(Posted late because of my kitchen disaster) Divination: Rune Study - Gebo

 Dear Friends,

The rune Gebo (also known in some parts as Gifu) is a very important concept in ancient Northern Germanic cultures. It was, you could say, the backbone that served to help hold the culture together. Gifts were given often and served to cement social bonds. It is claimed that the All-Father advised "It is better to give too little than too much." Sounds like odd advice.

When living in a culture where gifts are given and debts can be incurred on the basis of what kind of gift is given, this is where the advice of the All-Father is actually really smart. In the ancient lands of old, visitors were given gifts of new clothes (and towels if they were wet from the weather). This was not because of the fact that the host was so delighted to see them but because it was a big part of basic hospitality. At the minimum, a poor host would give their guests food and drink.

These gifts put the guests into debt to their hosts, ensuring that they would behave properly while during their stay. A similar weight was on gifts given as part of marriage contracts between two families. (Mind you, during this era if a man assaulted a woman, she was free to cut off the offending part and nail it to the wall as a warning to others. Divorce was also a thing.)

Peace gifts were also a thing to in this era. They were given to cement the bonds between rulers. To refuse a peace gift was almost tantamount to declaring war.

When interpreting this rune, there are two things I keep in mind. This is one of the irreversible runes. That which is a blessing to one person may be a bane to another. (Think of the infamous white elephant story.) The most important thing for interpreting this rune is context. If it is in near proximity to runes known for benevolent influence, it is safe to assure that the gift coming is a good one. If it is in near proximity to runes known for malevolent influence, the gift coming should be handled with great caution and awareness that it might be a poison pill in disguise.