ISA
i
Aett: 2nd Aett, Hagall’s Aett
Position within the Aett: 3
Position within the Futhark: 11
Meaning: Ice, “The Future”
Concept: Wyrd
English Letter Value: I
Sound: EE
Pronunciation: Ee-sah
Other Names: Anglo-Saxon: Is
Armanen: Is
Germanic: Isa
Gothic: Eis
Icelandic: Iss
Norwegian: Is
Younger: Is
Associations:
Polarity: Neuter
Element: Air
World: Asaheim
Galdr: Eeeeesaaaaah
Rune Poem(s)
Norwegian Rune Rhyme
[Ice] we call the broad bridge;
the blind need to be led.
Icelandic Rune Poem
[Ice] is the rind of the river,
and the roof of the waves,
and danger for fey men.
ice “one who wears the boar-helm”
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
[Ice] is very cold
and exceedingly slippery;
it glistens, clear as glass,
very much like gems,
a floor made of frost
is fair to see.
Level One Meaning(s)
Isa is its meaning of ice, which is one of the nine basic elements of the Northern peoples. Where water (which is associated with laguz) is free flowing, ice is solid and virtually static and unmoving. Ice, and therefore isa, represents the forces of preservation and resistance to change. Isa is a necessity in the grand scheme of the universe because its nature helps to slow down the force of evolution and prevents it from flowing out of control (more on this aspect later).
Isa is associated with the realm of Jotunheim and the Rime-Thurs (frost-giants). As with most giants, they are the agents of chaos and entropy (destruction). Ice was also considered to be just as destructive; if it came early it destroy crops before they were ready for harvest or before they could be harvested. This could easily hamper or prevent both humans or animals from being able to survive the winter.
Although ice was considered to be very beautiful, it was also considered to be very dangerous. In the winter frozen rivers were often used as a quick means of transportation (along with some lakes as well). However, if one misjudged the thickness of the ice, then the person using the river for a road could, and all too often did, find themselves in trouble and disappearing underneath the ice; never to be seen again or not found until the spring thaw. Not only this, but many a person or livestock would slip on the ice covered ground and be lamed. Ice, and therefore isa, can be said to be an obstacle that impedes or limits your forward progress (both in the material and in the “spiritual” worlds). However, like nauthiz, isa can represent the strength gained by the overcoming of obstacles that are place in your way.
The i-rune is also associated with the slow, deliberate movement that, once started, is very nearly impossible or completely impossible to stop. Like a glacier, it breaks up or grinds to a power anything that gets in its way. On the positive side, this can represent the human drive to survive against all odds. The ability to keep going in the face of what seems like insurmountable barriers and breaking up large problems into smaller, more manageable ones. On the negative side, it can represent a problem too large to handle that is trying to grind you down. It can also be associated with the same drive to move forward through any barrier without any thought to the consequences to others, to Midgard and to one’s own well being.
Because of the hardness and, conversely, the fragility of ice, isa can be associated with cold iron. Cold iron with used by the Northern peoples for their weapons. It was much stronger than any of the metals in use back then, but it had the fragility of glass under certain conditions. (Even today, steel, which is much stronger and less fragile than iron, can shatter like glass under the right conditions. In Siberia, the lumber mills would shut down whenever the temperature would drop below -40 degrees F. This was because the giant saw blade that they used would shatter at that temperature; causing a lot of damage and death from flying pieces of metal.) The shape of isa is also reminiscent of both the icicle (both strong and fragile, as well as deadly should it fall just right on an individual) and the sword (for the same reasons). It has also be associated with the spear tip, which, in shape and form, isa does resemble.
In scientific terms, isa can be associated with the coldness of outer space where humans cannot exist without the appropriate clothing; just as they cannot live in the far north or south without the appropriate clothing. In this aspect, we can only live where ice (isa) will let us and we must always respect its power. Also, the i-rune can be associated with the concept of Absolute Zero. Absolute Zero is the temperature at which all molecular movement stops. This is the ultimate “iced” state in the universe; where things will be preserved, literally, forever. Even the cold of outer space, as cold as that is, is still hundreds of degrees above Absolute Zero.
Associated Deity(ies)
Verdandhi: Verdandhi is the Norn that is associated with “what is becoming”. She is also known as Debt (in my opinion, this association goes with the saying “all debts are paid in the end”; as in, when you die all your debts are paid, whether those debts are owed to others, and/or to the gods, or those debts are owed to you).
Skadhi: Skadhi is a giantess who loved the hunt and was associated with the winter time. As such, since winter is when ice forms, she is associated with isa.
© 2005