Understanding The Runic Alphabet- Meanings of The Futhark Runes
Rebecca HaynesThe Runic alphabet is an alphabet system that was employed by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th Centuries. Of these systems, of which there are 3 main types, the Elder Futhark alphabet is the oldest and probably the most well known .
The earliest runic script employed in northern Europe before about 800 AD, known as the Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic) script, is also known as the Futhark alphabet and was given its name from the sound made by the first 6 letters (f, u, th, a, r,and k) of the alphabet.
The Elder Futhark alphabet consists of 24 letters, divided into 3 groups (known as ættir), each group containing 8 letters.
Each one of these groups of 8 (ættirs) is said to be ruled over by a specific God.
- The first ættir, representing growth is ruled by Freja.
- The second, representing the elements is ruled by Haegl
- The third, symbolising courage belongs to Tyr.
Some rune sets used for divination also include blank tiles known as ‘wyrd’. (making 25 runes instead of 24). These are used when casting the runes for divination and are a modern addition to the runes.
The Evolving Futhark Alphabet
As language evolved throughout Europe, so did the runic alphabet. In Britain, the English used the runic alphabet from about the 5th or 6th century to about the 12th century AD. Known as the Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian runic script, it added letters to the futhark script creating an alphabet with 28 letters (33 letters after 900 AD), thus giving rise to the Anglo-Saxon futhorc alphabet. This was done to represent sounds of Old English that did not occur in the languages that had used the Futhark system.
The Scandinavian peoples, who employed the Futhark alphabet from approx. the 8th to the 12th-13th century AD, combined the letter values, e.g. making one letter stand for more than one sound e.g. one letter for both k and g, thus reducing the alphabet to 16 letters (This system is what is referred to as the Younger Futhark system).
Their use as a divinatory system has been debated, however their origins and lore tend to point towards an equally long history of magical use. In fact the word "rune" from Old Norse & Old English "rūn" means mystery.
Being considered the oldest runic alphabet most of the divinatory information is written about the Elder Futhark system of 24 Runes (with modern day writings usually including a blank rune). Therefore, this is the system we will explore in this blog post.
Below we have a basic outline of the individual runes, in their 3 ættirs
Meanings and Symbolism Of The Elder Futhark Runes
Freja’s ættir: Representing creation and the foundations of life.
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Fehu (ᚠ)
- Meaning: Wealth, cattle, prosperity.
- Fehu represents movable wealth and abundance, often symbolizing cattle or livestock, which were essential forms of wealth in ancient cultures.
- Uruz (ᚢ)
- Meaning: Strength, aurochs (wild ox).
- Uruz represents strength, courage, and the ability to harness one’s power when in confronting situations.
- Thurisaz (ᚦ)
- Meaning: Associated with Thor the god of thunder.
- Thurisaz symbolizes the forces of
chaos, aggression, conflict, and upheaval. It indicates a need to be on guard.
- Ansuz (ᚨ)
- Meaning: God, divine inspiration, communication. It can also
represent people we respect/admire such as grandparents or teachers.
- Ansuz represents the divine, communication, and inspiration, often associated with Odin, the chief god in Norse mythology.
- Raido (ᚱ)
- Meaning: Journey, travel, communication.
- Raido signifies journeys, both physical and spiritual, and represents the act of travel and communication.
- Kenaz (ᚲ)
- Meaning: Torch, knowledge, enlightenment.
- Traditionally associated with pine trees the Vikings would cut to use as torches.
- Kenaz symbolizes knowledge, wisdom, and illumination. It represents the light of a torch guiding the way in darkness. It also represents the flames of passion/enthusiasm.
- Gebo (ᚷ)
- Meaning: Gift, exchange, love and partnership.
- Gebo signifies the concept of giving and receiving, representing gifts, exchanges, and partnerships.
- Wunjo (ᚹ)
- Meaning: Joy, happiness, harmony and wishes.
- Wunjo represents joy, happiness, and harmony, symbolizing positive outcomes and contentment.
- Hagalaz (ᚺ)
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Meaning: Hail, destruction, disruption. - Hagalaz symbolizes destructive natural forces, such as hail or storms,
and represents the potential for disruption and change. - Nauthiz (ᚾ)
- Meaning: Need, constraint, resistance.
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Nauthiz signifies constraints, challenges, and the need to overcome obstacles through resistance and perseverance. - Isa (ᛁ)
- Meaning: Ice, stillness, stasis.
- Isa represents stillness, stasis, and the concept of waiting. It symbolizes a time of potential and reflection.
- Jera (ᛃ)
- Meaning: Harvest, cycles, reward.
- Jera symbolizes the cycle of the seasons, representing both the harvest and the rewards of patience and hard work. It can also represent karma whereby past events influence future outcomes.
- Eihwaz (ᛇ)
- Meaning: Yew tree, transformation, protection. Eihwaz also has links
with Yggdrasil, the tree credited with the discovery of the Runes by Odin (Read more about the discovery of the runes here)
- Eihwaz represents the yew tree, a symbol of transformation and protection during times of change. Because of it’s links to Odin, it also encourages one to have endurance and willpower in times if difficulty.
- Perthro (ᛈ)
- Meaning: Mystery, fate, chance.
- Perthro signifies the mysteries of fate and chance, representing
hidden knowledge and the unknowable aspects of life.
- Tradition dictates that if this rune is the first to be drawn, nothing is what it seems and the reading should be postponed.
- Algiz (ᛉ)
- Meaning: Protection, spiritual awareness and practise, connection to
the divine.
- Algiz symbolizes the protective forces and connection to the divine, often represented by the elk's antlers.
- Sowilo (ᛊ)
- Meaning: Sun, success, energy, power.
- Sowilo represents the sun and its life-giving energy, symbolizing
success, power, and positive transformation. It offers encouragement and protection in difficult times, promising eventual success.
- Tiwaz (ᛏ)
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Meaning: Tyr (Norse god of law and justice), victory, honour. - Tiwaz represents the god Tyr and embodies principles of courage, justice, honour, and victory in battle.
- Berkano (ᛒ)
- Meaning: Birch, fertility, growth, nurturing.
- Berkano symbolizes the birch tree, associated with fertility, birth, and growth, both physically and spiritually.
- Ehwaz (ᛖ)
- Meaning: Horse, travel, partnership, progress.
- Ehwaz represents the horse and travel as well as progress,teamwork, and the concept of partnership.
- Mannaz (ᛗ)
- Meaning: Man, humanity, awareness.
- Mannaz represents humanity and self-awareness, reflecting the importance of community and social bonds.
- Laguz (ᛚ)
- Meaning: Water, intuition, emotions.
- Laguz symbolizes water, representing intuition, emotions, imagination
and the subconscious mind. - Inguz (ᛜ)
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Meaning: Linked to Freyr the Norse fertility god), new beginnings, potential. - Inguz symbolises new beginnings, potential, and growth.
- Othala (ᛟ)
- Meaning: Ancestral property, heritage, inheritance.
- Othala represents ancestral property, heritage, and the concept of inheritance, emphasizing family and tradition. This is not only material, but also describes the connection with ancestors, traditions and places.
- Dagaz (ᛞ)
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Meaning: Day, breakthrough, transformation. - Dagaz symbolizes daybreak, signifying breakthroughs, transformation, and enlightenment.
Blank rune
The blank rune, sometimes called the "Wyrd" (in Old English), "Örlög" (in Old
The runes are much more than a series of tiles with brief meanings, such as those given above. They are a system of communication and divination that has been evolving for centuries. They are steeped in centuries of history, magic, and lore. It is said that they themselves, are of divine origin and when you appeal to the runes for guidance you are essentially appealing to the gods that rule over the runes.
Due to their extensive history, there has been much controversy over the origin of the runes as well as their use in divination and the meanings of the runes themselves.
They have evolved over centuries, yet they have remained steadfast in their popularity. Akin to the roots of Yggdrasil from which they have been said to have originated, the Runes are interwoven into our magical past, present and future.
Above is by no means a comprehensive guide to the meanings of the runes and I do not claim to be any sort of expert, just an interested party. If you are interested in learning more, there is plenty out there to learn. Watch some videos, read some books, take some classes and most importantly make or buy some runes.
As with most skills, the best method for learning the Runes is not by immersing yourself in the theory, but by learning the foundation of the system and practising with them.
The more you learn to familiarise yourself with your runes, the more they will speak to you and you will begin to interpret their individual meanings. So use them with the respect deserved of a long held system and they will reward you in the long run.
If you have any inputs on the runes, leave us a comment in the comments section, we would love to hear your thoughts.
*To learn more about the origins of the runes and their link to the Norse God Odin, visit our blog post- The Origins Of The Runes- Unravelling Ancient History
*If you are looking to purchase runes or books relating to runes, check out our collection here.