Courses

What are the Runes?

This is a very simple question which unfortunately must bring a very complex and non-commital response since the answer depends on

• who you are


• what your perspective is


• what experience(s) you have with the runes


• when the question is asked

As we shall see in future lessons there is very little consistency in either the names of the runes or the shapes of the runes over time, and whilst there are some areas of general agreement, there remain many issues surrounding the runes about which there is considerable uncertainty and fierce academic debate .

For many people the first time they hear the word "runes" is whilst reading the novels of J R R Tolkien. In The Hobbit for example, directions about a secret door are written in runes on Thrain's map. The fact the information is about a hidden door is significant since the word "runa" (from which we get "rune") means "secret" or "mystery" and the runes symbolize magical and/or secret knowledge. Looking at the spindly characters that are Tolkien's runes in Lord of the Rings though you could be forgiven for thinking though that the runes are just another font. The Norse runes with which this course is concerned are an alphabet based on sound with pictorial rather than abstract characters.

Though the precise origins of the runes is uncertain, it is likely they emerged out of prehistoric rock carvings and paintings as a way to depict key aspects of the world. The association between picture and sound is one that we still use today and is the way most children learn to read

A is for Apple ..

It is the link between the picture, the letter and the sound which helps us to understand that the abstract representation "A" represents the sound "ah" as in "apple". However rather than using "A" we could use something which reminds us better of an apple. Why not "O" which looks like an apple?

O is for Apple ..

This is every bit as valid a statement as the previous one though because we are so used to "A" it may be harder for us to accept at first. However now when we need to represent the "ah" sound we can use an "o" which if we were to paint it, or carve it on a rock would look like

Which is exactly how the runes work. They are depictions of sounds using very simple pictures which related to the every day reality of those who used them. These shapes are known as "glyphs". Because we do not have any Vikings or Saxons to directly consult with, we cannot be entirely sure what their glyphs are meant to show. Here for example is the Tiwaz (Tir) rune glyph which may show a spear.

As time passed and needs, beliefs and society changed, the shape of some of the runes changed also. The set of runes with which we will be working in this course is shown below, but this is just for information and at this stage you do not have to worry about what they mean or depict.

You will notice that we referred above to "Tiwaz", with "Tir" in brackets. The first name is the Germanic name which most books on the runes tend to use, though not all. The bracketed name is the Old English (Saxon) name for the same rune. This is a practice we will use throughout this course. Since most people use the Germanic name you may legitimately wonder why we bother with the Saxon nomenclature. However there are two very good reasons for using the Saxon names as well. The first is the additional perspective which different names can give of a rune. Take this rune for example

The Germanic name (Thurisaz) means "giant" and the Saxon name for this rune means "thorn". How can the same rune represent both something as huge and dangerous as a giant and as small and insignificant as a thorn? Yet both names reflect aspects of the same rune as you will discover in future lessons.

The other good reason for learning the saxon names is that they are in sound and appearance actually much closer to modern English words than the Germanic ones are. Of course when you first see them you may find this a little hard to believe since generally both look as incomprehensible as each other. However between Old English and Modern English there have been a number of changes, if you learn the rules and can reverse these changes then you should be able to see the similarities. Here are three key rules:

• Old English "g" often becomes Modern English "y"


• The letter "a" in some Old English words becomes "o" in Modern English


• Old English "ae" often becomes a straight "a" in Modern English

Using these rules lets take a look at a couple of runes seeing if we can make sense of their names. Firstly Raidho (Rad). Now if we use the second rule above we can convert Old English "rad" to modern "road" which is quite applicable for a rune dealing with travel. Another rune is Jera (Ger) which we can convert to "Yer" using the first rule above, which isn't a modern word in itself but is pretty close to "Year" and again is very appropriate for a rune which covers the passage of time.

Along with the changes in name and symbol there was also a change in attitude over time. From being what historically was regarded as a precious gift, the runes went eventually to being seen by the establishment as something evil and demonic. First the Saxons renamed the runes breaking the links with the pagan gods but still permitted their use. Later generations of Christians were even harsher, seeking to eradicate all use of the runes. Why then were the Christians so strongly opposed to a mere alphabet?

Here individual outlook does matter, because to have any deeper understanding of the runes you must accept, as the Vikings/Saxons did, that the runes are magic. Runes are deep fundamental powers that have always existed in the Universe beyond human sight and comprehension. When we refer to a carving on a tree or rock, or a shape on a page, as a "rune" it is a short-hand. What we are speaking of directly is a symbol, a rune glyph, yet through this image we can access the true power of the rune. Think of the rune glyph as a door. With the correct key you can unlock the door and so release the full magical power of the rune which lies behind it.

As we will see in future lessons, the key to unlocking the door is you. With faith in the power of the runes, patient study and practice, you will be able to harness their magical energy whether you use it for working magic or divination. It will of course necessitate overcoming the modern skeptical mind-set which most people now have. Just because science cannot explain, measure or prove the existence of a power does not mean it does not exist. Crucial to medieval alchemy was a magical power which could move objects without the need to touch them. The name of this unlikely wondrous power? Well we call it "magnetism" now. Thus though Science cannot presently detect the magical energy of the runes, or explain how they work, does not mean it will not one day be able to do so. A true scientist does not theorize without data and tests any hypothesis by experiment. At the Rune School we have many years of practice with the runes and first hand experience, and hence proof of the fact they do work. As a student you will gain this in time, but for now you will just have to trust us.

While in many ways the runes are timeless, they first emerged into a world that was deeply religious and superstitious. We will then further our understanding of the runes if we investigate the world picture of the Vikings and the gods they believed in. Hence in the next two lectures we will be offering an introduction to Norse mythology relating it back to the runes of course.

You have completed the lesson. Read it as many times as you need to in order to feel you understand it. Then return here for:
Lesson 1 - Comprehension Tests, Reading and Further Exercises

Please ensure you complete these exercises before moving on to the next lesson.