Norse runes were the first form of writing used by the early Germanic tribes. The word rune means secret, as well as letter, in Proto-Germanic. Norse runes were usually carved into wood or stone, which explains their angular style. In Norse mythology, runes represented more than just a letter, but rather a concept or representation of something in the cosmos.
The authors claim that by writing the Norse runes, you would also be invoking the power they represented. The mysteries of life cannot be solved by a universal esotericism, from ancient or modern sources. The ancient Norse left behind a sacred text that pagans still use today. It provides a glimpse into their shamanic magic and mystery for all who seek knowledge and wisdom.
The Futharks
These ancient symbolic letters are found in the futharks: the runic alphabets. The name futhark represents the first symbols of the runic alphabet. Authors report the existence of three main futharks: the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark, and finally the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The Elder Futhark was developed in the 1st century BC, according to sources, and consisted of 24 characters.
The Younger Futhark originated around 750 BC, the Viking era. It consisted of 16 characters, instead of the previous 24. Scholars argue that the reduction in characters may have been due to phonetic changes from Proto-Norse to Old Norse. The Anglo-Saxon variant had 33 characters and was believed to have been in use since the 5th century.
Origin of the Runes
Although authors on the subject vary in opinion, it is generally agreed that the Norse runes originated from one of the ancient Italic alphabets in the 1st century BC. The earliest runic inscriptions date back to 160 BC, in the form of a Vimose comb and spearhead, from Denmark and Norway respectively. A Swedish artifact called the Kylver Stone has the entire Elder Futhark engraved on it and dates back to 400 BC.
The Old Cursive alphabet was probably picked up by northern Europeans through the war movements of the time. This is perhaps supported by the frequent association of Odin, the god of war, with runes. According to Norse mythology, however, the Norse runes were not adapted from earlier alphabets, but were rather a magical discovery by their god, Odin.
The forces represented by the runes have always existed and supposedly come from the Well of Urd, beneath Yggdrasil, according to an old Norse poem, Hávamál. In a similar Norse poem, three female spirits, the Norns, are mentioned in connection with the magical runes. The Norns supposedly carve into the tree, suggesting the carving of runes. In Norse mythology, when Odin hanged himself on Yggdrasil, he learned the secrets of the Norse runes and was then able to pass them on to others.
The Poetic Edda suggests another path that the Norse runes may have followed to reach man, in the poem: Rígsþula. The poem tells the story of a man who had three sons. One of his sons, named Jarl, meaning noble, eventually learned to wield weapons and show signs of being well-born, as his name suggests. His father noticed the changes and decided that the time had come to pass on his knowledge of the Norse runes to his son.
Runes in magic
Belief in the power of magic was deeply rooted in ancient religions and mythologies, even among the early Germanic peoples. Magic was directly related to knowledge of the cosmos and was part of their everyday life. They used it to alter their destiny, according to some sources. Norse runes were often carved into amulets so that users could benefit from their magical power, and they were also part of runic songs.
Magical symbols were used in curses, as evidenced by artifacts such as the 6th-century Björketorp Runestone, which used the word rune in its engraved curse. Similarly, the Stentoften Runestone records the same use of the word. Rhyming words, enchanting words such as auja, and words repeated three times were often found in inscriptions on artifacts from the period, strongly suggesting a link to magic.
The magical power of the Norse runes, according to some authors, is even represented by the smallest unit of sound, called a phoneme. Certain schools of thought believe that the sound and meaning of a letter or word are closely related. This aligns with the mythological worldview, where reality is created through words, rather than the opposite view, which is more widely accepted in monotheistic religions. The relationship between the rune and its symbol is equally important in this context, some authors claim, as it conveys communication between humans and forces invisible to the human eye.
Examples of Runes
Rune name: Thurisaz. The word means giant, and the explanation of the rune is suffering and danger.
Name of the rune: Ansuz. The word means an Aesir god and the explanation of the rune is vitality and prosperity.
Name of the rune: Sowilo. The word means sun, and the rune’s meaning is solace and success.
Name of the rune: Berkananan. The word means birch, and the rune’s meaning is sustenance, growth, and fertility.
Modern use in neopaganism
The writer and occultist Guido von List wrote the book The Secret of the Runes in 1908. The book contains 18 runes, supposedly based on the Younger Futhark, and called the Armanen runes. He claimed to have received knowledge of the mythical symbols when he was temporarily blind for 11 months. Von List firmly believed in the power of runes and established an esoteric society, linked to the ancient Germanic religion, called the High Armanic Order.
Norse mythologists suggest the sacrifice of Odin’s eye, when he hung himself from the World Tree, symbolizing a shift from normal sight to prophetic sight or intuition. For modern seekers of wisdom, the Norse runes, their myths and mysteries, offer a glimpse into an ancient world where magic and its elemental power were part of everyday life.
The cryptic whispered secrets still bring wisdom to today’s pagans, supposedly connecting the outer and inner worlds and introducing the power of the cosmos into their personal reality.
