Divination: Rune study - Ing

 Dear Reader,

We're diving back into the Rune Study series with a rune that I'm fond of because of who it is attached to: Ing. The letter that this rune stands for is actually a dipthong combination: NG. There are two variants of this rune. The first is pictured in the image to the right. The second is a lozenge/diamond shape. In both cases, the rune stands for the same sound and letter combination.

It can be found in the Elder and Younger Futhorc in both shapes. In the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc it is more frequently seen in the lozenge shape in latter manuscripts. I believe this is simply a matter of it is easier to draw a lozenge and conserves more ink. During the latter period of the use of runes in writings in England, there were more forms of shorthand like this involving other runes. Also, interestingly enough, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc has a greater number of runes than the Elder or the Younger Futhorc. This is, in my opinion, an indication of language evolving to meet the needs of the speakers. The use of the Elder Futhorc for divination in the modern era is a matter of convention. It is possible to take the other rune systems and use them, but I do not know what the results of such a practice would be because the information on the divinatory meanings of these other runes are a bit sketchy because much is lost to history.

Ing is more than a sound. It is the beginning and the short-hand of the proper name of the god Freyr, Ingvi (also spelled Yngvi). He is one of the Vanir that was sent to the Aesir after the Aesir-Vanir war as a hostage (with his father and sister) to help ensure that peace remained between the two tribes of gods. Odin gave Ingvi the rulership of the realm of Alfheim as a tooth gift, which leads me to suspect that Ingvi and his twin sister were children at the time this peace arrangement was made. The mythos is unclear because much has been lost and warped with the passage of time. Ingvi is a god of fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvests. He is also a god associated with royalty and kingship (there are several myths that point to a number of royal lineages claiming descent from him).

The appearance of this rune in a reading is typically positive in aspect. It may indicate that Ingvi is involved in the querent's life at the time. It more typically indicates that the querent is the recipient of positive things that fall under Ingvi's auspices.