Making Runes

[mucgwyrt]

I didn't want this to get lost, so I'm starting a new thread :D
Below is my list of runes with associated woods, the red entries are Skilly and Moth's ideas, my own and my questions in black :D
A few I had trouble placing, as the variety in spelling confused me somewhat! If anyone could fill in the blanks, that would be great :D

Fehu - Gorse (although this site (http://www.hagalaz.co.uk/Runes.html) says elder :huh: it also has different associations for most other runes... :huh: thoughts?)
Uruz - Heather (how on earth does one make a rune from heather?)
Thurisaz - alder (doesn't make sense to me, its "thorn" yes? Would blackthorn or even Hawthorn not suit better?)
Ansuz -
Raidho - any foreign wood (what counts as foreign?)
Kenaz - beech
Gebo - pear or any other native cultivated fruit tree
Wunjo - wild cherry, or vine (vine as in grape?)
Hagalaz - Blackthorn
Nauthiz - ivy (a specific breed, or whatever?)
Isa - Hawthorne
Jera - hazel
Eihwaz - Yew
Perthro - WILD fruit, preferably apple
Algiz - rowan
Sowilo
Tiwaz - is this one 'tyr'? if so, oak
Berkano - Birch
Ehwaz
Mannaz - Alder
Laguz - willow
Ingwaz - Reed - this will be difficult, aren't they hollow? :lol:
Dagaz
Othala
Wyrd / Blank Rune
Anglo Saxon:
Ac - Oak
Os
Yr
Ior
Ear

this source (http://members.aol.com/Taransae/Perthro.html) suggests perthro should be of Apple specifically.

I also read that "fruit" includes trees like Hazel. What do you think of this?

This link (http://www.sunnyway.com/fenvala/make_runes.html) says you should collect the wood before it bears fruit, just as its blossoming. In which case I need to collect all my wood now, even if I dont intend on making them yet (time's running out! :hairraise ). I'm still trying to find a wild apple tree around here, but with little luck :wah: All I can get so far is cultivated plum tree, alder, beech, Blackthorn, Hawthorne, hazel, yew, oak, birch, alder, willow... I think I'll struggle with the rest :sick: I shall gather some hawthorn and blackthorn for myself an Mad-Moth tonight, as well as some plum for Gebo :D

Also, what counts as foreign wood? Does that mean we need to get a wood-exchange going?! :lol:

It also suggests oiling them with olive oil which is interesting :huh:
There is also an incredibly interesting method for mestruating women to colour the entire rune about 2/3 way down :bigredblu

How would one make a rune of Heather? Or Gorse (thats a bramble isn't it??)? Or ivy?!

edit: also skilly, Mothwench, would you be able to explain why you think each wood corresponds to each rune? Some of them (the heather for example) I'm a bit :huh: about!

[mothwench]

distractoress! :p
just a quick note, before i sign off, heather and ivy, also bramble, do seem a bit weedy for runes, however, if you look hard enough in the wilderness you will find bramble vines that are incredibly thick at the base.
vine: there's loads of vinyards around where i live. i'll have to go looking. edited to add: and if i find a good piece i can nick, i'll send you some. :)
ivy: again, look at the base of the plant where it comes out of the earth.

and even just a half-inch in diameter piece of wood or vine will make a nice rune if you slice it on angle. i do so with all my rune lots, it looks alot nicer than when they're cut flat.
:colorful:

[mucgwyrt]

Hmmm, shall have to look for some old woodland (not much about here) for the ivy and bramble :D

edit: that would be much appreciated, I shall send you some money via paypal for the postage on that woodruff, and whatever that wild cherry and apple you were gonna send ends up costing :smile: (<-- isn't she lovely? :D )

[mucgwyrt]

It strikes me that either Sowillo could be Alder - Sowillo is The Sun which is masculine, as is Alder. Alder is also blood red when cut, which screams "life-force, health" which is Sowillo. Thoughs? :huh:
Thinking about Elder - I'm not sure I'd want to cut Elder, what with all the myths :D

edit: are you going to leave the bark on? I'm undecided, but I think so.

[skilly-nilly]

Fehu - Gorse (although this site (http://www.hagalaz.co.uk/Runes.html) says elder :huh: it also has different associations for most other runes... :huh: thoughts?)
Uruz - Heather (how on earth does one make a rune from heather?)
Thurisaz - alder (doesn't make sense to me, its "thorn" yes? Would blackthorn or even Hawthorn not suit better?)
Ansuz -
Raidho - any foreign wood (what counts as foreign?)
Kenaz - beech
Gebo - pear or any other native cultivated fruit tree
Wunjo - wild cherry, or vine (vine as in grape?)
Hagalaz - Blackthorn
Nauthiz - ivy (a specific breed, or whatever?)
Isa - Hawthorne
Jera - hazel
Eihwaz - Yew
Perthro - WILD fruit, preferably apple
Algiz - rowan
Sowilo
Tiwaz - is this one 'tyr'? if so, oak
Berkano - Birch
Ehwaz
Mannaz - Alder
Laguz - willow
Ingwaz - Reed - this will be difficult, aren't they hollow? :lol:
Dagaz
Othala
Wyrd / Blank Rune
Anglo Saxon:
Ac
Os
Yr
Ior
Ear

edit: also skilly, Mothwench, would you be able to explain why you think each wood corresponds to each rune? Some of them (the heather for example) I'm a bit :huh: about!

Firstly, I go to the Boston Irish Festival every June (great festival) and there are always vendors that have heather jewelery. Apparently, they stain the twigs, then mix them with some kind of glue and dry them in a form under pressure into a unit, then slice the resulting 'branch' into flat pieces. Does this description convay information?? Maybe you could try googling on 'heather jewelry' or checking some Celtic vending site for a better description. It seems to me that this technique could be used for all of the 'twiggy' woods that the set encompasses.

Secondly, I will run down the set with a little bite on my thought processes. Then any you find particularly :uhhhhh: you can specifically challange. I am particularly open to discourse on reasoning---whenever I read ANY absolute statement about usage my first thought is "Why? Can you JUSTIFY that opinion??" Speaking of absolute statements I can mention the relief I felt at not being a menstrating woman :collapse: as I was reading the sites you linked to....

Feoh--Gorse: Gorse, for me, stands for money and so links to the cattle/wealth meaning
Ur--Heather: This IS obscure. The Aurochs/strength meaning links to my Heather/Luck meaning, as being the most valued attribute. Also points up a difference (which I relish) between Norse and Irish mind-set.
Thorn--Bramble: The association I use for 'vine' is berry-vine, or bramble. Also thicket, as in brier-patch. So I do use thorns.
Ansuz--I call this rune As, linked to Yggdrassill which I see as an Ash tree.
Rad--Elder: I see both the rune and the wood in Spirit as standing for transformation.
Kennaz--Hazel: Illumination and understanding (ref the story of the Salmon of Wisdom, the Hazel of Knowledge, and Finn McCool)
Wyn--Honeysuckle: The hidden necter deep in the flower as the heart's desire.
Hagal--Blackthorn: both mean 'storm coming'
Nyd--Ivy: I see this as English Ivy, although any clinging, overwhelming, potentially tree-killing vine would do---kudzu?
Isa--Hawthorn: ref 'Hawthorn Winter' , abstinance, and waiting.
Peorth--Apple: I see the link as 'hidden meaning'. If you slice an apple across(that is, not on the stem/bud vertical axis) the core design forms a star. To me this indicates that Magic is everywhere, if you look with the right focus.
Tiwaz/Tyr: I see as Holly because of the association between the spear and the Warrior of Justice/the Holly King.
Ehwaz/Eh--Poplar/Aspen: This is also an obscure linkage having to do with advancement through trust. The man and the horse form a trusting partnership, and Aspen says, "Don't be afraid."
Ing/Reed: Reed stands for the Warrior of the Common Man, the maintainence of order. Maybe you could fill a reed with something?
Dag--Oak: The Warrior for Protection/the Oak King---the connection of mid-summer, the longest day.
Wyrd--the Sea: maybe pressed and sliced seaweed?

I apologize in advance for the unwieldy amount of personal gnosis--I talk to trees and have for years, so I am largely relating actual conversations and associations developed over time. (Yes, I AM crazy)

Let me know what you think :chatty: , skilly-nilly

I grow Elder, and I think that the persistant warning against cutting it is a joke--if you don't prune Elder trees/bushes, they would be bigger than your house in about 2 years. They are bird-poopy plants as well (spread by birds eating them) so not only would the Elder be bigger than your house, it would be an impenatrable thicket around it. Would you like me to send you some? I have a rabbit-shelter brushpile largely made up of Elder prunings....

[mucgwyrt]

Firstly, I go to the Boston Irish Festival every June (great festival) and there are always vendors that have heather jewelery. Apparently, they stain the twigs, then mix them with some kind of glue and dry them in a form under pressure into a unit, then slice the resulting 'branch' into flat pieces. Does this description convay information?? Maybe you could try googling on 'heather jewelry' or checking some Celtic vending site for a better description. It seems to me that this technique could be used for all of the 'twiggy' woods that the set encompasses.

Secondly, I will run down the set with a little bite on my thought processes. Then any you find particularly :uhhhhh: you can specifically challange. I am particularly open to discourse on reasoning---whenever I read ANY absolute statement about usage my first thought is "Why? Can you JUSTIFY that opinion??" Speaking of absolute statements I can mention the relief I felt at not being a menstrating woman :collapse: as I was reading the sites you linked to....

Feoh--Gorse: Gorse, for me, stands for money and so links to the cattle/wealth meaning
Ur--Heather: This IS obscure. The Aurochs/strength meaning links to my Heather/Luck meaning, as being the most valued attribute. Also points up a difference (which I relish) between Norse and Irish mind-set.
Thorn--Bramble: The association I use for 'vine' is berry-vine, or bramble. Also thicket, as in brier-patch. So I do use thorns.
Ansuz--I call this rune As, linked to Yggdrassill which I see as an Ash tree.
Rad--Elder: I see both the rune and the wood in Spirit as standing for transformation.
Kennaz--Hazel: Illumination and understanding (ref the story of the Salmon of Wisdom, the Hazel of Knowledge, and Finn McCool)
Wyn--Honeysuckle: The hidden necter deep in the flower as the heart's desire.
Hagal--Blackthorn: both mean 'storm coming'
Nyd--Ivy: I see this as English Ivy, although any clinging, overwhelming, potentially tree-killing vine would do---kudzu?
Isa--Hawthorn: ref 'Hawthorn Winter' , abstinance, and waiting.
Peorth--Apple: I see the link as 'hidden meaning'. If you slice an apple across(that is, not on the stem/bud vertical axis) the core design forms a star. To me this indicates that Magic is everywhere, if you look with the right focus.
Tiwaz/Tyr: I see as Holly because of the association between the spear and the Warrior of Justice/the Holly King.
Ehwaz/Eh--Poplar/Aspen: This is also an obscure linkage having to do with advancement through trust. The man and the horse form a trusting partnership, and Aspen says, "Don't be afraid."
Ing/Reed: Reed stands for the Warrior of the Common Man, the maintainence of order. Maybe you could fill a reed with something?
Dag--Oak: The Warrior for Protection/the Oak King---the connection of mid-summer, the longest day.
Wyrd--the Sea: maybe pressed and sliced seaweed?

I apologize in advance for the unwieldy amount of personal gnosis--I talk to trees and have for years, so I am largely relating actual conversations and associations developed over time. (Yes, I AM crazy)

Let me know what you think :chatty: , skilly-nilly

I grow Elder, and I think that the persistant warning against cutting it is a joke--if you don't prune Elder trees/bushes, they would be bigger than your house in about 2 years. They are bird-poopy plants as well (spread by birds eating them) so not only would the Elder be bigger than your house, it would be an impenatrable thicket around it. Would you like me to send you some? I have a rabbit-shelter brushpile largely made up of Elder prunings....

I cut my first rune yesterday. I used a slice of the old Plum tree in our back yard for Gebo, as it is a "cultivated fruit tree" and it gives us gifts of fruit every year. It has also watched me grow up from a child :smile:

I'll check out the heather, that s a fabulous idea! :smile:
Out of interest, have many old rune sets been found? What are they made from?
Glad I'm not the only one who immediately questions everything :D

Why is Wyrd the Sea? I've never seen an actual translation of Wyrd; its not in the anglo-saxon rune poem. I was thinking of finding some natural some slate, and using that (it is to me, the "blank slate" :D ). This would make it the one stone rune in my set. Thing is, I just can't think of what wood classes as "blank" of meaning, or is a wood of "potential" :huh:

I've rethought my rune association, the new one's below (I didn't change the first one as I dont think everyone will agree!). I somehow seem to have ended up with too many runes for the Anglo-Saxon set though; maybe someone could tell me which one I'm messing up on? :bigredblu

Rad - I can see why you might use Elder for this one - it is travel/change/a journey both inner and outer. I shall have to ponder it :D
Fehu - What precisely is gorse? Is a specific type of bramble?
Hagol / Hagalaz - Blackthorn?? I dont see how. The Anglo Saxon Rune poem says "Hagol is whitest of corns, it whirls from heaven's loft, it is wielded in winds showers, it worths to water then"...? Hail Stones, I dont see how Blackthorn is like Hail?
Is / Isa - "Ice" - Hawthorne?? I've never heard of a "hawthorne winter" could you elaborate? I was thinking Mistletoe from the ASRP - "glistens glasslike, likest to gems"; its berries are like diamonds and droplets of ice or water, and it 'blooms' in the winter when the world is icy.
Tir / Tiwaz - I think I agree, I dont think oak suits it particularly.
Beorc / Berkano - "Birch" - "Beorc is fruit-less, beareth even though twigs without fruit" - refers to the fact that birch was the first tree to grow after iceage, supposedly growing from nothing?
Eh / Ehwaz - "horse" - "wealthy on steeds" something expensive/rare?
Lagu / Laguz - "Lake" - willow
Ing / Ingwaz - Reed, this one still eludes me, I shall do some research. Thanks for the explaining though :D
Yr - "bow" - "joy and worthiness… steady on journey, war tool some" - what wood was used to make bows? (a Q for Nantonos I think :D )
Ear - "Grave" - Alder? (blood). What wood is/was used for cremating people? (and another one...!) OR rowan; was it Thor or Zeus (can't recall) which dropped blood from the sky or something, and everywhere it landed grew a Rowan tree? Something like that :D

Mothwench thinks Eolh-Secg / Algiz is rowan, but I dont think this works really - "a home hath oftest in fen" according to the ASRP, and rowans wont grow in boggy soil. Some kind of thorny bramble which grows in marshland instead? - "woundeth grim, blood it brings on men who in anyway dares to grasp". I'll do some research into what was found growing in Flag-Fen (unless anyone knows off the top of their heads?).


~~~~
Macha's new Rune List :D
For my own reference, the one's I already collected have noddy's by them and the one's I'm certain about are in black.

:uhhuhuh: Fehu - Bramble?
Ur - Hornbeam?
:uhhuhuh: Thurisaz - Blackthorn
Os; "God of the Aesir... source of all speech"; poetry etc? Ideas?
Raidho - "Travelling" any 'foreign' wood - gonna get some from Thailand in August :D
:uhhuhuh: Cen / Kenaz - "torch" - Pine
:uhhuhuh: Gyfu / Gebo - any native cultivated fruit tree - I've used green-plum :D
Wynn / Wunjo - "joy" - a wild fruit tree; cherry
Hagol / Hagalaz - Anything struck by lightening?
:uhhuhuh: Nied / Nauthiz - ivy
Is / Isa - "Ice" - Mistletoe
Gear / Jera - hazel
:uhhuhuh: Eoh / Eihwaz - Yew
Peordh - wild fruit, preferably apple
Eolh-Secg / Algiz - Rose
Sigel / Sowilo - "sun" or "victory" - I'm stuck :(
Tir / Tiwaz - holly
Beorc / Berkano - "Birch"
Eh / Ehwaz - "horse" - "wealthy on steeds" - chestnut?
Mann / Mannaz - Alder
Lagu / Laguz - "Lake" - willow
Ing / Ingwaz - Oak
Daeg / Dagaz - "day" - "Dæg is Lord's messenger, dear to men, splendid Creator's light" :huh:
Ethel / Othala - Gooseberry
Ac - Oak
Aesc / Ansuz - Ash
Yr - Elm
Ior - "serpent" - reed? "river fish"?
Ear - "Grave" - Bog-Oak if I can get it
Wyrd / Blank Rune - slate? Some sort of stone or petrified/condensed soil...


~~~~~~~~~

Unused woods... Hawthorn

[mothwench]

hmmm... getting some good ideas here! :D

i like the idea of blackthorn for hagalaz, and mistletoe for isa.

the reason i'd use rowan for algiz is that both have great powers of protection, and ward off the ol proverbial evil eye.

and i was wondering about birch in the anglo-saxon rune poem as well... not sure what they mean by "Beorc is fruit-less, beareth even though twigs without fruit".

and as for oak, if your using the anglo-saxon runes, isn't there an oak rune?


which rune is ear, btw? is it one of the added anglo-saxon ones? :huh:

edited to add: wyrd= driftwood?

[mucgwyrt]

hmmm... getting some good ideas here! :D

i like the idea of blackthorn for hagalaz, and mistletoe for isa.

the reason i'd use rowan for algiz is that both have great powers of protection, and ward off the ol proverbial evil eye.

and i was wondering about birch in the anglo-saxon rune poem as well... not sure what they mean by "Beorc is fruit-less, beareth even though twigs without fruit".

and as for oak, if your using the anglo-saxon runes, isn't there an oak rune?


which rune is ear, btw? is it one of the added anglo-saxon ones? :huh:

My theory is that Beorc's rhym refers to the fact that birch was the first tree to grow after iceage, supposedly growing from nothing!

Yes - As, Aesc, Yr, Ior and Ear are Anglo-Saxon :smile:

edit: any idea how we could make 'compressed' heather runes? I can't find anyone who sells the heather gems on their own, and I wouldn't know how to go about it :huh:

edit2: according to aefentid, Ing is Ing Freyr, a fertility God & God of grain and barley. Stretching it a bit - Elm? Elms sit in the hedges which seperate the corn fields here in England and have done for hundreds of years...

[mothwench]

:foh: oh, my bloody heck! we have got to find the method to make this heathergem stuff. we just have to! *shakes macha, pokes skilly nilly*

awesome-looking stuff! http://www.scotch-corner.co.uk/scottishjewellery/catalogue/index.cfm?items=3069

edit: i personnally wouldn't use elm for anything masculine, for me the legend of embla, the first woman made out of an elm (or rowan, or elder) tree, kind of stands in the way.
maybe a nut bearing tree? *g*

[mucgwyrt]

It says it take 800lbs of pressure - that's over 7 macha's! :hairraise

edit: good point...
Used Hazel already (dont really want to repeat myself :D ) and Oak...

[mothwench]

:lol: yeah, tricky, isn't it? i had been considering walnut... but they're actually not native. hang on, let me check my tree book... (:2G: you know i shouldn't be doing this, dontcha? :razz: )

yah... my tree book says balkan peninsular, south-west asia and iran. hmmm... will need to ponder on that.

[mucgwyrt]

Might work for your travelling rune though :D

I know, but I'm so charismatic you just can't tear yourself away :D

There are a few I'm stumped on. One is "the sun" which if we culd compress stuff I'd make from sunflower petals or something silly like that. And "the day" :confused:

edit: I no longer have a hawthorn, and what about Juniper, think that would fit with anything?

[mucgwyrt]

Eolh-Secg / Algiz could be Rose - Flag Fen: "shrubs such as guelder rose" from the flagfen website (http://www.flagfen.com/flag_fen_herb_garden.htm). Sounds from the poem though, like something a little more razor like; Eolh-Secg is "sword" isn't it?

[mothwench]

juniper is an interesting wood, for the fact that it's genderless and the fruits take three years to ripen. i wouldn't know how to correspond it right now though.

i have a few woods in mind i don't have runes for yet either: they be dog rose, buckthorn, and hornbeam. :twitch:

edit: just saw your post about algiz. :D that takes care of dog rose then.

[mucgwyrt]

Ahh. Dont think I have access to those :D
The woodland around here is very young, and there only seems to be the 'main' wood types, you know? ash, alder, yew etc

edit: how is dog rose different to other rose species?

[mothwench]

Eolh-Secg / Algiz could be Rose - Flag Fen: "shrubs such as guelder rose" from the flagfen website (http://www.flagfen.com/flag_fen_herb_garden.htm). Sounds from the poem though, like something a little more razor like; Eolh-Secg is "sword" isn't it?

i'm having trouble navigating that site... i only see a teensy weensy article about a roman herb garden, with a picture. is there a more extensive list of what grows there?

[mucgwyrt]

nope apparently not, though I'm visiting in 2 weeks (can't wait that long :twitch: ) so i can get a better list :D

[mothwench]

Ahh. Dont think I have access to those :D
The woodland around here is very young, and there only seems to be the 'main' wood types, you know? ash, alder, yew etc

edit: how is dog rose different to other rose species?

well, it's wild. the type of rose that has the rose-hips for making tea. (i think.) :D maybe it's the same as guelder rose (<---?) only a different name.
i'll check, i've never heard of guelder rose. dog rose is rosa canina, if you want to look it up.

[mucgwyrt]

well, it's wild. the type of rose that has the rose-hips for making tea. (i think.) :D maybe it's the same as guelder rose (<---?) only a different name.
i'll check, i've never heard of guelder rose. dog rose is rosa canina, if you want to look it up.

Oo I've seen that growing somewhere, aeons ago :twitch: can't... think... where... :twitch: :twitch:

edit: guelder rose looks similar, judging from pics on Yahoo :D
No thorns though :confused:

[mothwench]

macha, have you ever been on bioimages.org? it's a database with all the wild plants growing in britain. for research it's been most useful.
www.bioimages.org.uk if you type in the word rosa in the search bar, and make sure the check is in search bioimages.org you shoud have links to all the wild roses growing in the UK.
i wish i had one of these search engines for my area. *sigh*


:D edited to add: okay, i found guelder rose. it's viburnum, not a rose at all. i call it snowballs. :lol: :uhhuhuh: yeah, i agree, viburnum is very nice, and native, too. :)

[mucgwyrt]

I have done, but I think it says somewhere that its not very accurate because it also includes all the species which ever have grown in the area, which might not still be around... unless thats a different site :D

[mothwench]

yeah? well, make sure you get that list from fen thing. :D i'd be interested in that, too.
right, i'm gonna sign off now. see ya later! :wave:

oh, one last thought before i go... what about maple? :huh:

[mucgwyrt]

Hhm, yes we have one species of native maple... which rune are you thinking of?

Oo you've got a new deer! :D

[mucgwyrt]

ohohohoh I had a great idea! I'm going to try n get some wood from Thailand when I go in August for my travel rune Raidho :D :D :D

[mucgwyrt]

Regarding Yr - "Bows were mainly made of yew, elm or ash" from http://www.regia.org/bow.htm
I'm gonna use Elm, as I already have Ash and Yew :D

edit: also, Apple is known for its wisdom in christian lore; is there a "wisdom" fruit/tree in Norse mythology?

[skilly-nilly]

Birches might be described as 'fruitless' because the catkins(the fruiting bodies which are out now) don't change very much in composition when they develop into seeds--they just get brown and crispy but they don't 'become' anything else--fruits, nuts, etc.

Dog roses have little, wicked thorns alllllllover their stems. They are the origonal wild single-petaled rose. The big hips are also part of the wildness, to encourage animals to eat and spread them.

Hawthorns (all species-black and other) flower white in the early Spring. The flowers cover the bush, obscuring the leaves. Since they grow in big hedges/clumps and flower when not much is going on, it seems like the hedges/clumps are covered in snow---this is Hawthorn Winter. It signals restraint and waiting (why I connect it to Isa). Although I had not made the connection (my connection is storm) the 'whitest corn of all' could refer to hail and reference Hawthorn Winter's 'snow'.

I like the idea of petrified wood or driftwood for Wyrd. The Sea (Mór) just, for me, has those connotations: you see the surface, but not the depths (some things you control, some you don't), you sail your boat over it (you decide your response to events), and it acts on you (the fishing mythos).

Must now go and eat breakfast---skilly-nilly

[mucgwyrt]

Regarding Cen - Elder?
"The word 'Elder' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word aeld. Æld meant 'fire,' the hollow stems of the young branches having been used for blowing up a fire: the soft pith pushes out easily..."
http://www.nisbett.com/herbs/e/elder-04.html

Or a pine
"The name 'ken' (German) describes a firey chip of resinous pine wood, burnt for lighting. "
"Denotes a flaming brand or a lit branch of resinous pine wood"
http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/bluephoenixrunes/RUNES/KANO.html

I think Ill go with pine though I'm not sure... I'd like to use some wood from the huge old pines in my area :D

[Grey]

Interesting... alot of good information here, perhaps it should be stickied with the practicle rune magic threads?
Myself, Ive always made my runes from rock, or bone. They work just fine for me, though my cousin in VA knows a guy who uses wooden ones, and has equally workable results. Wich of course only makes sense I guess.

[mothwench]

i spent alot of time bonding with the runes today. :floating:

anyway, i thought i'd bring over my correspondence list, plus some new additions thanks to ideas from you guys. :) changed my mind about a couple, too.
also, i'm going to post a list of the types of wood i have in mind, but have no correspondences for yet.
here they are, in no particular order:

perthro................. crabapple
nauthiz..................ivy
wunjo...................wild cherry
othala...................beech
gebo.....................a cultivated fruit tree (pear?)
jera......................hazel
algiz......................rowan
laguz....................willow
eiwaz....................yew
berkana................birch
isa.......................mistletoe
ones i'm not sure about are:
thurisaz................bramble (even bramble might be too nice for this rune)
raidho..................olive (i'm thinking about using a tree or bush that grows exceptionally fast)
tyr.......................oak (i've been equating tyr with justice... i'm not sure if this is correct, actually.)
hagalaz................blackthorn (needs thinking about)

edited to add: recent changes:
hagalaz.................lightning-struck wood
poplar...................raidho
thurisaz................blackthorn

woodless runes:
ehwaz...............
mannaz.............
dagaz...................
fehu.................. my gut says alder. why? :huh:
ansuz................ heather maybe. otoh, i might use oak if i don't use oak for tyr.
ingwaz................
uruz....................
sowelu...............
kenaz..................

runeless woods: :spinner:
alder...............
holly.................
dog rose.................
cherry or vine (depending on what i use for wunjo)
hornbeam................
lime (linden)............
pine......................
fir.........................
ash....................... maybe ingwaz?
heather................. maybe ansuz?
blueberry.................
poplar..................... this could be used for hagalaz or nauthiz. :rolleyes: go figure, they're already taken.
elder.......................
(walnut?).................

:spaceman:

[mucgwyrt]

olive (i'm thinking about using a tree or bush that grows exceptionally fast)
It might grow fast (does it?) but it takes 30 years to bear fruit...

Fehu - Gorse doesn't quite sit right with me, I must admit. Nor my Rowan for Ear/Grave...
And Isa and Hagol, I can't decide which to use Mistletoe for... and what to correspond with the other! Perhaps Hawthorn.
Why Beech for Othala? *curious*

[mucgwyrt]

Well I never, a 'Sedge' (as in "Eolh-Secg" = "Elk-Sedge") is a marsh plant.
It seems to be a type of grass, shown in this pic (http://www.geology.iupui.edu/project_images/Starling/2003_8_6_03_VegMonitoring/2003-08-06_sedge-rush.jpg) (not the spikey balled things, those are like chives; the actual grass). And funnily enough I remember playing with it as a kid and finding that it give you cuts like paper cuts!

Wouldn't make good runes though, unless we come up with a compression method.
Rose, which also grows in the fens, is a good replacement I think.

edit: another picture of Sedge (http://aashi.the-rajputs.com/images/Sedge/Sedge%2003%20003.jpg)

[mothwench]

It might grow fast (does it?) but it takes 30 years to bear fruit...

no, i don't think olive grows fast at all. what i meant was, at first i wanted to use olive, but i might change my mind if i find the mighty speedy wood. :kooky: any ideas?
:huh:

Fehu - Gorse doesn't quite sit right with me, I must admit. Nor my Rowan for Ear/Grave...
And Isa and Hagol, I can't decide which to use Mistletoe for... and what to correspond with the other! Perhaps Hawthorn.
Why Beech for Othala? *curious*
beech for othala: i think skilly nilly explained it quite well, (i think in the other thread) it being associated with ancestral spirits and the hearth in (i think) the ogham?
however, this is another one worth thinking about for a while... recently i learned that beech is one of the youngest trees in evolution, so it's kind of contradictory to that.
:spaceman: that's what happens when you research too much. :lol: i did have a gut feeling about beech and othala though, but i decided it to correspond it to kenaz instead. now i've changed my mind (thank you skilly nilly) , i think gut feelings are there to be listened to.

isa and hagalaz and mistletoe... yeah, i see the conflict. i don't see isa as quite as destructive as hagalaz, and mistletoe destroys trees. and the berries do look like little hailstones, don't they? oh! the confusion. :spinner:
edited to add to the confusion: but they're around in winter, so it would be isa, wouldn't it?

:p

[mothwench]

oh, i've been meaning to say, i keep forgetting this :rolleyes: not far from my house there's a great big tree (beech, if in doubt) that's been struck by lightning. it's grey, dry, brittle, and just looks extremely dead. this wood might be useful for something as well.
:huh:

[mucgwyrt]

Yep, I really really think Mistletoe corresponds to Isa. The description fits it so well, as well as it being the correct season etc etc. :frosty:

:idea: Oo never thought about using wood in certain conditions! One which has been struck by lightening might be good for Hagol; destruction from the skies!!
Burnt or dead wood would be good to use for Ear as well... :hmmmmm:

Hmmm... might be worth thinking about what wood was generally used to make houses, for Othala... :hmmmmm:

[mothwench]

i don't know... i can try and find out. i would hazard to say... beech, and that would even match, wouldn't that be cool! :D

lightening wood for hagalaz sounds like a good idea.

i've got raidho, too. i think. poplar is a fast-growing tree, to signify speed. also, i read that witches brooms were supposedly often made of poplar, and that poplar was an ingredient in flying ointment.
:boing: if only all of them were this easy.

[mucgwyrt]

Hmm, I always thought brooms were Birch...

[mothwench]

yeah, there's alot of lore about what brooms were made of. it was in flying ointment, though. birch wasn't. :nyah:

[mucgwyrt]

well nyuh! :lol:

[skilly-nilly]

I had not thought of a lightning-struck tree, even though much folklore talks about good and unwise usages (such as building your house with it and drawing lightning). A further thought occured---we here in S-E Canada had a devistating ice storm a few years ago that brought down a lot of trees (many birches particularly); an ice-destroyed tree might be approproiate for Isa, neh?

Poplars DO grow very fast, and are dense-grained. So a small tree-trunk (easy to find) would make a very good implement handle. I had always assumed that bundles of birch twigs were used for the sweeping part of the broom:
http://pictures.care2.com/view/2/331166657

:crazyman: ,skilly-nilly

[mothwench]

:lol: that cat in the picture is sooo skilly nilly!

[mucgwyrt]

Eohl-Secg / Algiz:



The Eolh-sedge is mostly to be found in a marsh;
it grows in the water and makes a ghastly wound,
covering with blood every warrior who touches it.



It suddenly struck me the other night that the last half ("makes a ghastly wound, covering with blood every warrior who touches it.") is a metaphor for a Sword. (I was all like "well duh, of course it is, silly! :lol: ) so perhaps a wood connected with sword smithing or blacksmithing or something?

[mothwench]

:lol: yeah, i saw that this weekend as well, i thought... well, so much for the idea of hiding/stealth... hmmm... did you read about invoking the gods in the algiz/elhaz stance? also that it's a rune used for harrowing (like blessing)? i still seem to think rowan is right, not really sure why though. :huh:

[mucgwyrt]

no, I'll have to re-read those essays really and ponder it.
You can make a good wine out of rowan berries apparently. I'll post the recipe if you like :D

[mothwench]

yes! oui madame! i was actually looking for one yesterday. i did find one, but it's for an american species, different than the european one, so the amount of sugar wouldn't be right if i used that recipe. on that site were a great many wines made out of all sorts of things, from red clover to dandelion to elderberries and elderflowers. here it is if you want to check it out: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/plants.asp
also, scroll down and click on requested recipes, loads more on that page.
i don't see myself doing this in the near future however, cause i don't have any of the equipment needed, and i'm too skint at the moment to buy anything. and i don't know enough about the process of wine-making to macGyver myself something, if you know what i mean.

[Shatril]

How are you collecting this wood? Are you taking it from live trees? If you are, how is it being taken? You need to remember that these are living organism. Wood taken without concern for the tree that it is taken from may not work as nicely as you want. You really need to make sure that you have befriended the tree/plant, and asked permission to take the piece that you want. Then thank the tree by giving it a tree spike fertilizer or some such gift. :bug: OH GAD I sound preachy, but that isn't what I mean to be. I just want you to make sure that you have got runes that aren't from tramatized origins. :hearteyes

Much love to all, Merry Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again

[mucgwyrt]

How are you collecting this wood? Are you taking it from live trees? If you are, how is it being taken? You need to remember that these are living organism. Wood taken without concern for the tree that it is taken from may not work as nicely as you want. You really need to make sure that you have befriended the tree/plant, and asked permission to take the piece that you want. Then thank the tree by giving it a tree spike fertilizer or some such gift. :bug: OH GAD I sound preachy, but that isn't what I mean to be. I just want you to make sure that you have got runes that aren't from tramatized origins. :hearteyes

Much love to all, Merry Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again

oh no, i've been there and done that and have learnt my very valuable lesson!!
I only take from trees which consent to their wood being used, often leave a gift in thanks, and usually revisit them several times to say hello :smile:

[mucgwyrt]

yes! oui madame! i was actually looking for one yesterday. i did find one, but it's for an american species, different than the european one, so the amount of sugar wouldn't be right if i used that recipe. on that site were a great many wines made out of all sorts of things, from red clover to dandelion to elderberries and elderflowers. here it is if you want to check it out: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/plants.asp
also, scroll down and click on requested recipes, loads more on that page.
i don't see myself doing this in the near future however, cause i don't have any of the equipment needed, and i'm too skint at the moment to buy anything. and i don't know enough about the process of wine-making to macGyver myself something, if you know what i mean.

That Sloe wine sounds interesting, but I dont fancy waiting a year to drink it! :lol:

Voila:



3lbs rowan berries
half pint of concentrate (red)
½ of wheat
3 lbs sugar
1 gallon water
1 tablespoon citric acid
yeast and nutrient

pour the boiling water over the berries and let it stand four days, then strain. Put in the sugar, concentrate, acid, and wheat and stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add the yeast and nutrient. Leave to ferment 16 days, closely covered, then strain into fermenting jar and fit air lock. When it clears, siphon into bottles, corking lightly at first.


Not sure what concentrate is, and it seems an awful lot of sugar, but I'm told by someone who's tried it that its scrummy :D

[mothwench]

oh, by concentrate they prolly mean grape juice concentrate. alot of the recipes on the page i linked to use that stuff. i can't get it here. :twitch:

[mucgwyrt]

oh dear... what about grape juice? The stuff they sell in cartons?

[mothwench]

yeah, trouble is i can't just substitute it, cause i don't know about the quantities. i'd have to use a recipe that uses grape juice, rather than grape concentrate. doesn't matter really, there's no way i can do this at the moment anyway.

:huh: how did we get from runes to wine-making? :lol:

:wave: hi shatril! i know all about vengeful dryads or land wights, like macha i once took something without asking and what was worst i took it without listening for the answer. i learned my lesson and i now know to act differently.
also, i live virtually in the forest, and the forest workers and lumberjacks are always in there leaving bits of trees lying around that they prune or whatever, i use these whenever i can.

by the way, a few days ago a gigantic beech came crashing down the hill it was standing on. (20-30 yards from the house, by the way!) it looks like the nothing from the never-ending story has been rampaging through the forest. it must have slid for a bit, cause there's a great big dirt rigde. the sound it made when it came down was unbelievable, it made the ground shake.

[mucgwyrt]

Does it matter?!
:woot: go alcohol! :yourock:

I'm not sure what to use for Ing. Maybe I should try meditating before bed and see if I get any more Ing-Dreams :D

[mothwench]

okies, i'm posting my revised list, cause i'm in that nerdy kind of mood, and this time i'll write a little bit about why i correspond them:


Fehu:........................alder........................IRP: fire of the sea


Uruz: .......................hornbeam.................the hardest and strongest european wood
..................................elm..........................a species in danger of extinction
..................................heather or blueberry..ARP: ranger of the moors


Thurisaz ..................blackthorn................dark wood, longest thorns


Ansuz.......................willow......................inspiration


Raidho.......................poplar......................speed, travel


Kenaz.......................pine.........................torch wood


Gebo..........................pear.........................cultivated fruit to symbolise labour in exchange
.................................................................for harvest


Wunjo......................cherry.......................joy
.................................bramble....................blackberry wine :bubbles:


Hagalaz....................lightning wood...........storms, wrath of nature


Nauthiz.....................ivy...........................symbol of strife, of suffocation
..................................box..........................symbolic of oppression, and decadence of the
.................................................................rich (imbalance), death and grievance


Isa..............................mistletoe..................ice, winter, beauty, death


Jera...........................hazel........................harvest


Eiwaz........................yew...........................jest cause


Perthro.....................crabapple...................sign of wimmin, fertility, wyrd and magic :toofless:


Algiz..........................rowan.......................protection, harrowing
.................................hawthorn...................ward of the wih-stead (sacred site, harrow)
..................................................................strength of heart, protection


Sowilo.......................holly..........................birth of the sun at winter solstice
.................................fir..............................traditional yule tree


Tiwaz........................oak...........................justice


Berkana...................birch.........................fertility, rune poems


Ehwaz......................aspen........................emotions
.................................lime (linden)...............OERP a comfort to the restless
.................................horse chestnut...........a friend of horses (! not native, but i'd suppose
.................................................................in this case it's alright, cause ehwaz has
.................................................................some meanings implying travel and such)


Mannaz...................ash...........................ask as first man
.................................lime (linden).............central social meeting tree in many villages


Laguz.......................driftwood...................water
.................................willow.......................water, moon


Ingwaz.....................field maple................fields and pastures, happiness and sweetness
.................................hazel........................nuts *giggle*
.................................walnut......................more giggle :hehehehehe: (not native, though.)
.................................dog rose...................life, joy, sweetness. flowers of dwarves and
...............................................................elves, sacred to freyr and freyja. the sweetest
...............................................................thorn :bigredgri ;) ;) ;)
.................................fir............................ fir cones respond to rain by closing and the sun by
.................................................................opening. and ing freyr is the god of sun and rain. :smileroll


Dagaz.......................????????????............?????????????? dammit! :bastard:
edited to add:..............oak.........................midsummer fires
..................................birch.......................midsummer tree
..................................fir...........................cones react to the sun/daylight :spaceman:
.................................:idea:juniper..................waking tree, protects against thieves (reveals?)


Othala.......................beech.......................grandmother of the forest. ancestral spirits.
................................................................books, arcane (meaning OLD) knowlege
edited to add: .............elder(?)...................frau holle, old lady elder, to me the ancestor of witches

[mothwench]

here's some of the woods i'd like to use, but haven't corresponded yet:

juniper:...................paranormal activity, wake the dead, protect against thieves and the plague

elder:......................sacred to frau holle, the fiestiest of wights/demi-goddesses. when asked for properly, wood can be very powerful. when taken unasked for it brings bad luck

[mucgwyrt]

Damn woman, your list is spank-tastic! :D
I still have some thinking to do...
I like hornbeam for Ur :smile:
I'm gonna try and get some bog-oak from the Fens next weekend for Ear in the Anglo-Saxon. I shall have to wait-n-see though, coz I'm not driving there so I wont have my car *grumblegrumble*

[mucgwyrt]

Ohoh, and how did you come by alder for Fehu?

[mothwench]

oh, bog oak... is that the black oak wood that's been lying in moors for ages, or is it a certain type of oak tree?
my boyfriend's using the black moory stuff to make his final piece for his carpentry exam. it's veneer though, so no rune wood for me. :sadman:

[mothwench]

Ohoh, and how did you come by alder for Fehu?
actually the thought just occured to me at first, no clue why.
then i read in the icelandic rune poem: the fire of the sea.
also, the rune poems talk of strife among kinsmen. and when i think of alder i always think of goethe's spooky poem, where the alder king comes and kidnaps (well, kills really) a man's child

[mucgwyrt]

bog oak; thats old oak trees which fell into the bogs in the fens way-back-when (bronze age I think) and the bog preserved them. Every now and again the farmers dredge them out of their fields, and just stick them next to the roads. It says to me death, because its an earth burial (Ear="Earth Grave") but the wood is preserved - as the soul is - and is 'ressurected' when its pulled from the bog, much like my own belief in reincarnation :smile:

Do you know where I can find a good copy of the icelandic rune poem? I know some of the anglo-saxon translations are a tad dodgy at best...!

I'd really really like to use Gooseberry for Eohl-Secg rather than rose - then I could use rose for Ing... *ponders* We used to have a bush in our garden but its long gone now :wah:

edit: though to be honest, gooseberry would be fab for Ethel/Othala because it makes me think of home and of my childhood. And Rose is so good for Eohl-Secg. And I still think Oak for Ing... dont know why, its just 'fits'!

[mothwench]

ohohohoh, can i have some bog oak when you get some please? :floating: as i said, my OH has only got veneer. just a small chunk would be enough.
edited to add: want some hornbeam? tell you what, once i have all my woods together, i'll pm you a list of what i've got, and you just tell me what you need and i'll post some of each, and vice versa, how's that sound?

icelandic rune poem: (well, all the rune poems, really.)
here's a link: http://www.ragweedforge.com/poems.html
and here's one specifically to the english translation of the IRP:
http://www.ragweedforge.com/rpie.html


:spinner: and another link i wanted to share, just cause i think it's interesting:
http://my.execpc.com/~gronitz/futhark/myth/volsungs.html

[mucgwyrt]

Okaly dokaly. Doubt I'll be able to get nice neat 1" branches as with all other wood - I think we'll prolly have to work some Gingr Witch magic with it ;)

PS - whats your bfriend making?

[mucgwyrt]

Alder would be good for "Ulcer", if I could work out the AS equivalent :rolleyes:

[mothwench]

Okaly dokaly. Doubt I'll be able to get nice neat 1" branches as with all other wood - I think we'll prolly have to work some Gingr Witch magic with it ;)

PS - whats your bfriend making?

a tea cabinet. :javaswim:


yeah, i can imagine you won't be able to get a thin branch from that, same with the lighting wood. which is also oak by the way, not beech like i originally had thought.

[mothwench]

Alder would be good for "Ulcer", if I could work out the AS equivalent :rolleyes:
eh. that meaning disturbs me to no end. what's it mean, when you know too much you get stomach ulcers? :yikes:

[mucgwyrt]

Yeah, really nasty ones which kill kiddies :twitch:

[mothwench]

:idea: maybe they kill the child in you :hmmmmm:

edited to add: as in, the inner child, not the child inside a womb

[mucgwyrt]

ahhh ;)
Maybe. Can you get ulcers on your womb though?
And is it carried through to the AngloSaxon poem?

[mothwench]

ahhh ;)
Maybe. Can you get ulcers on your womb though?
i sure hope not. :shaker:


And is it carried through to the AngloSaxon poem?
nope:
The torch is known to every living man by its pale, bright flame;
it always burns where princes sit within.

this is a puzzling one, isn't it?

[mucgwyrt]

if so that might be a killer of children; it prolly makes you infertile.

hmmm I dont think so... (whats puzzling about it?)
Pine torches are difficult to make (they have to come from dead pines I think) and on average they only burn for 15 minutes or so, so I bet they had to be changed lots... the average joe probably just used a hearth-fire.

[mothwench]

i find puzzling the fact that the norwegian and icelandic rune poems speak of ulcers and fatal deseases to children and corpses going pale, whereas the anglo-saxon rune poem has the comparitively harmless and welcome meaning of a torch. why did they change the meaning of such a dark and difficult rune and make it so harmless?

just for the record, it's kenaz we're rambling about, in case anyone reading this wonders what the hel we're on about.. :lol:

[skilly-nilly]

just for the record, it's kenaz we're rambling about, in case anyone reading this wonders what the hel we're on about.. :lol:


Thanks :viking: I was wondering about that!

I perceive the rune as the opening of a lantern: 'that which enables us to see', or 'use your understanding/point your flashlight down your path' ....

Bookmarked the poems, thanks for the links---skilly-nilly

[mothwench]

:hmmmmm: well, i've just noticed kenaz is also one of the ones that have completely changed their symbol in the anglo-saxon futhark.
:huh:

[mucgwyrt]

Ahh I see, I didn't realise that the ulcer one was Cen. *ponders* I don't know, but its difficult to get a good meaning from the Ulcer rune isn't it? Perhaps they wanted more neutral runes if you see what I'm getting at. I bet neutral runes make far better divination tools that doom-n-gloom ones.

edit - Im not sure cen is completely harmless, after all the anglo-saxons homes were often made of wood. A torch used clumsily could end in disaster.

[mucgwyrt]

Well Ms Wench. As of twenty minutes ago I have in my possession the following, all of which are at approximately 1” diameter and (half of each) are up for grabs –
1 rather large chunk of Blackthorn (.5 metre)
1 baggie of rather large Blackthorn Thorns, with a few dinky ones for good measure
1 rather large chunk of Hawthorn (.5 metre)
1 incredibly large (approx 1 metre) chunk of Thorny brambly stuff
1 large chunk (30cm but there’s lots more where that came from!) of Ivy (I’ve obviously been looking in the wrong places :rolleyes: )

I have also found a large Elder tree, but so far no Elm. I’ll have to look elsewhere for that at the weekend.

Let me know and I’ll parcel it up :D

I’m off now to have a bath and nurse my sore hands (damned blackthorn!)

[mucgwyrt]

ohohoh I've got a miniscule splinter and I dont know how to get it out. I want my Daddy :wah:

edit: phew, its out!

[mothwench]

:lol: i always go running to daddy when i have a splinter, he's the best surgeon ever!
better now? :rubhead:
right then, i'd like to place an order for a 10 cm piece of blackthorn, with thorns and prickles on the side, please.
did you manage to find a proper ivy bush? (you know, the ones that grow in tree form, not the creeping ground and tree-covering ones) if so i'll have a smidgin of that for dessert. the creepy ground stuff i have already. can't seem to find proper ivy bush trees that aren't on private land.

how thick are your pieces? just so i know when i go wood-hunting tomorrow. :elf:

[mucgwyrt]

It was creepy-round-tree. It even had little sucker-feely-things on the underside to help it cling to the tree :D LOADS of it though, all a really nice size!

My bits are about 1" diameter (except for pine, but I think I might go back and find a bigger bit - I got my bit off the floor and its a bit weedy).

Out of curiosity, how thick are you making yours? My Gyfu (again more like 2cm than 2.5, but it was such an interesting slice...!) is about 4mm thick I think. I'm leaving the bark on where I can, I think it adds character. Oo oo and I got this all from where I got my Stang; turns out it's Ash :D Thats the most common tree in my area.

I'm not sure what I'll end up using the thorny-thing for, but it was just lying there and it was ther perfect diameter. I couldn't resist :D

PS - I wouldn't know what a bush-ivy-thing looked like. If you can direct me to a decent picture of one, I could take a look round...?

[mothwench]

well, i have different sized bits of wood so far, but the yew set i started a while ago is just about 2 cm in diameter, which is just under 3/4 of an inch.
but in inch is probably better. as for thickness, yep, 4-5 mm is what i ended up with, too. i cut them 1 cm thick, but sanding them took off quite alot of that thickness.

here's some pics of ivy as a bush/tree. it's funny, it's actually the same species. it's the only form ivy will grow flowers and fruits in, though.

huh? can you see my attachments? i can't. i'll have to put them in photobucket and link to them, hang on...

http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/ivy-bush.bmphttp://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/ivy-bush2.bmp

[mucgwyrt]

It grows on trees next to where I work so I'll take a look (I'm positive its the same stuff, it has berries etc) but I'm not sure if I'll find any thick enough.

Blimey, how much sanding did you do!!?

[mucgwyrt]

Also, it occurs to me that lightening-struck Oak is PERFECT for Hail - hail kills crops etc, which is Ing's domain, and I associate oak with Ing :D

[mothwench]

cool! :D

sanding: :rolleyes: that's what's such a pain about the whole thing. but it is worth it. i use three different grains of sanpaper, starting with the roughest. that way i end up with really clear woodgrain and an almost shiny surface. :smile: i took some before and after pictures, i'll have to get them on to my computer and i can't find the cord thingy right now. :twitch:
btw, i also ended up sanding off my fingernails.

[mucgwyrt]

Oo I'll have to give that a go; I've just been using medium grain, and because I'm such a sloppy sawer its taking forrrreeeeever to sand!

[mothwench]

kills yer arms, doesn't it? :gagged:

:bouncybob found the elusive skinny black transmission snake. :D

holy crap, that pic is huge! i have to downsize it... brb. :foh:

edited to add: lol, i'm talking about the pic i took of my runes, i just linked to it and realised how big it is, so i deleted it again.
edited again: here it is, nice and small. :D
http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/runecrafting.jpg

[mucgwyrt]

Not as much as sawing does. I just dont have the arm muscles! My hands aren't so painful today. Still looks like I've had a scrap with a bear though! :lol:

Oo I'll hafta finish Gyfu and scan it. Its beautiful so far, though I've not tried mutilating it yet (err sorry, "carving it" :lol: )

[mothwench]

oh, i hadn't thought of scanning them... :elf: i might try that... :D :D :D

[mucgwyrt]

Ahh not all of us have the luxury of dinky-but-expensive mod-cons :D

edit: vewy pwetty :D All shiny and neat... :fpraiseyo

edit2:
Just wanted to mention something I came accross whilst researching the ship burial at Sutton Hoo, which you might like to consider for your Algiz rune:


...shield made of leather-covered lime wood. Lime wood is the ideal wood for a shield...
It would be hepful, of course, if I included the link - http://www.wuffings.co.uk/MySHPages/SHTreasure/SHShield.htm

[mothwench]

you mean you don't have a scanner? actually i don't either, i'm using my boyfriend's. :2G:
anyway, it turned out okay-ish, i think the scanner's a bit crap to be honest. :twitch:
http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/runes1a.jpg
these are all made from yew by the way. my pride and joy. :farmerjoe

[mothwench]

oh hey, thanks for that link. i had been wondering about that. i read that lime was used for shields, but i couldn't figure out why they wouldn't use hornbeam or another hard wood. now i know. :graduate:

[mucgwyrt]

Glad to be of service Ma'am :D

They is purty, I especially like the carving job you did on the one next to Bikana (is it Othala? I forget :bigredblu ).

Yes, I have a scanner but no swanky digicam :D

edit: do you plan on completing the set?

[skilly-nilly]

G]
these are all made from yew by the way. my pride and joy. :farmerjoe


Those are beautiful! I particularly like Beorc with the little bit of branch at the side.

In awe---skilly-nilly

[mothwench]

:smile: thankies to both of you. :floating:

teehee, yeah the little twig is berkana's baby. :spinner:
edited to add: yep, that's othala next to berkana. :D

[Nighthawk]

Those are really, really nice.... beautiful....

[mothwench]

:floating: thank you nighthawk. :)

macha, my wood collection is growing bit by bit. at the weekend i went and got hawthorn and hornbeam and rowan and some others. i've got another one or two of those missions before i have everything together.

incidently, any chance of a twig of holly? :halohead: there ain't none here. :wah: driftwood i might be able to get from my brother, but i'm not sure.

[mucgwyrt]

Sure Fing; a twig or a bit for a rune?

I'm gonna get hornbeam at the weekend, there's loads of it around here.

I'm having a bit of trouble finding Elm simply because I can't find any good pictures. Do you have any decent ones?

edit: plus its leaves seem to look like every other tree out there - hornbeam, hazel... you name it :rolleyes:

[mothwench]

i should be able to find some pics of elm.
cool, yeah, a rune sized sticky piece, please. :smooch: edited to add: of holly, i mean. :)

[mucgwyrt]

And Elm if I can find it :D
I shant send off the wood til I get back from Peterborough this weekend, incase I can get some bog-wood for us :smile: *fingers crossed*

[mothwench]

this is probably the most common species in england: ulmus glabra. watch out for the uneven base at the bottom of the leaf and the little "buck horns" as i call them. (the tip of the leaf often has these little points either side.

http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/ulmuglab.jpg

here's a site that may be helpful http://www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/TreeGallery/elmc.htm


if you find one of the other species, that's fine, it doesn't have to be ulmus glabra. any native elm will do. :)

[mucgwyrt]

See to me, that looks a lot like this, which is supposedly hornbeam.

http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk/tree_gallery/hornbeam/hornbeam_2.jpg

Now... we have a lot of one or the other :confused: :confused: :confused:

[mucgwyrt]

PS - do you have Yew or would you like some Sacred-Site Yew in your package?

[mothwench]

And Elm if I can find it :D
I shant send off the wood til I get back from Peterborough this weekend, incase I can get some bog-wood for us :smile: *fingers crossed*

:dancy: wheee! mind you don't sink in. :foh:

[mucgwyrt]

I shall have to hassle my beau about it, as his sister's driving *grumble-I-wanted-to-grumble* and I dont feel I can ask her to drive out into the fens wood hunting :D
If I can't this time though, might be able to make it over next month (fingers xxx)

[mothwench]

PS - do you have Yew or would you like some Sacred-Site Yew in your package?

well, i was going to cut another branch off the one in the garden, but if you happen to have some of the graveyard yew lying around anyway, you could send me a small piece of that too. :smile:

but i wouldn't want you to bug ole Wuldor (i've decided to call him that, i think it's him, i hope you and he don't mind. :huh: ) just for me, the tree in my garden is young and not crabby at all about me taking its wood. :)

[mucgwyrt]

Its not from the graveyard (do you think I have a death wish :T). I went to the Bronze Aged Causewayed Enclosure yesterday, and got a chunk from there. It was just lying beneath the tree though, I didn't cut it (so what I mean is its not a "live" bit.). I prefer doing that nowadays where possible, I feel like the tree left it there in anticipation or something, [b]and[/i] I dont get any hassle from Wuldor (I like it! :D )

Aefentid never did answer my Wuldor PM :wah:

[mothwench]

yeah, she hasn't been around lately, i hope nothing's happened to her. :woah: one more week and i'll start poking people and getting worried. there's a bit about wuldor in lesson two, by the way. though he might be referred to as Ullr, i can't remember now.

anyway, the enclosure sounds interesting. what does causewayed mean? i think i know what the giant's causeway is... is it anything like that?

[mucgwyrt]

no, "causeway" just means there are breaks in the rings-and-ditches - they're like doorways or bridges almost.

edit: attached is a bad picture of Barbury Hill fort (not the one near me). I used to have a great picture of the one I went to, but can I find it? Nooo :rolleyes:

[mothwench]

oh, neat. :floating: i'd love some wood from a place like that. :D

i'm going to try and see my mum later and ask her to show me where the blueberries grow sometime this week.

[mucgwyrt]

okaly dokald :D

Maybe she knows of some wild gooseberry bushes? :fpoke: :D

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

Oh Macha, I meant to tell you. We don't have any gooseberry in the woods behind the house. It's all rasberry and blackberry. Though I think a lot of it's gone. Apparently the guy who used to live next door started pulling it out cause the bushes were starting to strangle the fruit trees as my M-I-L put it. Sorry.

[mucgwyrt]

Thanks for looking Morag :D

MothWench, Queen of the woodlands - this is the tree near me. What do you think it is, elm or hornbeam or something else entirely? :huh:

[mothwench]

looks like elm to me...
we have some gooseberries in the garden, but i think they're cultivars. i can try and find out if they at least grow in the area. it's never occured to me their wild.
oh, i was surprised to find some sort of currant bush growing in the woods by the way. i don't know if they're black or red, cause it was just flowering. i can't remember how big it was though...

[mucgwyrt]

In whch case I'll try and get some for us at the weekend :D
Um... seeing as it seems to be elm we have everywhere... could you add some Hornbeam to my package? :halohead:

Hmm... I dunno, most bushes like that are wild, but as its for Othala I'm not sure it really matters if its cultivated or not.

Oo I wonder what Gooseberry wine's like :huh:

[mothwench]

hmmm yummy prolly. :drinking: i wish i had some wine making equipment. :wah:

yeah, you can have some hornbeam. :D the branch was surprisingly easy to saw off, by the way. i just thought that was weird, cause it's apparently the hardest wood. well, maybe the younger branches just aren't. it was most definately a hornbeam tree, though.
to differenciate: here's a pic of hornbeam leaves (they do look similar, though narrower, i think)
http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/P150288.HTM
their habit (manner of growth) is often knarled and twisted: http://album.mondtoechter.de/details.php?image_id=41
and they also have these keys hanging from the twigs (their fruits):
http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mothwench/hb_keys.bmp

[mucgwyrt]

Yes, looking at what you've posted its definately very different to what I've picked. Looks like Elm to me :D

The Blackthorn was really really hard, but I think that might be more to do with the fact I was being attacked with it whilst I sawed, and that my arms were aching from the last few trees I'd sawed! :lol:

[mothwench]

Thanks for looking Morag :D

MothWench, Queen of the woodlands - this is the tree near me. What do you think it is, elm or hornbeam or something else entirely? :huh:


hehe. ya know, i just noticed earlier, loads of trees with these kind of leaves, i think it's hazel, not elm after all. :twitch:

second oppinions, anyone?

[mucgwyrt]

I did wonder myself, but the "branches" are quite thick in places (?)

[mothwench]

are they shiney and freckled? :eyez:

[mucgwyrt]

Uuuh... I would have to check. I dont think so. The leaves are also quite big, about 2/3 the length of my hand and a bit wider (erm... maybe 5" by 4" at it's widest point)

( :wave: hello there Missing-Moth :D )