Scribd
Upload
17 views1 page

Figure 1.1 The Elder Futhark: The Runic Alphabet - Saga and Historical Fact

Runes are an ancient alphabet with connections to the Tarot and I Ching, which will be explored in subsequent chapters. The term 'rune' may derive from meanings related to mystery or carving, and they were likely used for communication and magical purposes by the Norse. The origins of runes are debated, with folklore linking them to the Norse god Odin, suggesting their significance and power in ancient times.

Uploaded by

vastudeep
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
17 views1 page

Figure 1.1 The Elder Futhark: The Runic Alphabet - Saga and Historical Fact

Runes are an ancient alphabet with connections to the Tarot and I Ching, which will be explored in subsequent chapters. The term 'rune' may derive from meanings related to mystery or carving, and they were likely used for communication and magical purposes by the Norse. The origins of runes are debated, with folklore linking them to the Norse god Odin, suggesting their significance and power in ancient times.

Uploaded by

vastudeep
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Runes have strong links with both the Tarot and I Ching, which are the subject of other

books in this
series. The connections with the Tarot will be listed with each runic symbol from Chapter 4 onwards.
The I Ching link relates to the polarity of the symbols, which again will be discussed with each rune.
Whilst runes may be an ancient system, they are not archaic or outmoded and have as much relevance
today as they ever did. The runic alphabet (see Figure 1.1) also relates to the system of numerology,
as with most alphabetical systems, and also has colour links.

Figure 1.1 The Elder Futhark

The Runic Alphabet — Saga And Historical Fact

Runic is an alphabet, a means of communication, and a set of symbols carved onto objects for magical
purposes.

Nobody is totally certain where runes originated, or what the word 'rune' means. Whilst most
runemasters suggest that the name means 'mystery' or 'holy secret', it is also worth considering that it
may come from the German raunen, a word which has a variety of meanings, including 'to cut or
carve'. Runes were most probably cut or carved and not written by the Norse who used them in
ancient times. Other students of language suggest a link with the Anglo-Saxon word secgan, 'to say',
and the Latin secare, 'to cut', whilst others suggest a link with the Old Nordic run, the Gothic runa and
the Icelandic runar, all of which mean 'whisper'.

What is obvious from looking at the runes is that they are a series of straight lines with no curves or
ellipses, which could obviously fit in with the idea of something carved by early man with basic
implements. It is worth remembering that only educated people were taught to write or carve, and
therefore those who could understand runes or carve them were people with extreme power.

There are several schools of thought on the origin of runes. Folklore suggests that they are older than
the New Testament, and link with the one-eyed Norse god Odin (sometimes also called Woden the
Wise). Odin was also called 'the shape-shifter' and had many guises. He sometimes hid the fact that he

You might also like