical home or the "hall" of the self (defense mechanisms). Strive toward inner goals and more power will result. Use the strength to burn away weakness and dross.

Negative Meaning:

Obsessive protectiveness and possessiveness. Strength used in the wrong way or time, or strength used by the wrong people whose only desire is to control others. Sickness, inconsistency, ignorance.


Thurisaz : thorn, giant

Letter value: Th

Keywords / Magical:

Reactive force, directed force, defense, to learn you must go through hardship, applied power, regeneration (following destruction), essential desire.

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Thorr

Lore:

Thurisaz is the directed cosmic force of destruction and defense. This rune is a symbol of lighting and thunder and is associated with Mjollnir, the hammer of Thorr. This weapon is the protector of Midhgardhr and Asgardhr. Just as the thorn protects the rose, so too does Mjollnir protect Midhgardhr and Asgardhr.

Positive Meaning:

Thurisaz is the forward-trusting force of destruction of powers hostile to cosmic order. These hostile powers are not "evil", they are just harmful to the way of life demonstrated by the gods and expressed in mankind. It is a projectable form of applied power. May be combined with other runes to direct their force.

Thurisaz is also a rune of regeneration and fertilization. It breaks down barriers so that new beginnings may occur. It is a catalyst for change.

This rune is a sign of the psychosexual symbolic response, which in unconscious individuals leads to compulsion and in conscious ones to transformation.

Negative Meaning:

Betrayal, compulsion and defenselessness.


Ansuz : a god

Letter value: a

Keywords / Magical:

Inspiration (enthusiasm), synthesis, spiritual knowledge, container of knowledge, magical incantation, speech (the power of suggestion).

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Odhinn (Wodan)

Lore:

The Ansuz rune is instrumental in the creation of mankind. It describes two of the gifts given to Ask and Embla (the first man and woman) by the gods Odin, Vili, and Vé. These gifts were ond or anda (breath, sprit, animating life principle) and odhr (inspired mental activity, inspiration).

Positive Meaning:

This is the rune of the word, song, poetry, and magical incantation (galdr) as a container and expresser of magical force. Ansuz is a magical ancestral power, one that has been handed down from generation to generation along genetic line. Through the power of this rune the realization of the link between the ancestral gods and their people may be regained.

Negative Meaning:

Danger may come through a misuse of knowledge or from unwholesome influences. Beware of others trying to manipulate you. Boredom and intellectual death.


Raidho : journey

Letter value: r

Keywords / Magical:

Right action and order, journey (way back to right), ritual

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Forseti

Lore:

Raidho is the cosmic law of right and order in the multiverse. It came to be a symbol of organized religion, of Asatru, the ancient form of Germanic religion. Today this rune is a symbol of the "way back to right", through the efforts of those who want to recover the essence of the primal order.

Positive Meaning:

This rune represents the right order of a persons journey through the paths of the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasill. Good advice and judgment according to right are attributes of Raidho. It is the channeling force according to natural laws along the right road leading to the right results. Obtaining justice according to right.

Negative Meaning:

Spiritual boredom. Beware of bad advice. Injustice.


Kenaz : torch

Letter value: c,k

Keywords / Magical:

Controlled energy, creativity, ability, sexual lust, transformation

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Freyja, dwarves

Lore:

Kenaz is the fire of creation, sacrifice, the hearth and the forge- fire controlled by mankind toward a willed result.

Positive Meaning:

It has the ability and the will to generate and create. It is the rune of the artist and craftsman, and the technical aspects of magic. Kenaz is also the rune of human passion, lust, and sexual love- as positive attributes. It is also important to the concept of kin.

Negative Meaning:

Lack of creativity, Inability, problems with relationships (break-ups).


Gebo : gift

Letter value: g

Keywords / Magical:

Gift (giving), generosity, hospitality, magical exchange, sex magic

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Odhinn, Freyja

Lore:

Gebo is the eminent unconscious magical force present in the Ginnungapgap (magically charged void) before the formation of the Worlds. The holy mystery of the two (or many) in one.

Positive Meaning:

It is the giver, the giving, the given and that which is given to. By the power of this rune persons are bound together through an act of will in order to effect a result. Gebo contains the secrets of psychically joining two people, or several persons, in order that they may produce a creative power greater that their sum total. This is the rune of sex magic.

Negative Meaning:

Do not become overly dependent upon gifts from others. Greed and weakness, or poverty and loneliness.


Wunjo : joy

Letter value: v,w

Keywords / Magical:

Joy, harmony, fellowship, well-being, binding

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Freyja, elves

Lore:

This is the principle of ideal harmonization of entities or elements - especially those derived from the same source.

Positive Meaning:

The power this rune aids in is the promotion of fellowship and goodwill between brother and sister and of the clan or tribe. Wunjo is the energy that binds different fields of power together and is therefore invaluable in rune magic. With this energy you can bind several runes into a single harmonious force that can work toward a specific result.

Negative Meaning:

Loss of identity, alienation, sorrow

 

 

Heimdall's Ætt

 

Hagalaz - hail

Letter value: h

Keywords / Magical:

Controlled crisis, completion, inner harmony, protection

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Ymir

Lore:

"Hail" is a complex principle which involves the projection (from "above" or "beyond") of a hard and dangerous substance which is also the "seed of becoming", new creation and transformation, sometimes through crisis.

Positive Meaning:

A change or transformation of your life situation. Be prepared for a controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony. Wrath of nature. Hagalaz is also a rune of protection and a rune "mother", as all runic forms may be created from its six fold form.

Negative Meaning:

Crisis leading to the destruction of your vital powers and sources of well-being. A Change for the worse. Or the blocking of this rune's force could lead to a lack of change in life.


Naudhiz - need

Letter value: n

Keywords / Magical:

Need, self-reliance, need-fire, necessity, resistance

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Norns (Nornir)

Lore:

In the darkness and cold of the need-rune the need for fire is realized, but the fire must be generated from what you have within yourself.

Positive Meaning:

Recognition of "need" leads to taking appropriate action to alleviate distress. Stress is turned to strength through consciousness. Acknowledgment of one's fate.

Negative Meaning:

Danger of being lead to the path of least resistance or easy path in life.


Isa : ice

Letter value: i

Keywords / Magical:

Consciousness, self-control

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Frost Giants

Lore:

Ice gathers all things around it into itself and tries to hold them in stillness, darkness and coldness. It has a solidifying quality. However, in its pure state it is a destructive and dangerous element.

Positive Meaning:

Enhancement of self-consciousness and of ego awareness. Difficult situations are overcome with inner resources. This rune may indicate a time to pull back into the self without separating from the world.

Negative Meaning:

Isa can cause a freezing of life forces and a over-concentration in the ego leading to dullness and stupidity.


Jera : (good) year, harvest

Letter value: j,y

Keywords / Magical:

Reward, plenty, proper timing, solar year cycle

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Frey

Lore:

Jera is the cyclical aspect of nature, the great wheel of the year. When properly used this natural cycle yields good fruits (rewards).

Positive Meaning:

Rewards for right action. Plenty and a "good harvest" can be expected. Reaping rewards for past efforts. Have patience to act at the proper time.

Negative Meaning:

Inappropriate timing or actions lead to negative results. Inability to use natural patterns.


Eihwas : yew tree

Letter value: ei

Keywords / Magical:

Enlightenment, endurance, initiation, protection, life/death

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Odhinn, Ullr

Lore:

This is the principle of the vertical axis that penetrates into the world above and the world below and connects the human realm to heavenly regions. It is the synthesis of above and below, light and dark, life and death. The yew is a flexible force but also hard; it endures beyond all other things. The yew is evergreen in the winter (life in the midst of death), and it is useful to build fires, becoming the "sun within".

Positive Meaning:

The "yew" promotes spiritual enlightenment. Mental toughness and flexibility are needed. The inner flame must be ignited through discipline. Realization of inner strength will protect you from outside dangers.

Negative Meaning:

Eihwas coming too early into the life of a person can cause deep confusion. The hot fires unconsciously ignited may "burn-out".


Perthro : dice or lot cup

Letter value: p

Keywords / Magical:

Mystery, good lot, Cause and effect, orlog, chance, fellowship

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Norns (Nornir)

Lore:

This rune contains the mystery of the Nornic laws. Nornic force defines an aspect of the laws of cause and effect. The mystery of divination is central to this rune.

Positive Meaning:

Hidden mystery. Forces we cannot fully understand. Fate. It is the rune of the vitki, the one who seeks the mysteries of the cosmos through the understanding of synchronicity.

Negative Meaning:

To much can cause an addiction to pleasures. Loneliness.


Elhaz : elk

Letter value: z

Keywords / Magical:

Connection with the gods, higher life, protection, the valkyries

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Valkyries

Lore:

Humans reaching for the gods. This rune is connected to the valkyries. The "choosers of the fallen", sent by Odhinn to choose and protect his heroes in battle. Also the rune of the BiFrost Bridge in Norse mythology.

Positive Meaning:

Elhaz is the power of human life and sprit striving toward the world of the gods. This rune is often found carved into spears for protection in battle. Use caution with this rune.

Negative Meaning:

Hidden danger, consumption by divine forces.


Sowilo : sun

Letter value: s

Keywords / Magical:

Guidance, hope, goals , honor

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Bauldar

Lore:

This rune is the sun wheel, it not only guides but also is itself a dynamically moving, spinning symbol.

Positive Meaning:

There is a reason for hope. Good guidance is being given. If you are lost you will find your way. Brings honor and luck.

Negative Meaning:

Bad counsel. False success is gained by dishonorable means.

 

 

Tyr's Ætt

 

Tiwaz - the god Tyr

Letter value: t

Keywords / Magical:

Justice, victory, self-sacrifice, analysis, world order

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Tyr

Lore:

This rune embodies the force of the god Tyr. He is the Norse god of law and justice. Tyr rules over the administration of right and honorable justice, so he is invoked for victory and is therefore an important war god. In northern mythology, it is Tyr who sacrifices his hand between the jaws of the Fenris wolf in order to save his fellow gods from destruction.

Positive Meaning:

Justice can be expected, and good judgment based on a careful analysis for the facts. Victory will be yours if you have acted wisely. The power of positive self-sacrifice.

Negative Meaning:

Too much analysis can overwhelm you. Stop planning and start doing. Do not over-sacrifice. Injustice.


Berkano - birch goddess

Letter value: b

Keywords / Magical:

Earth mother, birth, birth-life-death cycle, liberation, life changes, shelter

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Frigg, Nerthus, Hel

Lore:

This rune contains the complex mystery of the great mother (Nerthus the earth mother). It rules over the four pivotal human "rites of passage", birth, adolescence, marriage and death. It is the container of all becoming/being. It is a collector and conserver of energy and a sign of enclosure and shelter.

Positive Meaning:

New beginnings based on old patterns are in the future. Look for the importance of new things. It conceals and protects. New aspects are introduced into erotic relationships.

Negative Meaning:

Blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, and stagnation. Family problems.


Ehwas - horse

Letter value: e

Keywords / Magical:

Harmony, trust, loyalty, marriage, fertility

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Frey

Lore:

This is the principle of teamwork. This points to the close relationship between man and horse felt by the Indo-Europeans in general and the Germanic peoples in particular.

Positive Meaning:

Two different, yet harmonious entities working together towards one goal. This rune facilitates travel throughout the nine worlds by being able to ride its power. It is also the rune of trust and loyalty. Symbol of marriage.

Negative Meaning:

Loss of partnerships. Losing oneself in a spouse or lover. Duplication of efforts. Betrayal.


Mannaz - man, human being

Letter value: m

Keywords / Magical:

Divine structure, divine link, intelligence, androgyne

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Heimdall

Lore:

"Man" is the principle of embodied self-consciousness. Symbolizes humankind's earthly life as a heroic struggle. It is the symbol of Heimdall as the genetic link between the gods and men, and as the guardian of Bifrost.

Positive Meaning:

Mannaz is the mystery of the divine structure in every individual and in mankind. It is an androgynous model being. It is the power of human intelligence, rationality, memory and tradition. There is happiness in inner and social life, born of a realization of the truths of human existence.

Negative Meaning:

Dwelling on mortality and weakness, fearing true knowledge. Blindness, self-delusion and depression.


Laguz - water, leek

Letter value: l

Keywords / Magical:

Primal water, life, growth, vital power

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Njörd

Lore:

It is the basic life energy in the multiverse and the secret source of all organic life. This is the principle of cosmic water welling up from Nifheimfr and containing the potential for life. It is also the symbol of the leek, a source of organic growth and phallic power (virtue). The shining leek was often given to a young man when he became a warrior.

Positive Meaning:

Tests in life are in the future, but you have the vital energies to stand these tests. Ride out the watery journey on the sea. Transition from one state to another. The rune of initiation.

Negative Meaning:

Fear of change, fear of the journey and of the unknown vastness with the deep self. The damning up of vital force.


Ingwaz - the god Ing

Letter value: ng

Keywords / Magical:

Potential energy, gestation, internal growth, rest stage

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Ing, Frey

Lore:

Ing is considered to be the name of an Germanic earth god, who works in tandem with the earth mother, Nerthus. Ingwaz represents the male consort of the earth mother, and the priest who attends her.

Positive Meaning:

This rune is s storehouse of potential energy that must undergo a gestation period in order to gain strength. Ingwaz is the stave of rest, of active internal growth. There is a deep-level gestation of new power. Rest, Let things "gestate", to be brought forth at the right time in full maturity.

Negative Meaning:

This can be a seductive force, fooling you into thinking it is the "end" rather than a stage; thus it is the curse of many mystics. There is movement but without real change.


Dagaz - day

Letter value: d

Keywords / Magical:

Hope / happiness, awakening, light, polarity, new day

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Odhinn

Lore:

This is the ultimate principle of bipolar creativity. Dagaz is the light of the day, perceived at the moments of sunrise and sunset, dawn and twilight. It is the rune of total awakening.

Positive Meaning:

It is the source of hope and happiness. The power of "day" can be known to all who seek it earnestly. A great awakening is at hand. True vision can be gained.

Negative Meaning:

The only difficulty would be its manifestation in the life of someone who did not want or who was not prepared for it. Hopelessness.


Othala - ancestral property

Letter value: o

Keywords / Magical:

A Home, inherited power, prosperity, freedom

Gods, Goddesses and Deities:

Odhinn

Lore:

This is the principle of the "homeland" in its most ideal from. It is the "home within", the ideal reality which is not attached to any particular "land". It is a symbol of that which is inherited through the generations by the whole clan in both material and spiritual realms.

Positive Meaning:

Othala is the lot of stable prosperity and well-being. A solid and peaceful home, family, or group-life is indicated, and one that leads to continued growth. Attention must be paid to customs and order within the group. There is true freedom stemming from a secure base. A new dwelling or new allegiance may be in the future.

Negative Meaning:

The only danger comes from not preserving right customary or traditional order in the group. A misunderstanding of Othala can lead to totalitarianism that runs counter to the interests of the whole.

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary of Gods, Goddesses and Deities

 

Æsir

A race of gods corresponding to the functions of magic, law and war.

Ask, Askr

The first man

Audhumla

A giant cow that was formed from the dripping rime produced when the world fire met the world ice. She fed Ymir and that licked salty ice blocks to revile Buri.

Bauldar, Balder

Æsir son of Odin and Frigga, who was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe shot by the blind God Hodor (who was tricked by Loki) and resurrected. His wife is Nanna. Known as the Shining God; the Bleeding God. He represents light, advice, reconciliation, beauty, gentleness, reincarnation, wisdom, harmony, happiness. Balder will return from Hel after Ragnarok and will rule as one of the new Gods. His name means "The Bright One".

Bergelmir

He and his wife were the only two Giants to survive the flood of Ymir's blood. In that way he kept the Giant race from dying.

Bestla

Wife of Bor the daughter of a giant named Bolthorn.

Bor

Son of Buri.

Buri

An Androgynous man freed from salty ice blocks by Audhumla.

Embla

The first woman.

Fenris

Fenris is the monstrous wolf, son of the god Loki who bit off Tyr's hand and will swallow Odin at Ragnarok but will be slain by Odin's son, Vidar.

Fjörgvin

Father of Frigga.

Forseti

Axe-God of justice, savior of the devout, winner of just lawsuits. Son of Balder and Nanna. He represents justice, good laws, arbitration, peace, fairness, good judgment. Forseti means 'the presiding one'. His hall is called Glitner.

Frey, Freyr

Freyr is the god of sun and rain, and the patron of bountiful harvests. He is both a god of peace and a brave warrior. He is also the ruler of the elves. Freyr is the most prominent and most beautiful of the male members of the Vanir, and is called 'God of the World'. After the merging of the Aesir and the Vanir, Freyr was called 'Lord of the Aesir'. Freyr was also called upon to grant a fertile marriage.
He is married to the beautiful giantess Gerd, and is the son of Njord. His sister is Freya. He rides a chariot pulled by the golden boar Gullinbursti which was made for him by the dwarves Brok and Eitri. He owns the ship Skidbladnir ("wooden-bladed"), which always sails directly towards its target, and which can become so small that it can fit in Freyr's pocket. He also possesses a sword that would by itself emerge from its sheath and spread a field with carnage whenever the owner desired it.
Freyr's shield bearer and servant is Skirnir, to whom he gave his sword, which Skirnir demanded as a reward for making Gerd his wife. On the day of Ragnarok he will battle without weapons (for he gave his sword away to Skirnir), and will be the first to be killed by the fire giant Surt.

Freyja, Freya

Member of the Vanir who lives with the Æsir, daughter of Njord, sister-consort of Frey. Her emblem is the necklace Brisingamen. Hers is the magic of reading runes, trancing and casting spells. She is said to have taught Seidh to Odin. She owns a falcon cloak, takes dove form, rides in a chariot drawn by two cats, or rides a boar. As leader of the Valkyries, she takes half those slain in battle and is traditionally associated with death and sexuality. She weeps tears of gold, which become amber, called "Freyja's Tears". Her name means "The Lady".

Frigga

Frigg is the clairvoyant mistress of Asgardhr. She knows the fates of all men and gods. Queen of the goddesses. Wife to Odhinn.

Heimdall,
Heimdal

God of Light and the rainbow, Guardian of Bifrost bridge. He has super-sight and super-hearing. He sleeps less than a bird, he can hear the grass grow and see hundreds of miles away. He is said to be the son of nine mothers. As the god Rig ("ruler"), Heimdall created the three races of mankind: the serfs, the peasants, and the warriors. Heimdall was the keeper of the Gjallahorn, the "ringing" horn, which he was to sound when Ragnarok, the end of the world, was near.

Hel

Daughter of Loki and the giant Angurboda. She is the sister of Fenrir (Fenris-wolf) and Jormungand (Midgard serpent). She is the goddess of the underworld. Her realm was Niflheimr and her hall, Elvidnir (misery). She was described as half white and half black.

Hodor, Hodur

Strong and blind son of Odin and Frigg, who was tricked by Loki into shooting an arrow made of mistletoe at Balder causing his death.

Ing

Ing is the male consort of the earth mother (Nerthus). A fertility God.

Loki

Evil in character, capricious in behavior, cunning, he is known as the trickster God, called "Father of Lies", Shape-changer, Sky-Traveler.

Nanna

Asa-Goddess; "The Moon"; Great Mother; Earth Goddess; wife of Balder, mother of Forseti. She dies of heartache after Balder's death and is burned with him on his funeral boat. Earth Goddess.

Nerthus, Erda

Mother Earth Goddess, primal earth mother. She is the oldest Scandinavian Goddess whose name has come down to us. Possibly an older version of Njord (as the opposite sex) or his sister with whom he has Frey and Freya. She was a fertility Goddess whose worship was centered in Denmark. She lived in a grove on a sacred island. Once a year she traveled across the land in a wagon bringing a season of peace and plenty. When she tired, she returned to her island and was bathed in a lake by slaves who were later drowned.

Njörd

"Stiller-of-storms", Vanir-God of seafaring: controls wind, stills sea and fire. Was married to Giantess Skadi who picked him for his beautiful feet, by mistake, thinking he was Balder. Njord and Skadi could not agree on where to live. She didn't like his home, and he didn't like hers, so they split up. He has ten children, most famous are Frey and Freya. He is Frigga's brother.

Norns

The three Fates (the maiden, the mother and the crone) of Norse myth known as Urd, Verdhandi, and Skuld, and representing the past, present and future.

Odhinn (Wodan)

Ruler of the Æsir, the All-Father, God of the runes, inspiration, shamanism, magic and war. God of the hanged and the Wild Hunt; God of storm, rain and harvest. A shape-shifter, he makes men mad or possessed with a blind raging fury. He produces the battle panic called "battle-fetter". Three different frenzies or madness are his gifts to humankind: the warrior in battle, the seer in trance, and the poet in creativity. Subtle, wily, mysterious and dangerous, he often ignores pacts made in honor with humans. Attended by his two ravens (Huginn and Muninn), two wolves, Freki and Geri, to whom he gives his food for he himself consumes nothing but wine, and the Valkyries. Feared by ordinary people and worshiped only by princes, poets, the berserkers, and sorcerers. Unpredictable when invoked.

Sif

The second wife of Thor, Sif has the gift of prophecy. Sif is a swan maiden and can assume that form. She signifies summer fertility and corn. Having been married once to Orvandil, she is one of the elder race of Gods. Uller was her son from that union. Her golden hair was cut off by Loki as a trick, and replaced with hair of gold made by the Dwarves.

Skadi

Scathing Goddess of wintertime destruction, briefly married to Njord. It didn't last because she didn't like living with the Æsirs. Scandinavia is named after her--the "land of Skadi". She brings the snow which insures a good harvest and she leads the Wild Hunt. The wolf and poisonous snake are sacred to her. Her name means "Harm".

Skuld

The norn representing the future. The maiden. "That which shall be"

Surt

A Fire Giant who guards the gates of Muspellsheimr. He carries a flaming sword. His face is casted in fire, his hair is burning and boiling lava covers his body. Surt means "Black".

Thor, Thorr,
Donar

Hammer-God of thunder and lightening, agriculture and craftsmanship. Thor also is the God of defense and strength. His magic hammer is known as Mjöllnir ("Destroyer"). He is called "The Thunderer", champion of the Gods and enemy of the Giants and Trolls; protector of the common man; son of Odin and Jord. He has a magic belt called Megingjardar ("Strength Increaser") and drives a chariot pulled by two Giant male goats. Thor is a size-shifter. He is terribly heavy and hot, and he cannot cross the Bifrost bridge. He must wade through the North Sea and come around the long way. His wife is Sif. Although he is sometimes over hasty in judgment, he is a totally reliable friend and battle companion. He has wild red hair and beard, always dresses in battle dress.

Tyr, Tiwaz

The Norse god of law and justice. Tyr rules over the administration of right and honorable justice, so he is invoked for victory and is therefore an important war god. In northern mythology, it is Tyr who sacrifices his hand between the jaws of the Fenris wolf in order to save his fellows gods from destruction

Ullr

Winter God of archery, skiing and yew magic. Stepson of Thorr from a previous union between Sif and Orvandil.

Urd

The norn representing the past. The crone. "That which was"

Valkyries

"Chooser of the Fallen" (the slain). Sent by Odin into battle to select those who would go to Valhalla, lead by Freyja. Battle virgins, women trained in battle and war magic who would enter the fray with the warriors. They have raven and swan forms, choose among the slain and bring fertility to the earth.

Vanir

A race of gods corresponding to fertility.

Odhinn's brother. Or one of the three aspects of Odin

Verdhandi

The norn representing the present. The mother. "That which is becoming"

Vili

Odhinn's brother. Or one of the three aspects of Odin

Ymir

Androgynous Giant created in the Ginnungagap

 

Glossary of terms, places and other beings

 

Asgardhr

The kingdom of the Aesir and of those Vanir who have come to live among the Aesir.

Aurochs

A wild and powerful large bison-like long horned bovine

BiFrost Bridge

The rainbow bridge from earth to heaven, guarded by Heimdall. It is a bridge that only the gods can cross.

Dwarves

The dwarves are short and greedy beings that were worms in the prehistoric Giant Ymir's body. They do not like daylight. The dwarves are often evil-minded, but they are talented smiths and they have forged mostly of the Æsirs' treasures. They live in caves and in the mountains of Svartalfheimer.

Elves

Small human-shaped beings who have much wisdom and lore to impart. They live in Ljossalfheimr.

Etin

A Giant.

Galdr

The root form of incantation or mantra, which is the vibratory embodiment of the rune.

Ginnungagap

A magically charged yawning void.

Gjallahorn

The "ringing" horn that Heimdall will sound when Ragnarok, the end of the world is near.

Hel

The realm of the dead.

Hlidskjálf

A great hall in Asgardhr.

Huginn and Muninn

Huginn ("thought") and Muninn ("memory") are the two ravens of Odhinn. Every day Odhinn sends forth these raven and they fly over Midhgardhr. At night they return and tell him what they heard and saw.

Jotunheimr

The land of the giants.

Ljossalfheimr

The realm of the light elves (demigods and divinized ancestral sprits). This is the dimension of the structures of the intellect.

Mengingjord, Megingjardar

Thor's strength belt. Mengingjardar means 'strength increaser'.

Midhgardhr

The land of humans. It means middle earth (it is also in the middle of the Ginnungagap).

Mjollnir

Thor's hammer. Mjollnir 'the Destroyer' was made for him by the dwarfs Brok and Eitri, who made many magical objects for the gods. When Thor threw the hammer lightning flashed, then it returned to his right hand where he wore an iron glove.

Muspellsheimr

The realm of cosmic fire.

Niflheimf

The realm of cosmic ice.

Orlog

The collective wyrd (or fate) of the world as a whole.

Ragnarok

The "Twilight of the Gods"; a great battle between the Gods and the Giants at the end the world. It will be more a transformation than total destruction.

Svartalfheimer

The realm of the dwarves. The dwarves, like the light elves, are essentially ancestral sprits or demigods, but dwarves are not intellectual or spiritual in character. They embody the forces in the world that give structure and shape to things.

Valhalla

The hall of dead heroes. Heroic warriors, killed in battle, were brought here for the until they would fight in Ragnarok.

Vanaheimr

The realm of the Vanir.

Vitki

Rune magickian, rune caster.

Wyrd

Fate of an individual, in English it means "weird".

Yggdrasill

The cosmic tree of nine worlds or planes of the multiverse.

 

Young Futhark

 

This version of the runic alphabet was used sporadically in Scandinavia, in particular in Denmark and Sweden, until about the 17th century. The commonality of symbols of all of the following alphabets makes sense when one considers the migration of ancient peoples from the east to the west. The people and languages of northern Europe are considered "Indo-European" because of this migration. It's not unreasonable that customs, languages, alphabets, mythology, etc. share common origins.

Angelo Saxon Futhorc

 

A number of extra letters were added to the runic alphabet to write Anglo-Saxon/Old English. Runes were probably bought to Britain in the 5th century by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians (collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons), and were used until about the 11th century. Runic inscriptions are mostly found on jewelry, weapons, stones and other objects. Very few examples of runic writing on manuscripts have survived.

 

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