Poetic Edda/Rune question

[Arzhela]

In the Poetic Edda right after Odin describes his finding of the runes he launches into what appears to be hazy references to rune magick...numbered. Is he talking about specific runes when he says that he will do such and such a thing with "the first" and such and such a thing with the second? Or is this something entirely different?

[Rick]

This section of The Poetic Edda is generally referred to as The Runatal... each of these 18 stanzas refers to a specific Rune... most Rune scholars interpret these as the 16 Runes in the Younger Futhark, plus Ehwaz & Gebo...

[Arzhela]

Thanks. That explains a lot. So why are Ehwaz and Gebo added? Especially why Gebo? I thought it was one of the runes that the younger futhark condensed into Hagall...

[Rick]

Um, OK... they're not 'added'... that's just my way of describing the Runes contained therein... don't know about Gebo condensing into Hagalaz; the different Futharks evolved one from another as linguistic needs evolved...

A very good source on this subject is Runelore by Edred Thorsson (1987 Samuel Weiser, Inc)

[Arzhela]

Okay. Thanks:) I'll check that out.