The runes are the letters of the alphabets used by the Germanic and Norse peoples of northern Europe. Each rune has a name and a meaning as well as a sound, and modern practitioners draw or cast them for guidance.
What the runes were
The oldest runic alphabet is the Elder Futhark, a set of 24 characters that was in use from about the second century to the eighth. The word futhark comes from the sounds of its first six letters. Later peoples adapted it: the Vikings used a shorter alphabet of 16 runes, and the Anglo-Saxons used a longer one.
Runes were, above all, writing. They were carved into stone, metal, bone, and wood to mark ownership, to remember the dead, and to send messages. Some inscriptions do seem to be charms, and the Norse poems speak of runes of power known to the god Odin, who won them through an ordeal.
An honest note on rune divination
Nobody knows for certain whether the ancient Germanic peoples used runes to tell fortunes. A Roman writer of the first century described them casting lots with marked slips of wood, but he did not say what the marks were.
The meanings used today come from three medieval rune poems, written down centuries after the Elder Futhark fell out of use, and filled in by modern interpretation. The method of drawing runes from a bag for a reading was developed in the twentieth century. It is a modern practice built on ancient material, and it is none the worse for that. One detail is worth knowing: the blank rune that is sold with some sets was invented in the 1980s and has no historical basis. Most readers leave it out.
The 24 runes of the Elder Futhark
The runes are traditionally arranged in three groups of eight. Each group is called an aett.
| Rune | Name | Sound | Literal meaning | In a reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fehu | f | Cattle, movable wealth | Resources, earned prosperity, and what you do with them | |
| Uruz | u | Aurochs, the wild ox | Raw strength, health, and endurance | |
| Thurisaz | th | Thorn, giant | Defense, friction, and a warning to pause before acting | |
| Ansuz | a | A god, the mouth | Speech, advice, learning, and messages | |
| Raidho | r | Riding, the wagon | Journeys, rhythm, and doing things in the right order | |
| Kenaz | k | Torch | Knowledge, craft, and creative fire | |
| Gebo | g | Gift | Exchange, generosity, and partnership | |
| Wunjo | w | Joy | Contentment, belonging, and harmony |
| Rune | Name | Sound | Literal meaning | In a reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagalaz | h | Hail | Sudden disruption that clears the way | |
| Nauthiz | n | Need | Constraint, necessity, and patience under pressure | |
| Isa | i | Ice | Stillness, delay, and a time to wait | |
| Jera | j (as in year) | Year, harvest | Cycles, reward for steady work, and right timing | |
| Eihwaz | ei | Yew tree | Endurance, protection, and deep change | |
| Perthro | p | Uncertain, perhaps a cup for casting lots | Chance, mystery, and things not yet revealed | |
| Algiz | z | Elk, protection | Shelter, boundaries, and a guarded approach | |
| Sowilo | s | Sun | Clarity, success, and vitality |
| Rune | Name | Sound | Literal meaning | In a reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiwaz | t | The god Tyr | Justice, honor, and sacrifice for a principle | |
| Berkano | b | Birch | Birth, growth, care, and new beginnings | |
| Ehwaz | e | Horse | Trust, teamwork, and steady progress | |
| Mannaz | m | Humankind | The self among others, community, and cooperation | |
| Laguz | l | Water, lake | Flow, intuition, and the unconscious | |
| Ingwaz | ng | The god Ing | Gestation, stored potential, and completion | |
| Dagaz | d | Day | Breakthrough, clarity, and a turning point | |
| Othala | o | Inherited land | Home, ancestry, and what is passed down |
How to read the runes
One rune a day. Each morning, reach into the bag without looking and draw one rune. Take it as the theme of the day, and note in the evening how it applied. This is how most people learn the set.
Three runes. Draw three and lay them in a row. Read them as what lies behind the situation, what is happening now, and what is likely to come of it if things continue as they are.
A casting. Take a handful of runes, hold your question in mind, and scatter them gently onto a cloth. Read the ones that land face up. Those nearest the center matter most.
Some readers take a rune that falls upside down to mean that its usual sense is blocked or delayed. Nine of the runes look the same either way up, and many readers do not use reversals at all.
Making your own set
A set that you make yourself costs nothing and is traditional in spirit.
- Collect 24 pieces of similar size: slices of a fallen branch, smooth pebbles, or disks of air-dry clay.
- Mark one rune on each piece with paint, a permanent marker, or a carving tool. Work slowly, and say the name of each rune as you make it.
- Keep the set in a cloth bag.
- Before the first use, cleanse the runes with smoke or moonlight and hold each one for a moment.
Using the runes with respect
The runes belong to a living religious tradition. For Heathens, who honor the Norse and Germanic gods, they are sacred. If you work with the runes, take the time to learn something of the culture and mythology that they come from.
You should also know that several runes and related symbols were taken up by fascist movements in twentieth-century Europe and are still used by extremist groups today. Heathens and witches overwhelmingly reject that misuse. It does not taint the runes themselves, but it is a reason to understand a symbol's history before you wear it in public.