Loki's Children: A Tale of Hubris by the Aesir

 Dear Reader,

Knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad. When the All-Father went to the Volva seeking a prophecy, he was told that Loki's children by Angboda were going to bring great misfortune and suffering to the Aesir. Odin did not listen to this warning  but reacted on emotion. This is a situation where I think things would have turned out differently if Tyr was ruling the Aesir. (It is believed that prior to the migration period of the Nordic and Germanic people, Tyr was the King of Asgard and held the title of All-Father. Much debate goes on over this point.)

Just as King Cohnochbar sought to prevent the destruction of his tribe over the beautiful woman named Dierdre, Odin ignored important elements of the prophecy out of his fear of his tribe being destroyed. Chonochbar (one of the spellings I've encountered for this name, I doubt it is correct but Anglicized.) locked Dierdre away and sought to marry her when she was of age. His prophecy said that kings and princes would seek to marry her and bring ruin to his tribe. Chonochbar in his fear for his tribe and his desire for Dierdre, locked her away and brought about the beginning of the prophecy.

Odin and a strong force of warriors came to Angrboda and forcibly removed her children from her as she cried 'They're children, what harm can they do?' Odin ignored her and cast Loki's eldest son out into the sea to seek his fortune as the Midgard Serpent. He gave Hela the lands of Helheim and rulership over the dead of the nine worlds, for none would marry her. Giving her no escort or gifts to recognize her rulership, he casted her down into that dark place.

Loki and Angboda's youngest child was but a pup. The prophecy said that he would grow in terrible size. Few had the courage to foster him. Thus Tyr befriended Fenrir and fostered him. Tyr taught Fenrir many things as he grew in size and cunning. Then it happened one day that the other Aesir came to bind Fenrir. Young as he was, he gave into their words of flattery and broke the two iron chains they loaded him down. Tyr muttered to Fenrir 'Be Cautious. Odin's guile knows as many bounds as your father's."

Then came the dwarven ribbon Glepnir fashioned of impossible things. Fenrir at first refused to continue the 'contest' that Odin had thought up. Finally, he said that he would allow himself to be bound if one were brave enough to put their hand in his mouth as a sign of good faith. Tyr knew it was a trap. Fenrir knew it was a trap. Yet, when Tyr put his hand into Fenrir's mouth, Fenrir's fury boiled over. His wrath at being taken from his mother's warm home to a place where he had to live in the cold and weather nearly blinded him. His fury at his brother casually cast away into the sea and his sister banished to the cold halls of death made his heart hammer.

Fenrir strained and the bonds grew tighter. He glanced at Tyr. For a moment, the fury cleared and there was pity. Then he bit off Tyr's right hand and bolted it down before howling his rage. As the great wolf howled his wrath at his mistreatment, a sword was put between his jaws. He shook his head to try to cast it out but failed. He continued to howl most awfully and the Aesir had an inkling of what folly they had committed. From his jaws, saliva dripped and created the river named Hope.

Long time later, Tyr tired of Odin's behavior. Taking a pair of sheep sheers, he came to Fenrir. He cut the ribbon, for it could not withstand the cutting action of the sheers. He took the sword from Fenrir's mouth. He whispered, "Remember the plan." Tyr then disappeared into the night as all manner of ill began to happen.

- The tale as recounted to me by my mother (There's more to it but none so dramatic as Fenrir's part.)

Looking for Book Suggestions: Topic - Ethical Heathenry

 Dear Reader,

If you would be so kind, I am on the hunt for books that talk about ethics from the Heathen perspective. I'd prefer if it wasn't something like a pamphlet on the Nine Noble Virtues. That looks reasonable on the surface but you dig a little deeper and you find some ugliness there. It still creeps me out that the way my parents raised me lines up almost completely with them.

I'm positive there are more to Heathen ethics and I have a couple of young men who are attempting to get ready to make their way through the world in the next few years. I have copies of the writings of Marcus Aurelianus. I actually have a significant amount about Hellenic ethics. I am hoping that there's modern texts that dive into the same waters that I can hand them to read (because they only want me to tell the old stories to them).

So, if you fine people can help out that would be amazing. My Google-Fu is not as awesome as I wish it was. Also, why on earth do the nazi-tru apologists always pop up as experts on search engines? I almost got fooled by Galina Krasskrova. Then I saw through her smoke screen.

Divination: Rune Study - Ehwaz/Eoh

 I apologize for how long it is has been since I posted and that I dropped the ball on the Rune Study. Today we are looking at the rune Ehwaz/Eoh. The first spelling of the rune's name comes from Proto-Germanic reconstruction by a whole heap of linguists trying to figure out just how the ancient runes sounded. The second spelling of the rune's name comes from Old English and Anglo-Saxon.

This rune translates as the word horse. While some readers would say the cognate of this rune in the tarot deck would be the Chariot, I would contend it is the six of wands (frequently depicted with a rider carrying a laurel wreath topped want and surrounded by other who carry similar wands). Horses have famously been described as 'untrustworthy at both ends and uncanny in the middle'. Still if you build a good relationship with a horse and treat them well, you'll have a boon companion for just about your whole life. (Horses can live up to 30 years. I have heard rumors of one living to 50 years, but I can't confirm or deny that one.)

The six of wands shows a victorious rider arriving with all honors. It warns, however, that these honors may vanish and the horse will no longer serve the rider if the rider is not prudent. How, one may ask, does this compare to the only existent Anglo-Saxon rune poem regarding this particular rune.

"The horse is a joy to princes in the presence of warriors.

A steed in the pride of its hoofs,

when rich men on horseback bandy words about it;

and it is ever a source of comfort to the restless."

The source of this translation is the Wikipedia link given at the beginning of the article. Comparing this rune poem to the interpretation of the six of wands, we find focus on the arrival in glory and how the horse is a good help-mate to their rider. If one is inclined to read runes as reversed, they would find the result in many ways identical to the reversed reading of the six of wands. Perhaps this is a cultural memory preserved in both systems recognizing the importance, high status, and wealth indicated by horse ownership in antiquity.

Divination: Rune Study - Fehu

 Dear Reader,

This week's Rune is Fehu. It is associated with cattle and moveable wealth (i.e. money). It is popularly considered one of Freyr's runes. The rune poems are of mixed perspectives on this rune's meaning. The Icelandic and Old Norwegian poems speak of wealth as being a source of strife within a group of people. The Anglo-Saxon poem speaks of wealth as being a comfort and something to be shared freely to retain one's good name.

Fehu is popularly considered Freyr's rune but there's not a whole lot of hard evidence pointing in this direction. This appears to be a wholly modern convention. Modern changes to rune meanings, however, happen as language evolves. Some changes are good, some are not so good (see the Nazi influence upon the rune Algiz or Sowilo).

In most readings, this rune discusses financial situations. In a direct/upright orientation, it speaks of positive financial implications. Depending on how it falls in a reading, it may indicate a financial windfall that will be beneficial to the querent. In an indirect/reversed orientation, it speaks of challenging financial implications. Again, interpreting this rune in context of the runes around it, it can speak of financial hardship, increased expenses, or lost money. Typically, if Fehu pops up inverted with the rune Isa, it speaks of being stuck in a low income situation for a protracted period of time.

Divination: Rune Study - Peorth

 Dear Reader,

There's some debate as to if this rune represents the dice gaming bag (mine pictured to the right with the rune card) or the birthing bench. In either case, this is a card of chance. Depending on how it falls in a reading, it can indicate high stakes (like what you find in birth) or random results (like what you find from a bag full of dice). Peorth is mentioned in only one rune poem, indicating that it is something pleasant. The debate about the birthing bench versus the dice bag is a modern one (within the last twenty years, as best I can tell).

In the direct orientation, I interpret it as a positive indicator that what ever risk the querent is undertaking has the potential for success and lucky outcomes. In the reversed (inverted) orientation, the rune can be a warning against undertaking the risky activity. Much of this is influenced by how the rune falls with others. For example if Peorth falls reversed with Boerc in direct orientation, the querent is looking at a situation where the gamble will have a positive result but it will require some sacrifice and enduring a challenging, random experience that comes with it.

~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, I am a rpg nerd of the old school variety. We've got a 1 which indicates a critical failure in your roll and a 20 that indicates a critical success. Peorth is the random chance that leaves you somewhere in that range between success and failure. It will never be fully explained because it is random. But, if you look at chaos theory, randomness is a good thing and can lead to highly interesting results.

Divination: Rune Study: Sowilo

 Dear Reader,

The rune of the Sun is a problematic rune because of the Nazis. They reinterpreted this rune to mean 'victory' and used it in the emblem of the infamous SS troops. The concept of Sowilo as the rune of victory has lingered in various divination practices. I do not believe that the rune of the Sun is a rune of victory.* (Though in my book on divination, I did note this interpretation because it is shockingly common despite the source.)

The Sun in Germanic and Nordic cultures is a source of comfort, joy, and a sign of Divine will. The existing rune poems from antiquity all agree upon this. Interestingly, the Anglo-Saxon Sigel and Younger Futhork Sol variant of this rune can not be reversed. It is considered to be the direct opposition of the rune Isa. This makes sense when one considers the climates these runes come from and the roles played by that which these runes represent. Sowlio could be argued to be the spark that melted the ice and freed Ymir, Burri, and Aldhumba. 

Sowilo is a rune of primordial light and warmth. It is a rune of hope and liberation.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
* I do not believe that a single rune indicates victory but rather a configuration of various runes, depending upon the lay out and the situation being examined. Even Nyd can potentially indicate a victory of sorts.

Divination: Rune Study - Tiwaz

 Dear Reader,

This is one of the runes directly associated with a deity. Tyr or Tiw is one of the oldest recognized deities within the Norse pantheon. He is known as the Sky-Father, the god of War, and the god of Justice. He is most famous for having his right hand bitten off by the wolf Fenris when he was bound by the Aesir through trickery.

Unfortunately, this rune has a strong modern association with Neo-Nazis and neo-facism. There is an effort to 'take back' this rune from these groups, but like all grass roots efforts, it is taking time and much of the work is happening behind the scenes. Tyr is a god of warfare and is strongly associated with the protection of warriors. It is for this reason that the rune was taken as part of the regimental logo of the 32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division. The Nazi appropriation of the Runic system has left something of a bitter taste in the mouths of all who encounter runes, leading to suspicion when they appear as part of a tattoo or some other form of bodily ornamentation.

One must remember, however, that Tyr is a god of justice and likely cursed the Nazis for their use of his rune in that fashion (and said curse likely continues upon others who do the same). Tyr is also a god of sacrifice for the greater good, which one does not find extolled in the communities that use the runes as short hand for white supremacist ideology. In my experience, Tyr is a humble deity who is very approachable, much like Forseti (another deity of justice). From what I have seen, in dealing with justice situations, Tyr handles the adversarial situations (such as criminal justice cases) where Forseti handles the situations where negotiation and mediation are necessary (such as civil cases).

When this rune appears in a reading, it can indicate a number of things. Upright, it can indicate victory over a current conflict, success in legal matters, and a just outcome in a difficult situation. Reversed, it speaks of sacrifice to maintain status quo, ill turn of luck in legal matters, and a possible miscarriage of justice. This is one of the runes that if pulled for a yes/no question gives a very definite answer. Upright the answer is yes, reversed the answer is a hard no.

Divination: Rune Study - Hagalaz

 Dear Reader,

I first want to apologize for how long it's been since I said I was going to start posting again. The last few weeks have been nothing but chaos. It kind of seems fitting because the next rune is Hagalaz, which is associated with chaos by many diviners. The rune card just sat there lurking beside my laptop as things like my camera quit working for no reason, my allergies suddenly became so bad I thought I had Covid (I didn't, thank goodness!), and my kids went on break from school earlier than was printed in the school calendar. (The school calendar has some misprints in it, like the surprise superintendent's conference day last month.) It's been an interesting time.

Hagalaz translates to the word 'hail'. This is not the greeting but the ice that falls out of the sky and flattens your field of wheat (or busts your car's windshield). Wikipedia has the different variants of how this rune is formed on their page. The rune poems all agree that this rune is discussing hail. In agrarian communities, hail is a big pain in the neck. It can ruin a field of crops, damage equipment, and (if you're caught out in it) injure you or your livestock. This rune is one of the more negative ones in the entire system. It is tied with Nyd and Isa for the amount of misery it predicts.

Hagalaz is also one of the runes that can not be reversed. As one person said: the opposite of chaos is more chaos, not order. Depending on the placement of this rune in a reading, it can mean an immediate challenge that must be endured or a protracted period of difficulty. When you are pulling runes on a yes/no question and this one pops up, the answer to your question is a hard no (this is also true for the runes Nyd and Isa). Either way, this rune portents challenges and hardship where ever it falls. It is my experience that Hagalaz's challenges can not be averted or mitigated as those predicted by Nyd or Isa, only endured.

Divination: Rune Study - Jera

 Dear Reader,

This week's rune is about a week late, if we're going to be honest. Jera (Wikipedia entry at this >Link<) is associated with seasons, specifically the harvest season and the time frame of a year. It is positively aspected and can not be inverted. Jera speaks of prosperity, wealth, and a good year.

The rune itself is one of the few Elder Futhork runes that are not connected into a single glyph. It goes through some transformation in the Anglo-Saxon Futhork and in the Younger Futhork where it becomes a glyph that is entirely connected. Details about these transformations can be found at the Wikipedia entry referenced above.

This is among the runes associated with the god Freyr. It is pretty much always a positive rune no matter where it falls in a reading. The runes around it may dim some of that positivity (like paring Jera with Nyd may speak of a less than ideal harvest), but it still has that positive element.

Divination: Rune Study - Wynn

This week you could say that we are looking at the polar opposite of last week's rune: Wynn. Wynn is found in the Anglo-Saxon alphabet. It is also known as Wunjo, when found in the Elder Futhork. This rune means joy or bliss. It translates to the letter 'W' in the modern English alphabet. 

In the direct orientation, it speaks of joy and happiness. In the reversed orientation, it speaks of delayed delights. Occasionally, a reversed Wynn speaks of miss opportunities for joy. It really depends on how it falls in conjunction with other runes and the method you use in laying them out.

The Anglo-Saxon rune poem is the only one for this rune. For reasons that I can not decipher, this rune dropped out of the other runic alphabets. In the Gothic alphabet there is a letter that has a similar name but a different appearance. One would suspect this was an evolution of the rune over time but this is merely the speculation of a lay-woman, not a scholar of linguistics. Wikipedia has an interesting article on this rune. 

Divination: Rune Study - Nyd

 Dear Reader,

This week we are looking at a rune that is particularly influential during this season and during our times right now. This rune is known as Nyd, Naudiz, Nuad, or Nuaðr. It's name translates to need or distress. The rune poems on Wikipedia all agree upon this translation and present in some variation that need/distress is baneful in some fashion. It is associated with the letter N.

Nyd is one of the easiest runes to interpret. It simply means that there is a need or some form of distress in the picture. In an upright orientation (as seen in the picture above), it indicates a less dire situation than would be implied by a reversed orientation of this rune. If you are asking a yes/no question of the runes and you pull this rune, the answer is a very firm 'no' and a warning not to continue upon that path which has lead you to ask the question.

Nyd is frequently used in modern magic as a short hand for binding someone because one of its meaning is constraint. I, personally, am reluctant to use it in this fashion because this is a rune of deep power and grief. 

Divination: Rune Study - Thorn

 Dear Reader,

This week we are looking at the rune known variously as Thurisaz, Thorn, and Thurs. The letter combination associated with it is 'th' and the sound of 'th' as in the beginning of the word 'thing'. Many people of the contemporary sort associate this rune with Thor. I personally do not. It may have become clear as we have worked through the runes, I don't assign gods and goddesses to most of the runes. Other diviners do so, but only if the rune is explicitly about that deity, I see it as a more open ended proposition. 

The rune poems that reference Thorn under the name Thurs or Thurisaz are considered to refer to giants (jotuns). They speak of giants as being the bane of women and the cause of misfortune among men. The rune poem that reference Thorn under the name given here simply describes the unpleasantness of literal thorns. In all cases, Thorn is described as baneful and unpleasant, at best. These descriptions lead me to be disinclined to associate this rune with Thor, who is a friend of humanity and the Defender of Midgard.

In the direct association, Thorn speaks of obstacles and difficulties. These are passive resistance against the querent's goals, much like the thorns on a rose bush is a passive defense against that which would take the blossom or the fruit. In the reversed (upside down) orientation, Thorn speaks of more severe restrictions and challenges to activity. This rune equates directly to the five of Staves in the tarot deck, speaking of struggles that can either bring about edification and wisdom as one defeats the challenges (direct orientation) or difficulties that bring about suffering, misery, and blockages on one's path to their goals (indirect orientation).

Divination: Rune Study - Berkanan

 Dear Reader,

This rune is one that is strongly associated with femininity by modern interpreters and seems to have this connection in possible antiquity. Berkanan is associated with the letter 'B'. There are three separate rune poems associated with it. The strongest association that Berkanan has is with the birch tree. It is also associated with the poplar tree by way of the Anglo-Saxons. In modern readings, I have seen it also associated with the beech tree. I am not sure if the beech tree association is because of a mistranslation of birch by someone or because of some manner of oral tradition that's been passed down and never actually written down. In my study of the runes, I have encountered it as the beech tree multiple times and as the poplar tree often as well.

It is my suspicion (as it is of serious scholars) that this rune's connection with trees is an indication of cross communication between the Norse and Germanic peoples with the Celtic peoples. The Celtic peoples of antiquity used a divination and alphabetical system that was centered around trees. Within the Celtic Ogham system, the Beech tree is considered female and maternal in nature. A similar sentiment is expressed by modern diviners regarding Berkanan, though the rune poems make no mention of such a sentiment. Two of the rune poems describe the tree and it's nature as a very leafy and persistent plant. One rune poem briefly touches upon the highly leafy nature of the tree and then states that Loki was lucky in his mischief. The association with Loki is an utter mystery. A possible hypothesis is that Loki found the mistletoe that he used to fashion the dart that killed Baldur on a birch tree. But that is pure conjecture.

In interpreting this rune, it has a direct and an indirect/reversed meaning. In the direct orientation, Berkanan is a rune that speaks of feminine forces in the querent's life (be it people or raw forces of nature, such as feminine aligned deities). Berkanan also speaks of new life, new beginnings, and pregnancy, when in the direct orientation. In the indirect orientation, Berkanan speaks of missed opportunities, false starts, and (in some cases) a loss of something dear to the querent (i.e. a miscarriage if the reading is discussing pregnancy).

An update.

 Dear Reader,

The last several days have been super busy and I haven't had a chance to update the blog (or work on my NaNoWriMo project). Turkey day week is always chaotic. I always forget that fact. I will do my best to get back into my regular posting on various topics. If you are shopping for a Filianist in your life (or for yourself as a treat) I have several books out along that vein. You might want to start with the first one that I put out in 2014, Rose Petals: A Filianic Psalter. If you're shopping for a Heathen (or, more specifically a Lokean) in your life, I have a new book out. It is The Veiled Witch's Ritual Book, Vol. 2: A Lokean Devotional. The Lokean devotional gives detailed instructions for building a person relationship with Loki, the Norse God of Mischief.

I thank you for your consideration of possibly picking up a copy of something I have written. And I thank you for your continued readership. As we march forward into the holiday season, I hope that you all find great joy and many blessings. I'm going to do my best to keep up through the chaos of the holidays. Post may be a bit shorter than usual. I apologize for the brevity in advance. Finding time to write is getting a little hairy this time of year.

Divination: Rune Study - Laguz

 Dear Reader,

This week, we are looking at the rune Laguz. It is considered by many to be a feminine oriented rune because of its association with water. It is my belief that this is a modern projection onto an ancient symbol. If we pause a moment to consider that the deities associated with water in the Norse and Germanic pantheons are of masculine and feminine genders, we must conclude that this is a gender neutral rune. That is if we wish to ignore the literally fluid nature of this rune, taking that into consideration the rune is gender fluid and can represent anyone along the gender spectrum when it pops up in a reading as a descriptor of a person involve in the querent's situation.

There are three different rune poems for this rune. I suspect that there were other rune poems that pertained to it in the other Nordic and Germanic tribal cultures that were lost to history. (It is my belief that each of the tribes had their own twist on the meaning of the runes that subtly reflected their differing relationships to the lands about them.) One thing that remains consistent through the rune poems is that Laguz is discussing water and our relationship to it. Interestingly, there are archeological finds that suggest that this rune is feminine oriented and pertains to fertility but they are very few and far between (and heavily debated).

If one were to take the matter and consider this rune in the context of what of the principle deities that we know of were associated with water and fertility, we find ourselves looking at the Vanir that reside among the Aesir as hostages after the Vanir-Aesir war. Njord is a god of harbors, good fishing, and prosperity (as well as kingship). Freyja is the goddess of love, sex, war, and seidh. Her connection to water is via the kenning Mardoll which roughly translates to the light on the waters. This leads me to conclude that there are additional water associations for Freyja that have been lost. And finally, there is Freyr whose association is his wonderous ship. It seems like something someone just tacked on to his mythos to make him more interesting but it is my suspicion that the association of Freyr with ships runs deeper and that his water associations are just as strong as his earth associations. Again, I believe there is lost mythos that would prove this but the fragments that we can find just leave a tantalizing and baffling hint.

In a divinatory context, the rune Laguz can be in a direct or indirect/reversed orientation. The direct orientation is typically taken to mean that one is in connection with their source of inspiration and experiencing a smooth flow of ideas. It is conventionally associated with women, usually with some manner of sexual overtones. In the reversed orientation, this rune speaks of a disconnect from one's source of inspiration and stagnation. It can also speak of fertility problems, particularly for women. (I contend that the next rune in a reversed orientation is more of an indicator of such difficulties but I will discuss that next week.)

In my personal divination work, Laguz has spoken to me of inspiration and deep spirituality. In the direct orientation, there is the free flow of ideas and creativity. It also signifies a connection with the depths of one's spirituality. In the indirect orientation, Laguz speaks of the stagnation of ideas, a lack of creativity, and a shallow venture into the realm of spirit. At times, it has indicated coming prosperity in the direct orientation that is the fruit of the combination of hard work and luck.

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.

Regarding that Lokean devotional I wrote.

 Hey y'all, if I seem a bit off kilter it's because I put my back out last Wednesday and I'm on some stuff that's spelled like Scrabble tiles thrown out the window. It's making writing a bit of a challenge. My ducks are not in a row. I have irritable squirrels that are at a rave, wanting glow-sticks, in my back.

As I was going to say, enough people have shown interest in a print copy that I've started working on more material for it. It's going to be a little bit because of this business of my back being an issue. I'm working things out on paper before I type them up. But, I am working on it.

Divination: Rune Study - Mann

 Dear Reader,

As we pick up the threads that got dropped over the last month and a half, we return to the Rune Study series with an important rune for humanity: Mann/Mannaz

Now, before I go into the history and interpretation of this rune I must pause to clear up some semantics about it. There are many people who look at this rune and think it only talks about masculine people. The assumption is that the modern word 'man' is the same as the ancient one. This is incorrect. Mann refers to humanity at large. The Anglo-Saxon term for masculine people used the prefix (or suffix, depending on the conjugation of the word) -wig. Their term for feminine people used the prefix (or suffix, again depending on the conjugation of the word) -wif. The word 'wife' is derived from 'wif' and it is believed that both are pronounced the same way. It is reasonable to think that other Germanic and Norse cultures had similar distinctions.  The word Mann is related to '-were' (think werewolf which translates to man-wolf), which again refers to humanity at large.

With the tendency to condense and simplify language over time, Mann was shortened to man and because of social politics it became associated with the masculine gender within the English speaking world. I'm not entirely sure (because my resources are limited) what changes were made with respect to this rune and the word it is associated with in other cultures that used it. You'll note on my rune card I spelled it "man" this is to reflect the modern use of "man" to refer to humanity in the general sense. This is not a patriarchal thing but a reclaiming of the gender neutral meaning and putting it to the modern usage.

The version of Mann that is presented here is from the Elder Futhork and the Anglo-Saxon Futhork. The Younger Futhork presents Mann with the Algiz rune in direct orientation. (This can lead to some confusion in reading these runes depending on the system of interpretation you are using.) There are three rune poems about this rune. I will link to Wikipedia where there is a good translation of all three of them. In general, all of the rune poems agree that a person is the joy of their kinsmen and doomed to die. There is some variation as to the third element of the rune poems from each culture. The general trend is to describe some trait that humans engage in that is distinctly of their nature (i.e. the adornment of ships).

In interpreting this rune, I look at the querent's relationship to people at large or their kinsmen if this rune comes up in connection with Othala. A direct orientation indicates a relatively positive relationship and an indirect orientation bespeaks a negative one. As relationships change and are in flux all the time, this is a relatively fluid rune and requires others to place it into context.

Divination: Rune Study - Radio

 Dear Reader,

This week's rune is Radio/Rad. It is present in all variations of the Futhork. It represents the letter 'R' and has been carried forward in the English language virtually unchanged in appearance. 

It is the topic of three rune poems. For the sake of brevity, I will skip the translations of the poems and give you the link to where they can be found on Wikipedia. All three rune poems speak of this rune as being one of travel. There are some who associate this rune with the tarot card The Chariot.

Some diviners interpret this rune as traveling in a vehicle. Others simply interpret it as travel. I interpret this rune as transition or movement. It can be literal movement, like travel, or it can be a shifting in concepts identified with.

Divination: Rune Study - Ansuz overview

 Dear Reader,

This week we're looking at the rune Ansuz. It is an interesting rune from the linguistic front because in the Elder Futhork it is a single glyph, in the Anglo-Saxon Futhork it is split into 3 separate glyphs, and in the Younger Futhork it is split into quite a few more. In the cases of the Anglo-Saxon and Younger Futhork, it represents different letter combinations and sounds. The one consistent point is that the eldest glyph remains associated with the letter 'A' and holds the same sound in each instance it appears.

The fluidity of language is fascinating. That said, most people who practice runic divination use the Elder Futhork for their work. This rune can mean 'god(s)' or 'signs' in its base interpretation. The Younger Futhork rune poem attributes this rune to Odin, as seen below:

Óss is aged Gautr
and prince of Asgard
and lord of Valhalla.     (Source: Wikipedia)

While this rune is reversible it tends not to have negative connotations as dire as some other runes when it falls in the reversed orientation. It is a rune of communication, especially of communication between the querent and the gods. In the upright orientation, the rune signifies that a message is being expressed and that the querent should watch for signs of the message, remaining open for communication. In the reversed orientation, the rune indicates that a message is not being received or that communication is breaking down between the querent and the other parties. It speaks of a necessity to focus on good communication and listening skills to overcome this challenge.

At times, it can indicate a direct message from the gods and it can indicate that Odin in particular is attempting to communicate something. More often, however, the rune is indicative of communication challenges and success in the interpersonal realm.