Making your own runes

[Arianrhod]

I'm collecting rocks, ones I'm drawn to, and am going to make my own runes, any advice on how to go about this, or maybe any warnings for those who've done it before?

[Rick]

Allow me to quote… me :hehehehe:

From this thread: http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=197882&highlight=Making+runes (http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=197882&highlight=Making+runes)

Let me first address a misconception about using stones or rocks to make runes. The term "runestone" refers to the large, sometimes even monolithic-sized memorial stones carved with runes & found across Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, & North America. There is no historical evidence of "casting" runes that were made out of stones.

Traditionally, runes are carved into wood (Tacitus tells us in Germania that the wood of a fruit-bearing tree is used). Making a set of runes re-enacts the Germanic-Norse creation story. The three brothers Odin, Vili and Ve created the First Man, Ask, from an ash tree & the First Woman, Embla, from an elm. Ve (or Vili, I can never keep those two straight) gave Shape & Form, Vili (or Ve) gave Life Fluid (in the story, its spit, but it's symbolic of blood, or maybe semen), & Odin breathed Sacred Breath into them. When you make runes, you give them shape (carve or draw), breathe life into them (sing or chant the rune’s name as you give it shape), then stain them. My motto is as always: be practical. Precut pieces of wood are available at most hobby stores or the mega-mart-type hardware stores. No need to cut & shape a branch (well, unless ya just wanna, and have a lotta hand tools and a lotta time).

That said, our Ancestors were resourceful & adaptable. If plastic-polymer clay (aka, Sculpy or Femo) had been available to them, it would probably be a traditional material today. As long as you're being respectful of what runes are, where they come from, & what they represent, I can't see that it matters what the material they are carved into, or painted or drawn onto, etc. Wood, stones, clay, bone, horn, antler, glass 'fish bowl' pebbles... all are fine. You can draw or paint your runes on construction paper or pasteboard squares and that’s fine, too.

PS- like your avvy

[Malcolm]

I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this but....

Wood or Bone, blooded. No exceptions. Younger futhark for magic, Elder for divination...:)


((Awaits the heathen inquisition)) :)

[Rick]

I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this but....

Wood or Bone, blooded. No exceptions. Younger futhark for magic, Elder for divination...:)


((Awaits the heathen inquisition)) :)
Did you by chance mean New-Age Inquisition? 'Cuz I think you're pretty much just singin' to the Heathen Tabernacle Choir...

[Malcolm]

No, I was covering my ass. :)

I mean, Loki knows I wouldn't want to offend anyone...totally not my style. :smileroll

I just figured someone would bust in with a "You're doing it wrong" or a "You're not the boss of me"

[Rick]

No, I was covering my ass. :)

I mean, Loki knows I wouldn't want to offend anyone...totally not my style. :smileroll

I just figured someone would bust in with a "You're doing it wrong" or a "You're not the boss of me"
Well, you ARE doin' it wrong, and you're NOT the boss of me, but that's beside the point... :hehehehe:

[Malcolm]

Well, you ARE doin' it wrong, and you're NOT the boss of me, but that's beside the point... :hehehehe:

Sweet. Thanks Rick :)

[Rick]

Sweet. Thanks Rick :)
It's just the Heathen thing to do, bro'... :hahugh:

[Arianrhod]

Allow me to quote… me :hehehehe:

From this thread: http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=197882&highlight=Making+runes (http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=197882&highlight=Making+runes)

Let me first address a misconception about using stones or rocks to make runes. The term "runestone" refers to the large, sometimes even monolithic-sized memorial stones carved with runes & found across Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, & North America. There is no historical evidence of "casting" runes that were made out of stones.

Traditionally, runes are carved into wood (Tacitus tells us in Germania that the wood of a fruit-bearing tree is used). Making a set of runes re-enacts the Germanic-Norse creation story. The three brothers Odin, Vili and Ve created the First Man, Ask, from an ash tree & the First Woman, Embla, from an elm. Ve (or Vili, I can never keep those two straight) gave Shape & Form, Vili (or Ve) gave Life Fluid (in the story, its spit, but it's symbolic of blood, or maybe semen), & Odin breathed Sacred Breath into them. When you make runes, you give them shape (carve or draw), breathe life into them (sing or chant the rune’s name as you give it shape), then stain them. My motto is as always: be practical. Precut pieces of wood are available at most hobby stores or the mega-mart-type hardware stores. No need to cut & shape a branch (well, unless ya just wanna, and have a lotta hand tools and a lotta time).

That said, our Ancestors were resourceful & adaptable. If plastic-polymer clay (aka, Sculpy or Femo) had been available to them, it would probably be a traditional material today. As long as you're being respectful of what runes are, where they come from, & what they represent, I can't see that it matters what the material they are carved into, or painted or drawn onto, etc. Wood, stones, clay, bone, horn, antler, glass 'fish bowl' pebbles... all are fine. You can draw or paint your runes on construction paper or pasteboard squares and that’s fine, too.

PS- like your avvy

Thanks, I like my avvy too :D

And thanks a bunch for the advice, however, I have a few questions. I am still learning about runes, I am just drawn to certain elements, air, water and stone being those elements, and I was wondering are germanic/norse runes the only runes there are? I mean are there runes from other cultures? You mentioned Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, & North America (as in Native American, I would assume).

And when you mark them, breathe life into them, you say, that's drawing from your chi, right, as in personal life force, the source energy well inside you? And when you doing this, will it drain me? Should I eat something before hand, that will sustain my energy for a longer period of time? Should I make the runes surrounded by the elements that I mentioned, or should I just be surrounded by nature, or does that even matter, and I can just clean a spot on my apartment floor and have at it?

[Rick]

Thanks, I like my avvy too :D

And thanks a bunch for the advice, however, I have a few questions. I am still learning about runes, I am just drawn to certain elements, air, water and stone being those elements, and I was wondering are germanic/norse runes the only runes there are? I mean are there runes from other cultures? You mentioned Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, & North America (as in Native American, I would assume).

Nope, no other peoples ever produced runes other than the Teutonic peoples (although that term takes in, generally, the peoples above the Rhine River in Europe and west of the Volga in Russia... give or take... :hahugh: ). Northmen left rune 'graffiti' in all those places. That said, there are several sets of futharks (or futhorcs) varying due to things like differing local dialects, and then over time, differing languages altogether.

Things like witch 'runes', ogham, etc are simply not runes.


And when you mark them, breathe life into them, you say, that's drawing from your chi, right, as in personal life force, the source energy well inside you?

No, this force is ond. The concept is a little similar to chi... but not really.


And when you doing this, will it drain me? Should I eat something before hand, that will sustain my energy for a longer period of time?

Rune-making can be both draining and envigorating at the same time.


Should I make the runes surrounded by the elements that I mentioned, or should I just be surrounded by nature, or does that even matter, and I can just clean a spot on my apartment floor and have at it?

Doesn't matter where you make 'em, really, as long as you're respectful of what runes are, and where they come from. As always, my best recommendation is be practical.

[AkashaLuna]

Hey, so, I have a question. I'm also thinking about making my own runes, and this may be a dumb question, but I was wondering if they need to be the same size and shape as each other. It doesn't really matter for casting does it? Just checking ;)

<3

[Rick]

Naw, it doesn't really matter for casting.

[AkashaLuna]

Good! Thank you :)