Courses

Recent History of the Runes

In some ways the 20th century probably marked the bleakest period for the runes. While they had faced difficult times before, it had been an external enemy who sought to eradicate them through religious zeal. Like all attempts at censorship this was ultimately doomed to failure. Seeking to suppress something always runs the risk of stimulating interest in it as well as running straight up against that obstinacy and residence, inherent in humanity, which responds to and resists attempts at restriction. In the early 20th century though the threat was very different. It came not from those opposed to the runes but rather from those who eagerly embraced them and made widespread public use of the runes to support their evil aims. Yet, while it will still take some time for the shame and guilt of this events to cleansed, the later part of the 20th century saw a revival of interest in the runes. Once again there is widespread use of the runes for divination though much of the material written about them is dubious, the fact it exists at all should give us grounds for hope.

The Armanen Runes

In 1902 the Austrian journalist and author Guido Von List suffered a period of blindness following a cataract operation. It was during this period that he experienced a vision in which an alternative set of runes were revealed. He published details of these in his 1908 book, "The Secrets of the Runes"

In his Armanen system there are 18 runes which List links with the charms in the Havamal. Each of his runes is supposed to perform one of the charms. The Armanen runes are based on an expanded Younger Futhark (the variant known as Mixed Runes) though there are differences in names and some glyphs. The design of the Armanen rune glyphs is very rigid, based around a hexagon which is the alternative glyph for the Hagalaz (Haegl) rune used in the Saxon Futhorc..

Von List was a german nationalist and his runes were linked with the mythological and racial ideology that was Armanism. He founded the Thule Society, an occult and right-wing political organisation, to propagate his views.

Based largely on dubious scholarship the Armanen runes probably would have remained a footnote in history had not the ideas of racial purity and superiority inherent in Armanism not brought them to the attention of an emerging and evil power.

The NAZIs

Though officially occultism was banned under the NAZIs and many leading German occultists were imprisoned, nonetheless many key members of the party, including Himmler and Hitler himself, had a strong interest in the occult. The works of Von List therefore found favor with the NAZIs and it was his Armanen runes which were adopted by the party as a number of their badges and emblems.

Rune glyphs are simple striking designs that are easily memorable and recognizable which makes them ideal for uses as badges, logos etc. The Tiwaz (Tir) rune served as the badge of the Hitler Youth movement. The Sowelu (Sigil) or Sig rune was linked with the German word "sieg" ("victory") and hence a doubled version of the rune glyph was used as the logo of the infamous SS. This design was used on swords, rings, banners and uniforms during the NAZI era. The lightning flash emblem of the British Union of Fascists was inspired by the Sig rune too. Though the NAZI period runes were seen throughout Germany including on tombstones. The meanings given to the runes were inspired by the Armanen runes but the NAZIs modified them according to their own ends, according to Meadows introducing "a new symbolism emphasizing struggle, control and dominance, thus inflicting artificial meanings on the runes".

The association between the runes and the NAZIs inevitably did the runes incalculable harm. While hopefully as students of this course you can appreciate how thoroughly the NAZIs misrepresented and misused the runes for their own ends, the fact remains that for many they only encounter the runes in combination with these historical events which causes them to regard them with distrust. This is not helped by the continued use of rune glyphs by certain right wing groups who misunderstand and hence misuse the runes as badly as their predecessors did. The Othala (Ethel) rune representing home, clan, nation etc is a favorite badge and tattoo of these racist groups. There is however nothing inherently racist about this or any other rune. While it expresses the value of home and respect for one's heritage it is as applicable to the Tribes of Judea as it is any "Aryan nation". Indeed the values represented in the Eddas and runes are inclusive ones. The sentiments in the Havamal about the worth of disabled people can be seen as extremely progressive and at variance with NAZI ideas of perfection. Wyrd, the cosmic force of justice and order is sharply opposed to the "might is right" philosophy of the NAZIs. Indeed it is tempting to believe it was Wyrd which brought the "Thousand Year Reich" to a premature end, making the NAZIs face defeat as a consequence of their actions including the misuse of the magical power of the runes.

Asatru

For some time after the end of the Second World War the runes were untouchable for many but as time passed interest slowly revived. Reputable organizations such as the Odinic Rite and the Ring of Troth were formed to further the study of the Northern mysteries, including the runes, and to pursue the religion known as Asatru. This honors the Norse deities and uses the Eddas as key texts. The increased interest in Asatru can be considered part of the late 20th century New Age movement which has generated an interest in spirituality, alternative methods and respect of our ancient pagan heritage, however the practices of Asatru are considerably more ancient and it is only lately the masses have rediscovered them. In the more commercial end of the New Age movement considerable attention has been given to divinatory techniques, particularly Tarot though the runes have not been neglected.

Indeed one tension between New Agers and traditionalists has been the development of many authors for whom the runes are just another divinatory tool to write about and who treat their heritage with less respect than would traditionally have been the case. Consequently many of these authors feel able to modify the runes according to their needs. Such changes include names, glyphs, order and meaning.

Ralph Blum

No record of the recent history of the runes would be complete without mention of the highly controversial figure of Ralph Blum. In the 1980s Blum published "The Book of Runes" almost certainly the most commercially successful book on the runes ever. Inspite of this, or perhaps because of it, he is almost unmentionable in serious runic circles and the degree to which he is reviled seems out of proportion with his "crimes"

• introducing the Blank Rune
• changing the order of the runes
• divorcing the runes from their mythological heritage
• creating some highly individualistic rune meanings

Certainly Blum popularized the Blank Rune though he himself claims in "The New Book of Runes" that it was included already in a set of runes he purchased in Surrey, England and he was not therefore the inventor. Many regard the Blank Rune as a hideous modern abomination which is based upon a misunderstanding of the runes and which disrupts their delicate balance. Even if the Blank Rune was already in existence it is undeniably Blum who brought it to general attention, giving it considerably significance in his book

With respect to his re-ordering of the runes the case against him is less strong. Certainly Blum does offer an alternative modern order for the runes, however he makes it clear that this is what he is doing and does give the traditional order along with a brief explanation of the Aetts. His reader is therefore not in ignorance of the standard order and can use whichever s/he chooses.

Whilst it could be argued he does similar with the traditional rune meanings, the two situations are not comparable. The traditional rune meanings he lists are little more than single words and as such could never be realistically used for divination

Though it is often said that Blum ignores the mythological heritage of the runes, this is an over-simplification. He quotes all the key parts of the Havamal in "The New Book of Runes" which is more than some other authors do. It would be truer to say that he is inconsistent and misleading in his use of mythological material. None of the rune meanings he gives make direct reference to the underlying mythology and on the rare occasions he mentions the Norse gods the assignments he makes are highly anomalous, linking Thurisaz (Thorn) to Loki rather than Thor for example. The rune meanings he gives are therefore highly individualistic produced by a series of methods including meditation and the use of other divinatory systems to comment on the runes. In most cases though one can discern traces of the standard meaning within it though it is sometimes quite well hidden. His interpretation of Thurisaz (Thorn) as a gateway though is a considerable distance from that suggested by most authors or indeed taught on this course. His later books and rune cards show an ever increasing trend towards deviation dispensing with both traditional names and rune glyphs.

Blum rightly has many critics but he must be given some credit for bringing the runes to well over three hundred thousand people and his many detractors still fail to recognize why his books have proved so popular. The unique thing about Blum's books is they are instantly empowering. While readers of more traditional authors are still learning how to obtain the wood to make their runes, Blum's readers are gleefully clutching their free bag of ceramic runes and heavily into spreads. His approach is clear and simple and never leaves the reader in any doubt that they will be able to read the runes. There is a simple reassuring spirituality in his text which attracted many who found comfort in pages deal with issues such as bereavement and offering short clear prayers. Moreover few other rune authors can match the power and impact of his style producing pages of rune meanings that for all their faults often verge on the poetic. Phrases like "do not go beyond where you have not yet begun" or "completion of beginnings" have deeply affected readers who found a spiritual beauty in them.

None of this of course excuses his transgressions though he is nevertheless due his place in the runes' recent history. To some extent in recent books he has "outgrown" the runes and is pioneering a new divinatory system in all but name. He is a man who generates strong emotions but little in his books really justifies the intensity of contempt that many hold him in. In the same way that Odin breathed the spark of life into Ash and Elm, Blum has breathed the spark of inspiration into his countless readers many of whom would never have encountered the runes but for him. Of these a fair number have now gone on to read more conventional rune authors such as Aswynn, Pennick and Thorsson. Doubtless many students on this course will fall into this category.

Meadows and the Uthark

One of the results of the work of authors such as Blum was ever greater experimentation with the runes. There is nothing wrong with this but much of it has been conducted by those who have little or no understanding of the traditional methods and so seek to break rules without ever first learning what they are or why they are there. The British author, Kenneth Meadows, writes from a heavily Shamanistic perspective but does certainly not fall into this category of those who have not done their research. He is often credited with the creation of the Uthark theory but in fact he picks up upon, and fails to credit, work done by Professor Sigurd Agrell in the 1930s. Since Agrell's work is difficult to obtain outside scholarly circles, most people's exposure to the Uthark theory comes from Meadows' book. The Uthark theory is worthy of attention though few scholars subscribe to it. Meadows argues that rather than seeing the runes as a linear progression we should regard them as a circular sequence whose true starting point was deliberately concealed by the ancient rune masters.

Meadows points to an incongruity at the start of the Elder Futhark. The first rune is a rune of fulfillment and rewards, whereas the second rune is one of challenge and of questing. He suggests it is strange to go from satisfaction to need in this way. Therefore both Professor Agrell and Meadows propose that the runes should begin with Uruz (Ur) and end with Fehu (Feoh). This is a modern theory but based on considerable research and practice with the runes and it does illustrate there are still things within the Futhark to be investigated and explored without the need to cast away the traditional names and glyphs etc as many modern authors feel the need to do.

Sheppard and the Witches Runes

Not to be confused with the recently retitled and repackaged rune set offered by Silver Ravenwolf and Jackson which uses the Elder Futhark, the original Witches Runes were invented by Susan Sheppard in the late 20th century. Since her 13 "runes" use neither conventional names, glyphs or meanings, once again they should be thought of as a separate divination system and of no relevance to the material taught on this course. This does not mean they are not of interest or worthy of consideration in their own right as a means of divination but just not as part of standard rune course.

Conclusion

The 20th century has seen a greater interest in the runes than probably any other period. Even during the first millennium when the runes were arguably at their peak they remained a fairly esoteric and specialized band of knowledge. However their journey into the more mainstream has inevitably brought tensions with it. They are magical with a mythological heritage which makes them unique. They therefore deserve and require respect and serious study. Commercial pressures mean that some authors are now churning out books on divination factory-style with a rune book just one in a sequence of planned ventures. Hence some people writing today have less background in the runes than is provided by this very basic course. Now Pandora's Box is open though little can be done to reverse the trend. Hence there is a responsibility on those of us who believe in the runes to try to ensure accurate information is available to seekers. However, before anyone condemns the popularity of the runes now they should reflect that we are very fortunate that the runes do have any popularity at all after the NAZI period and their association with right-wing extremism. Though we can rightly argue this was an aberration in a history of several thousand years perpetrated by people who had no real understanding of the runes or respect for them, nonetheless it had the potential to do considerable damage.

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 11 - Comprehension Tests, Reading and Further Exercises

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