The Aettir and working with Runes

 The 24 runes of the elder FUTHARK are separated in 3 aettir by each 8 runes. Aett means family/clan or similar.

The Aettir are named according to the first letter of each line as "Freyr's Aett" after the god Freyr; "Hagal's Aett" and "Tyr's Aett". In some publications you may find the second aett named after Hödr or Heimdall. However, this is not commonly accepted and mentioned only in single publications. Also it is disputed whether the separation in Aettir and their names is actually historic as we find such references only as of the 17th century. In favor of a historic separation in 3 aettir as such we have the fact that there are so called "secret" runes which need as a reference the separation in 3 lines of runes in order to make sense.

For the purpose of this Blog I am following the separation and the naming of the aettir as it is commonly accepted.

According to Arntz, each Rune can be attributed to a specific god whereby the god's name does not  necessarily have to start with the attributed Rune's name. 

As an example, Othala is not Odin's rune. Instead we have Ansuz which refers to the Aesir in general but to Odin as their head in specific. Unfortunately Arntz is a bit unspecific when it comes to the attributed god for each rune and  - as far as I see it - has not mentioned a name for each and every rune specifically. It may be important for ritual work though to have the correct rune for the god or goddess you intend to work with. Also when meditating on the runes and their collective and individual meanings, it is helpful to include these aspects of attribution. It is obvious also that the wrong attribution in ritual will most likely result in failure. 

I will make further references to the attributions in future posts to come related to the single runes.

When studying runes, I recommend to take a very wide and open approach. Some of the runes' meanings have changed, as also the letter's literal meaning has changed. You can see this when comparing the initial meaning according to what we know about the elder FUTHARK with the Rune Poems. Of course the Rune poems also have the intention to be something like a learning aid but we will see some of teh changes. When you plan to work with runes, you need to take into consideration that the meaning can be very diverse. Thus, your focus has to be precise. It is not enough to know the most common interpretation. It is like with the Tarot, most people know only the meaning of the cover page of a Card but never open the cover and look at all the different layers behind and below. 

Meditate about the Rune, imagine the meaning compared to the people who used it first. Imagine a changing world and developing society and a changing language and symbolism. 

When thinking about Fehu, you first see cattle. But cattle changed to wealth, movable property...

Again I invite you to use all your imagination and use it from as many angles as you can, present, past, future, from a rural society in an environment that makes life  not always easy, where life means hard work and everyday is a fight. Imagine these people asking the gods for help. Think about a society that becomes more stable, the meaning of life changes.... you get the point. 

The study never ends, there is so much to learn and experience....

Casting Runes

I thought about keeping the posts in some logical order and going through the runes first before writing about working with them. However, as I am a mood reader, meaning I cannot read just any book at any time but sometimes have a book on the shelf for years (literally) before finally reading it (I am a book nerd, buying far more books than I can possible read and as I am also a book shop lover, I cannot leave a book store without a purchase....). it turns out I am also a mood writer. 

So I break the order letting chaos find its way and write about how to cast runes. 

Opposite to what some writers on the topic say, no, there are no traditional ways to cast runes from the olden times that we know of. The earliest mentioning of the Germans having made use of some sort of divination process can be found in Tacitus' Germania. There we can read that Priests would cast wooden sticks with symbols carved in them. We may assume but do not know whether these were already the runes of the elder FUTAHK or some preliminary letters or other symbols. 

In Chapter 10 of his Germania Tacitus describes the process: 

"To the use of lots and auguries, they are addicted beyond all other nations. Their method of divining by lots is exceedingly simple. From a tree which bears fruit they cut a twig, and divide it into two small pieces. These they distinguish by so many several marks, and throw them at random and without order upon a white garment. Then the Priest of the community, if for the public the lots are consulted, or the father of a family about a private concern, after he has solemnly invoked the Gods, with eyes lifted up to heaven, takes up every piece  thrice, and having done thus forms a judgment according to the marks before made. If the chances have proved forbidding, they are no more consulted upon the same affair during  the same day: even when they are inviting, yet, for confirmation, the faith of auguries too is tried. Yea, here also is the known practice of divining events from the voices and flight of  birds. But to this nation it is peculiar, to learn presages and admonitions divine from horses  also. These are nourished by the State in the same sacred woods and groves, all milk-white and employed in no earthly labour. These yoked in the holy chariot, are accompanied by the Priest and the King, or the Chief of the Community, who both carefully observed his actions and neighing. Nor in any sort of augury is more faith and assurance reposed, not by the populace only, but even by the nobles, even by the Priests. These account themselves the ministers of the Gods, and the horses privy to his will. They have likewise another method of divination, whence to learn the issue of great and mighty wars. From the nation with whom they are at war they contrive, it avails not how, to gain a captive: him they engage in combat with one selected from amongst themselves, each armed after the manner of his country, and according as the victory falls to this or to the other, gather a presage of the whole."(Thomas Gordon translation of 1737 (reprint 2010)

Tacitus does not describe what marks were used, so it may have been anything. But it is not that unlikely that at that time, the Priests already used Runes. What we also learn is that the Priest threw all sticks and then picked three single ones for interpretation (one after the other). Only if confirming, a "second opinion" was requested.

As far as I know this is the earliest description of casting carved wooden sticks (as I believe  - but not know - were already runes). Unfortunately we do not learn much more, specifically not about how the signs were interpreted. Later descriptions in the Sagas and Eddas are also not more specific as to the concrete procedures. We only can read that Runes were used a lot in Magic and for Divination. 

Having said that, as we do not know much about the process, you may use any system that is most appealing to you or serves the intended purpose most. However, instead of Taro-izing the Runes too much, I prefer to do what Tacitus describes. I formulate a situation/Question etc and then  cast the Runes. After having castes the Runes, I am picking three single Runesticks one after the other without looking. I am then interpreting one after the other and then in a joint context. Sometimes though I skip the second opinion part once I have a positive answer.

In any case I am performing a purification ritual before, a sacrifice and thank the gods afterwards. Depending on the importance of the matter, the complete ritual will be more complex.

So far for some insight in my practice. Next time I will be back to theory….

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