Runes, magical writings

One of the discoveries that has drastically changed the course of human development is writing. From that moment on, thoughts and ideas could be recorded and read back. The impact on human civilization was enormous. Sequences of signs and letters developed all over the world. This is how the runic script was also developed. What are runes, how do you read them? And: what magical meanings are there?

Petroglyphs

In the distant past, people thought that it was possible to record figures or signs by scratching stone or painting it with paint. There are known petroglyphs depicting hunting scenes. Magical drawings, perhaps intended to appease the gods about the upcoming hunt. Or maybe they were reports of how the last hunt had gone. The rock paintings helped tell and pass on the old stories, not only for support, but also for providing information.

Character writing

Rock paintings are a bit on the large side. Drawings could become smaller and more compact and if you put a row of drawings one after the other, you could pass on information like a kind of comic strip. The first writing characters developed, just think of the Egyptian hieroglyphic script. Symbols are used that are derived from drawings and situations. The reader knows which words are meant based on the placement and order of certain characters. Of course, the information was only for insiders. For other people, uninitiated in the art of reading and writing, the written word must have been something magical.

Practical

The hieroglyphic writing may be beautiful, but it is not really practical. Drawing figures precisely was quite a job, for which the writer had to be specially trained. In addition, the figures referred to sounds that were clear to the Egyptian, but not to the trading partners in other countries.

The notebook

The original picture writing was increasingly expanded for commercial applications with characters that clarified the original pictures. The newer signs were easier to make on a clay table or parchment. Different signs were invented for all sounds. The sequence was easier to remember if the characters were in a fixed order.

Alphabet

The simplest name for the string was a reference to the beginning of the string. The individual characters in the series became letters, the entire series was referred to, usually named after the Greek designation. In the Greek alphabet, the first two characters are the alpha and the beta ( a and b ), so for us that becomes: alphabet .

Multiple scripts

The development of writing took place in different places on earth. Various character sequences were also developed in our part of the world until we arrived at modern-day writing. Even today, different letter series are in use within Europe. In some languages, all kinds of diacritical marks are used, such as a ‘recognizable’ letter, but provided with extra accent marks, arcs or circles. Apart from these special characters, the other letter forms are the same.

In Russia, for example, the Cyrillic script is used, which differs from the Western European model in terms of letter form and pronunciation. In countries such as China and Japan, a drawing script is still used. Each character, each sign represents a specific sound group. To read and write here you have to learn thousands of characters.
India also uses its own drawing script.

Runic script / Source: Asztalos Gyula, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Runes

In Europe, probably about two hundred years before the beginning of our era, another type of script also came into use, the runic script. The runic script probably developed from a form of Etruscan script, from the north of Italy. The runic script is based on letters, but each sign also has its own magical meaning. This script is also named after the first letters: f – u – th – a – r – k : the futhark . The runic script never became standard, but has undergone its own development in various European cultures. As a result, there are differences in the runic script per time or region. For example, there also exists

• The young futhark
• Anglo-Saxon runes
• Medieval runes
• Armanen runes

Because the Futhark does not start with the letters a and b (or alpha and beta ), it is incorrect to label the Futhark as an alphabet. It is better to speak of a string . Runic signs have mainly been handed down to us through inscriptions in objects or stones. Even today, some houses still have a rune characteristic of the house or family.

Lord of the Rings

Anyone who has read the book Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (Dutch title: In the Lord of the Rings) has seen that the author regularly uses runes in his references to ancient times, which Tolkien invented for this purpose.

Nazi runes

In an attempt to rewrite European history in the Nazis’ favor, the Nazi regime attempted to demonstrate that runes were originally a German product. The runes, especially the Armanen runes , were used as a propaganda tool. This distortion of history gave a completely wrong picture of reality. The result was that runes were often, and very wrongly, associated with the Nazi regime.

Futhark

The old Futhark consists of 24 characters, divided into three aetts . Below you can see which sound each sign represents, but also which additional meanings can be attributed to each sign. The interpretation of runes by a rune master can be extensive, in the overview below you will see a number of key points.

The first Aett

Rune	Name	Pronunciation	Interpretation
	Fehu	f	Literally: cattle, wealth, money and credit. Fehu is the power necessary to obtain and maintain wealth.
	Uruz	oo	Uruz is the rune of inner strength, endurance and healing. Uruz can bring personal success, but not at the expense of others.
	Thurisaz	th	Thurisaz symbolizes resistance and channels defensive forces and can bring about unexpected changes. Thurisaz can provide defense but also attack forces.
	Ansuz	aa	Ansuz is the Godrune. In newer versions of the runic script, this rune is also called As, Aesc or Asa. Ansuz symbolizes divine breath, strength of our existence and stability.
	Raidho	r	Raidho represents the wheel that makes movement possible. Raidho is the means that can be used to achieve a goal. It is also the rune of ceremonies, fixed principles and planning.
	Kenaz	k	Kenaz stands for light, for teaching, learning to stimulate positive actions. As you can see, you can write Kenaz in two ways.
	Gebo	g (as in the English ‘give’)	Gebo connects people and gods. It symbolizes a unity between receiver and giver and creates balance and harmony.
	Wunjo	w	Wunjo means joy, harmony and balance. Wunjo is the middle between opposites, the rune of camaraderie. Wunjo changes our lives in a positive direction.

 

The second Aett

Rune	Name	Pronunciation	Interpretation
	Hagalaz	h	Hagalaz, literally ‘hailstone’ is icy and restrictive, but Hagalaz also symbolizes sudden change and transformations. It is also the rune of formative thought processes, of the unconscious mind.
	Naudhiz	n	In Naudhiz you see two branches crossed, with which the emergency fire was lit. Literally, Naudhiz means ‘distress’. The rune can represent scarcity and deprivation. It is also a rune of change, of becoming free from needs. But then you have to use it wisely.
	Isa	i.e	Literally, Isa means ‘ice’. Isa is a static existence of time, a cessation of activities. Isa is a pause, a postponement or end of something. But when Isa starts moving, a lot of power is released.
	Jera	j (as in ‘jam’)	Jera means year or season. Jera relates to the cycle of existence, of completion at the right time.
	Eihwaz	eo	Eihwaz is a very powerful rune and symbolizes the yew tree and the continuity of life.
	Perdhro	p	Perdhro represents the interaction between free will and the limitations of our circumstances.
	Elhaz	zz	Elhaz symbolizes resistance and powerful defense, the ability to drive away evil.
	Sowulo	s	Sowulo symbolizes the sun and represents light and energy, the vital quality of sunlight. Sowulo proclaims the victory of light over darkness. With a clear vision in the light of Sowulo you can better achieve your goals.

 

The third Aett

Rune	Name	Pronunciation	Interpretation
	Teiwaz	t	Teiwaz is derived from the Northern European sky god (Teiwaz, Tiw or Tyr), our ‘Tuesday’ is named after him. Teiwaz stands for personal sacrifices and efforts to achieve goals, for directing positive forces in the right place. With Teiwaz, goals are achieved – provided they are fair.
	Berkana	b	Berkana represents new beginnings. In the feminine sphere it is a birth rune. It is a symbol of rebirth, of spring after a cold period.
	Ehwaz	e (as in ‘each’)	Ehwaz, the horse rune, symbolizes the forging of a bond, of friendship and trust. Ehwaz is the connection between one place and another, from beginning to end.
	Mannaz	m	Mannaz stands for order, for mutual support and for language with which we can argue and discuss. Mannaz is a rune of the spirit.
	Laguz	l	Laguz represents water and changeability, in tides and waterfalls. Laguz also represents life force and organic growth.
	Inguz	ng	Inguz, or Ingwaz, is a symbol of light. This rune protects the household and represents energy in a general sense.
	Dagaz	d	Dagaz is the rune of daylight. The shape indicates balance between light and dark, open and closed, rising and falling forces. Dagaz also has a protective power.
	Othala	o (as in ‘drill’)	Othala, or Odhil, is the rune of one’s own land, one’s own earth, of the land but also of the culture and spirituality, inherited from the ancestors. Othala is wealth that cannot be bought.

 

Extensions

Languages change, words change. Sometimes new sounds are created, which are used to form words. Because new sounds also require new signs or new symbolism, the runic series was regularly updated.

Runes, interpretation and future

You can use runes to write texts. You can also choose words that require sounds written in special runes, runes that also have special meanings. By placing the runes on special stones, they are also used by some to indicate events in life.