| The twentieth rune and fourth of the Third Aett of the Elder Futhark is called "Mannaz". It's sound is "M". Mannaz represents the basic human qualities we all have, whether we are male or female: it signifies the shared experience of us all. Its shape represents the archetypal human being whom we see as a reflection of all things in existence. Symbolically, Mannaz stands for social order, without which we cannot achieve our full human potential. Its shape reflects the ideas of mutual support. Its stems are linked by the Gebo cross into a rigid, stable, form, just as, when we support one another, we ourselves are stable. Because language is a prime faculty of human beings, Mannaz is classified as a "hugrune", one of the runes of the mind. This rune is reflected in everything that is connected with language. By using it, we are able to gain advantage in disputes and academic examinations. A related meaning of Mannaz is the tree. This reflects the Scandanavian legend in which the first humans were made from trees. Askr, the first man, came from an ash tree, and Embla, the first woman, was a transformed elm. |