Quick Answer
Runes are ancient symbols from the Elder Futhark alphabet used by Norse and Germanic peoples for writing, divination, and spiritual practice. The 24 Elder Futhark runes each carry a distinct meaning connected to natural forces, human experiences, and cosmic principles. From Fehu (wealth and abundance) to Othala (heritage and home), these symbols form a complete spiritual language that has been used for guidance and self-understanding for over 1,500 years.
Table of Contents
What Are Runes?
Runes are the letters of the runic alphabets used by Germanic and Scandinavian peoples from roughly the 2nd century CE onward. The word rune comes from the Old Norse run, meaning secret or mystery, reflecting their use beyond mere writing as tools for divination, magic, and spiritual communication.
The most widely known runic system is the Elder Futhark, comprising 24 symbols divided into three groups of eight called aettir (families). Each rune represents not just a sound but a concept, a force of nature, a principle of existence. They form a complete symbolic language for understanding the visible and invisible dimensions of reality.
Norse mythology attributes the discovery of runes to the god Odin, who hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights, pierced by his own spear, sacrificing himself to himself in pursuit of wisdom. The runes revealed themselves to him in that state of visionary ordeal.
History and Origins of Runes
The earliest confirmed runic inscriptions date to approximately 150 CE, found on artifacts across Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The Elder Futhark was used from roughly the 2nd to 8th centuries before evolving into the Younger Futhark (16 runes) used during the Viking Age.
Runic inscriptions appear on weapons, jewelry, runestones, amulets, and everyday objects. Some are commemorative, recording names and deeds. Others are clearly magical, invoking protection, healing, victory, or the favor of the gods.
The origins of the runic alphabet remain debated among scholars. Some trace influence from Latin or Etruscan alphabets through trade contacts. Others point to indigenous symbolic traditions predating contact with Mediterranean civilizations. What is clear is that the Germanic peoples invested runes with spiritual significance far beyond their phonetic function.
Freya's Aett: Runes 1-8
Fehu - Wealth and Abundance
Fehu represents cattle (the primary wealth of ancient peoples), material prosperity, and the vital energy that flows through all things. It speaks to earned abundance, new beginnings, and the responsible stewardship of resources.
Uruz - Strength and Vitality
Uruz represents the wild auroch (extinct wild ox), embodying raw physical strength, untamed energy, health, and endurance. It signals times of personal power, healing, and primal life force.
Thurisaz - Protection and Challenge
Thurisaz is the thorn rune, associated with the god Thor. It represents protective force, defensive power, and the challenges that test and strengthen us. It warns of obstacles while offering the power to overcome them.
Ansuz - Divine Communication
Ansuz is connected to Odin, the god of wisdom and poetry. It represents divine inspiration, communication, wisdom, and the power of the spoken word. It signals messages, insights, and meaningful conversations.
Raidho - Journey and Movement
Raidho means ride or journey. It represents travel, both physical and spiritual, right action, moral compass, and the rhythm of life. It suggests forward movement and alignment with your true path.
Kenaz - Knowledge and Illumination
Kenaz means torch. It represents knowledge, creativity, technical skill, illumination, and the fire of inspiration. It signals breakthroughs in understanding and the light that dispels darkness.
Gebo - Gift and Partnership
Gebo means gift. It represents generosity, partnership, balance in relationships, and the sacred exchange between humans and the divine. It has no reversed position, as a true gift flows freely in both directions.
Wunjo - Joy and Harmony
Wunjo represents joy, pleasure, harmony, and the fulfillment that comes from alignment with your true nature. It signals a period of happiness, fellowship, and wishes fulfilled.
Heimdall's Aett: Runes 9-16
Hagalaz - Disruption and Transformation
Hagalaz means hail. It represents sudden disruption, uncontrolled forces, and the destruction that precedes necessary transformation. Though challenging, it clears the ground for new growth.
Nauthiz - Need and Resistance
Nauthiz represents need, constraint, necessity, and the friction that generates wisdom. It acknowledges suffering while pointing toward the strength that emerges from enduring hardship with patience.
Isa - Stillness and Ice
Isa means ice. It represents standstill, blockage, introspection, and the clarity that comes from complete stillness. It counsels patience and inward focus during frozen periods.
Jera - Harvest and Cycles
Jera means year or harvest. It represents the natural cycle of cause and effect, patience rewarded, and the harvest that follows diligent effort. It confirms that your work will bear fruit in due time.
Eihwaz - Endurance and Connection
Eihwaz represents the yew tree, symbolizing endurance, death and rebirth, and the connection between worlds. The yew is evergreen and extremely long-lived, representing the continuity of life through all transformations.
Perthro - Mystery and Fate
Perthro represents the unknown, fate, hidden knowledge, and the well of destiny. It speaks to secrets being revealed, the workings of fate, and the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of events.
Algiz - Protection and Spiritual Connection
Algiz represents the protective power of the divine. Its shape resembles a person reaching upward toward the heavens. It offers spiritual protection, connection to higher guidance, and the awakening of spiritual awareness.
Sowilo - Victory and Wholeness
Sowilo means sun. It represents victory, success, life force, wholeness, and the radiant energy of the sun. It signals triumph, health, vitality, and the achievement of your highest potential.
Tyr's Aett: Runes 17-24
Tiwaz - Justice and Honor
Tiwaz is associated with the god Tyr, who sacrificed his hand to bind the wolf Fenrir. It represents justice, honor, sacrifice for the greater good, and the courage to act rightly.
Berkano - Growth and Nurturing
Berkano means birch. It represents new beginnings, fertility, nurturing, growth, and the gentle power of renewal. It is associated with birth, motherhood, and the care of growing things.
Ehwaz - Partnership and Trust
Ehwaz means horse. It represents loyal partnership, trust, cooperation, and the bond between rider and mount. It signals teamwork, mutual respect, and harmonious collaboration.
Mannaz - Humanity and Self
Mannaz represents the human being, the self, intelligence, culture, and the interconnected web of human relationships. It speaks to self-knowledge, cooperation, and the shared human experience.
Laguz - Water and Intuition
Laguz means water or lake. It represents intuition, the unconscious mind, dreams, and the flowing nature of emotions. It counsels trusting your instincts and going with the natural flow.
Ingwaz - Fertility and Completion
Ingwaz is associated with the god Ing (Freyr). It represents fertility, internal growth, the completion of a cycle, and the potential energy stored within a seed before it sprouts.
Dagaz - Breakthrough and Awakening
Dagaz means day or dawn. It represents breakthrough, awakening, clarity, and the turning point between darkness and light. It signals a moment of illumination and positive transformation.
Othala - Heritage and Home
Othala represents ancestral heritage, inherited property, home, and the spiritual legacy passed down through generations. It connects you to your roots, traditions, and the wisdom of your ancestors.
How to Read Runes
Single rune draw: Draw one rune from a bag for daily guidance or a quick answer to a specific question. This simple method provides focused insight.
Three-rune spread: Draw three runes representing past, present, and future; or situation, challenge, and outcome. This offers a narrative arc of understanding.
Five-rune cross: Place runes in a cross pattern representing the present situation, past influences, future direction, factors working for you, and the likely outcome.
Reversed runes: When a rune falls upside down, its meaning may be blocked, delayed, or internalized. Not all practitioners use reversals. Some runes (Gebo, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Ingwaz, Dagaz) look the same in either orientation.
Developing intuition: While learning traditional meanings is essential, rune reading deepens when you develop personal intuitive connections with each symbol. Spend time meditating with individual runes to build this relationship.
Runes in Spiritual Practice
Beyond divination, runes serve as tools for meditation, magical practice, and spiritual development. Each rune can be used as a focus for contemplation, revealing layers of meaning that deepen over time.
Rune meditation involves focusing on a single rune, its shape, sound, and associated meanings, allowing insights to arise naturally. Some practitioners chant the rune name (galdr) or trace the shape in the air while meditating.
The entire Elder Futhark can be understood as a spiritual journey from Fehu (material existence) through increasingly subtle and profound states of awareness to Othala (ancestral wholeness). Walking this path rune by rune mirrors the soul journey from the material world through challenge, transformation, and ultimately integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do runes mean?
Runes are ancient alphabetic symbols used by Germanic and Norse peoples. Each of the 24 Elder Futhark runes carries a specific meaning connected to natural forces, human experience, and spiritual principles.
How do you read runes?
Draw runes from a bag or cast them onto a cloth while focusing on a question. Common layouts include single rune draws, three-rune spreads, and the nine-rune cast. Each position and orientation offers insight.
What is the most powerful rune?
While no single rune is universally most powerful, Algiz (protection), Ansuz (divine communication), and Sowilo (victory) are often regarded as especially potent. The most powerful rune depends on context and intention.