Which Runes - Germanic, Anglo Saxon, Icelandic, Viking, etc

[Kat BrightSong]

I was just wondering what type of runes everyone uses. I love the Germanic ones and have made myself a set, but don't feel drawn in the least to Anglo Saxon ones. How does everyone else feel?!
Love Kat

[Rick]

...not that the others are not valid, but much as Kat says, just no connection to the others...

[Lavender]

Ok, hope this doesn't sound too dumb...are these very different from each other? I've just started studying them last year & it's going to be a long learning curve. :D

[Rick]

Originally posted by Wildchild
Ok, hope this doesn't sound too dumb...are these very different from each other? I've just started studying them last year & it's going to be a long learning curve. :D

Naw... doesn't sound dumb at all...

As I understand it, there are 3 basic sets of Runes: Elder, or Germanic Futhark-24 Runes, used from ?-around 750-800 CE; Younger, or Norse, or Scandinavian Futhark-16 (occasionally 18) Runes, used from around 700-around 1300 CE; Anglo-Saxon, or Frisian Futhork-29-33 Runes, used primarily in the British Isles & parts of western coastal Europe around 800 or 900-1300 CE (all dates are VERY approx). Each of these had many variations, off-shoots, & "local dialect" versions. The Futharks changed over time to reflect changes in language; ergo, several different Futharks.

Most people probably are most familiar with the Elder Futhark. The Younger Futhark is more used in High (formal) Magic. You can use any/all of the Futharks for magic & divination.

OK, that's a Very, Very, Very Brief History of Runes (Seriously Abridged)...

[Mina]

Where would one go for a more in-depth look at the types of runes? I've been searching on the web, but there are so many sites that are just there you make you cough up a buck for an on-line reading!?!?! I've been to my local library, but found next to nothing. Are there any recommended sights or books out there for someone that has no clue, but is willing to learn?

[Rick]

Check out

http://www.irminsul.org

your one-stop Asatru website. There are lotsa Rune links & articles there. Also, many of the Asatru national organizations have Rune articles & links on their sites (you can link to the orgs. from there, too).

A book with a LOT of different Futharks (& a lot of pre-Futhark, Runic-type symbols) is 'Helrunar' by Jan Fries. He doesn't really give interpretations for all of them, but he does give a really in-depth history of Runes.

[Lavender]

I'm curious about the pronounciatins of the names of the runes...I think it's the uthark arrangement that I'm using, according to the book I'm getting my info on.

ur - er
thurs - thers
ass - ace
reid - ride
ken - ken
gifu - geefoo
wynja - win-yah
hagal - har-gool
naud - need
iss - ees
jara - yah-rah
pertra - pert-rah
eoh - yo
algiz - all-giz
sol - sole
tyr - tire
bjarka - be-yarkah
eh - eh
madr - marder
lagu - largoo
ing - ing
odal - owed-all
dagaz - dargaz
feh - feh

I've noticed that the websites' pronounciations & spellings are very different from what I have. The symbols are the same, though. Am I way off base? Also, my set starts with ur, rather than feh.

[Rick]

Are you using that Kenneth Meadows book? 'Rune Power', or some such? That author has some strange ideas. I've tried to read the book & give it a chance, but I find much of his scholarship has no context to Rune Lore, or Rune tradition. I can't force myself to read P.M.H. Atwater's work on Goddess Runes, either, no matter how much I try, for much the same reason.

It always seemed weird to me to use the German Futhark, & give the names of the Anglo-Saxon Runes. Some of the sigils are the same or similar, some are completely different. I don't believe it matters which Futhark you use, but I feel you should maintain consistency within it.

There is a lot of esoteric information out there with poorly researched scholarship behind it; Runes are not the exception, either way. And with the advent of the internet, the poor scholarship has found a place to proliferate. There are no publishers & editors in this media to "weed out" much of it, & keep it from seeing print. And with the competition of the internet, the publishers of books seem to be less worried about content & more interested in turning a buck.

Rule Of Divination #1: Don't base your knowledge on one source. Whether you agree with any source or not, it's important to know as many views on the subject as possible.

I'm not berating you, Wildchild, just trying to give you the best advice/guidance I can, within my framework of experience.

My best advice about the "uthark" book is to read it through, put it away, & check out other sources.

[Lavender]

Thanks Rick! That's the exact answer I needed. It was very honest & I really appreciate it. I kinda suspected that too but didn't know where to go from here. Heheh! It only took me a year! Divination was never one of my strong points. In herbal craft, I would research & check & double check all my facts with many different sources but with runes, I go for the first one that comes my way & didn't even check further....DUH!:rolleyes:
At least the symbols are the same so I don't need to make another rune set. :D

Ok, time to start over here....

[Rick]

~tips hat, blows smoke from gunbarrel, & says in best John Wayne drawl~ Just doin' my job, l'il lady.

[Rick]

Probably beginning next week, we will be introducing threads to discuss each individual Rune. Cool, no?

[Lavender]

That would be cool! Heh! Do we have to wait til next week?? Can you put the pronounciations in too? I hate not knowing if I'm saying the names right.

[Rick]

Try & be patient, darlin'. I want to line up some resources before I bite off this project (thanks, Silver, for the shove :p 8O ). I expect pronunciations will be included, but remember, I am not fluent in Old High German or Old High Norse (I'm barely fluent in Low Okie-ese).

[Kat BrightSong]

I use the Germani runes, i was wondering about the pronounciation for some of them, since someone else asked it reminded me!
ansuz, Thurisaz, Fehu, Dagaz, etc (not necessarily those, they were the ones i thought of off the top of my head!!!)
Does anyone have a guide?
thanks!
Love Kat

[Silver Venus]

Yep here goes.... This is one I use allot but if you do a search on google youll find loads!! :)

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/4178/asatru/runes.html