Runes and Germanic Traditions - Introduction

If you are interrested in Runes, I am sure you have already found tons of pages with explanations and interpretations, rituals and all that. So why to add sand to the desert? When learning something new, I like to understand the background of what I am studying. I like and need to know the "whys" and "whats/" and most pages or books do not satisfy this need.

A lot of what you find in books or online about Runes does not even contain any scientific background or somewhat solid description of what the Runes where, became and are - and, not to forget, what they are not. Most publications repeat what has been written by others and lack real and scientific based background information. This specifically refers to the esotheric use and those trying to link the Runes to (their) ideology. Both approaches usually lack any real understanding of the Runes, their background in history and linguistics and the underlaying Germanic traditions. Others only see runes in the context of Vikings which are and always have been popular and  are further popularized without seeing the Vikings and their use of the Runes in the wider context of the Germanic peoples and the develpoment of language script and overall tradition.

What I plan to do is providing some information about the Runes, Germanic Traditions and Mythology free from any ideology or specific agenda based on scientific research (not my own though). Additionally I will of course add my own understanding and interpretation of meanings, practices, rituals etc. Most of that will be based on solid foundations, some will be my very own interpretations and understanding. However the latter will be marked as such. I will not claim overall validity of what my understanding is.

I also should add that I am not a historia bny profession. I am also not a linguist or philologist and so unfortunately am not able to read the original sources in their original languages. For that I have to rely on those with proven qualifications.

Having said that, please let me give you some references for getting a general understanding about Runes, Germanic Traditions, hisrotic and linguistic context as this is the necessary basis for the studying of all that. Unfortunately a lot of the books I am refering to are in German only as this is my mother language and a lof of publications are related to German history or those writing about it. I will add some links to English books at a later point.

For Runes in general you will find tons of books. As I said before, a lot lack solid understanding of the historic and cultural background and understanding. I recomend to start with older books but leaving those out that have a proven agenda and ideology behind them (Like the publications by Guido von Liszt and others who followed, who link the Runes to the Germans in a very particular way...).
I recommend "About German Runes" (Über Deutsche Runen) by Wilhelm Carl Grimm, who is one of the famous Grimm brothers who often are only seen as the collectors of fairy tales but who have been the founders of German Philology foremost. Like all older books you have to see its content in its historic context (meaning the context and status of issue related knowledge of the time of its publication).

Also his brother Jacob Grimm has published a huge book about German Mythology. Both of these books contain a lot of knowledge and understanding of the Runes and their underlaying tradition and mythology.

Of course there is Tacitus and his "Germania". While Tacitus not specifically refers to the Runes as such, he refers to the diviniation practices of the Germanic tribes which made use of wooden sticks with carved symbols on them. It is not said that Tacitus in fact described the use of Runes for diviniation. However, it is not unlikely that what he described refers to the use of Runes in a diviniation context as Runes as such most liekly have already existed at that time.

I peronally like the "Handbuch der Runenkunde" by Helmut Arntz (not sure it had been translated). Although he had been a Professor in Germany in the 1930s and  the book has been initially printed in Germany during these times with it's last edition printed in 1944,  he had rejected the idea that the Runes should be used and/or be interpreated in an ideologic way. He explains the development of the various runic alphabets as we know them and also describes the runes in their historic and linguistic meaning and development. He also refers to potential magic meaning, use and understanding of the Runes.

There are several good books from scandinavian authors as well (will add some also at a later point) of course.

For those who prefer to watch videos, I recommend Jackson Crawford's you tube channel. He is a specialist on old norse language and has a bunch of awesome videos not only about old norse language but also about mythology, specifically the Eddas and Sagas of the Viking times but also on the Runes and their use. He also has published translations of some Sagas, the Havamal and the Poetic Edda. Jackson also adds a lot of references to his videos and in some he refers to english books about Runes. His additional webpage you find here.

Additionally, for Norse Mythology there is the channel of Mathias Nordvig. He also has a separate page with more information here. 

Apart from that for the mythology, read the Eddas in an uncommented version. Read other historic texts, such as Tacitus, Ceasar, Saxo Grammaticus (about the Dahish History), the Sagas...

Only after that I recommend to read some more modern books (if not those of modern scholars) about Runes and Germanic Mythology.

When it comes to most modern books which deal with Rune Magic, Germanic (or Viking) Magic etc, note that most are based on other systems of magical practice such as the Golden Dawn in its various manifestations, Thelema or Wicca when describing magic practice and rituals. Of course we know little about magical practice and rituals as well as their specifics as lived and perforled by the Germanic tribes and what we know is little detailled. But the books you find mostly link modern esoteric thinking, interpretations etc to what they call Germanic Magic, while there is not explanation nor any basis for such interpretations. One example is the attributions of color, gem stones, planets, star signs and much more to runes. This has no basis at all in the historic development of the Runes as we know it. Also there are no sources that would indicate such attributions having been used by the ancient Germanic priests, seers or other people who knew and used Runes. Of course it is ok that modern people create magical systems and interpretations in their own way including Runes. However no one should claim that this has any basis in the historic use or interpretation of the Runes.

With this I will end this post. It is my idea to have a more Rune related introduction followed by posts that are related to the single Runes. I will focus on the elder FUTHARK as I am not focussed on the Viking Traditions as such. However a lot of what we know of the Runes derives from the Viking and post Viking ages.

I also will post about Runes in magical use. Specifically here I will have to rely to my own understanding rather than claiming any historic basis or knowledge.

Stay safe
Arcad