Have you heard the Silent One?
The Fifth Conversation
Younger: I supposed I have to learn Runes if I'm going to be a gothi.
Elder: Nobody is going to make you learn them, but it is probably a good idea.
Younger: I suppose they look cool and are part of the culture.
Elder: There is that, but there is more as well.
Younger: Like what?
Elder: To start, like you said, they are part of the culture. If you want to be able read ancient writings, like Rune Stones or other inscriptions, you will need to know. Since a gothi is also a teacher in the community, you will want to be able to teach others to read and write in Runes as well. We use them for written communication as well as art for part of our identity.
Younger: How many Runes are there?
Elder: That depends on which set you are talking about. Different regions had different sets to meet their linguistic needs. You will mostly encounter three forms of Futhark: the Elder, the Younger, and the Anglo-Saxon. The Elder is generally thought of as the foundation, the Younger were used in Scandinavia at a later time, and the Anglo-Saxon, of course, was used by those folks.
Younger: What is Futhark?
Elder: That is a name given to the Runic alphabets. It is based on the first six Runes of the Elder Futhark. It's like the way the word "alphabet" is made of the names of the first two Greek letters: Alpha and Beta. It helps differentiate from other scripts that have been called "runic" but are not specifically our Runes.
Younger: Where did they come from?
Elder: There are two thoughts on that. The historian will tell you that they were based on Etruscan writing that expanded northward into the Germanic tribes and gradually adapted to western and northern germanic language. Religiously, Odin sacrificed Himself to Himself and discovered the Runes as symbols of the fundamental forces of the universe. He gave different sets of Runes to the allies of the Gods in the different Worlds. For example, the elves got Runes appropriate to their nature and we humans got Runes appropriate to ours.
Younger: So how do I get good at writing with them?
Elder: Like with all things, diligent study and practice. Get yourself some ruled paper, graph-ruled will work well, and practice making the shapes of the Runes. When you are comfortable with that, start writing words with them. It will be like when you first learned to write in primary school.
Younger: What kinds of things should I write? Do I have to learn an ancient language?
Elder: It doesn't hurt to learn an ancient language, but that is not necessary. You can write words from a modern language using the Runes as the alphabet. Be warned, the Runes do not line up exactly with modern letters. You have to spell phonetically, matching the way the word sounds when you say it and finding the closest Rune for sound. Sometimes, because there is no perfect match, your writing will end up with a Runic accent.
Younger: Okay, so I'll learn to read and write. Don't some people do fortune telling with Runes too?
Elder: Remember how I said the Runes represented the fundamental forces of the universe? Each reflects a vibration in the Wyrd. Some people use blocks of stone, bone, or wood with the Runes on them. They draw these blocks from a bag or spill them onto a cloth and then interpret those Runes as representing the forces currently at play. This form of divination, called Runemal, gives them insight into the way things are going.
Younger: Do I need to learn this too?
Elder: You should at least be familiar enough with the practice that you can try to use it. Some people have a natural talent for this practice. Others can develop skill over time. Others find their strengths lie elsewhere.
Even if you do not predict the future, the practice of pulling Rune blocks from a bag and then meditating on them can be beneficial. Anything you can do to increase your understanding of the Wyrd and the Worlds will benefit you.
Younger: This sounds very mystical. I never heard about our ancestors doing anything like that. I always heard about the raiding and fighting.
Elder: All human cultures have a mystical side, but it doesn't make for exciting stories on long winter nights. It is worse when many of the stories are told by your enemies who wish to portray you as beasts.
Younger: So I need to learn to read and write Runes as well as learn at least a little, what did you call it, Runemal? Is there anything else?
Elder: Some apply their Rune knowledge in the reverse of Runemal. Instead of reading the forces affecting the Wyrd, they apply Runes to change the vibrations of the Wyrd. You can think of this as a form of magic.
Younger: How does that work? Do they pull blocks out of the bag in a planned pattern?
Elder: Not quite. There are many practices. The main ones involve carving or painting the Runes on a surface of some sort, such as a medallion or pole standing in the ground. Others will stand in the form of the Rune or chant the name of the Rune. Some will do something as simple as drawing the Rune in the air with a finger, wand, or knife. They will often combine the necessary Runes into a single symbol called a Bind Rune.
Younger: Do a lot of Asatru people do this?
Elder: Maybe a little. They may draw a Rune on a small object to make the object take on certain properties. Some will apply appropriate Runes to their car before a trip to sort of bless the car. It is common to have victory-related Runes on weapons. Many will add healing Runes to whatever their physicians have prescribed when they or someone close to them is ill.
Younger: Do most gothis do this?
Elder: Like with Runemal, most would at least be familiar. Some may try it out and decide to continue. Others are less enthused.
Younger: If it worked, wouldn't we all use it to make things better?
Elder: Perhaps. We run into the same issues with any complex system. Say you wish to improve the wellness of your lawn so the plants there can grow strong and healthy. Your neighbor wants his shade tree to grow strong and healthy. The shade from the tree blocks the sun from your lawn. Though both people are attempting to do good things, they are still at odds because they each have a slightly different point view. The same applies when trying to change the vibrations of the Wyrd; there can be conflicting forces. That's assuming that you know enough about the Runes and have the strength of skill to make those changes.
Younger: You make that seem a little dangerous.
Elder: Most things are, when you think about them.
Younger: Okay, so I will learn to read and write Runes. I'll learn a little about Runemal, and I may look a little into doing Rune magic. Where can I get the blocks with the Runes? Do I have to go to an expert craftsperson?
Elder: It is best if you make your own Rune blocks. That will make them very personal. Some people start by buying a set. Some crafters make sets. There are also mass market sets which usually come with a book. Some of those are controversial.
Younger: What could make them controversial?
Elder: Some of the sets include what they call a "blank Rune". This is a block that does not have any markings on it. They say that this represents things that are unknowable or are too complex to show with the regular Runes. Traditionalists say that there is no such thing as a blank Rune and that the Rune known as Peorth already represents the unknowable.
Younger: So I should avoid the sets with the blank Rune?
Elder: That is up to you. I do not use them myself.
Younger: You said the sets often come with a book. Will the book teach me what I need to know?
Elder: That depends on the book. Most of the books I've seen that come with the sets will only teach an introductory level of knowledge. You will need to find other sources to go further.
Younger: I'm a little worried about using Runes in public. The only time you see Runes anywhere, it's usually on the flag or shields of some Nazi group.
Elder: The media often only show the most sensational images in order to rouse an audience. A gothi is a teacher, and it is important for us to teach people that there is nothing about the Runes to support anger, hatred, or racism. The Runes are far older than these groups. If we don't let people know that others use the Runes, the Runes will eventually be banned like the swastika was banned in Germany because their Nazis used it.
Younger: I suppose you have some book recommendations?
Elder: Of course. But to start, I will recommend that you read the Wikipedia page on Runes. It includes a list of the Rune characters along with the pronunciation from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This guide will help greatly with learning the sounds of the Runes so that you learn them correctly. Without such a guide, it is likely that you will learn the sounds with a strong leaning toward the sounds of your native language.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes
- Taking Up the Runes by Diana L. Paxson
- Wyrdworking by Alaric Albertsson
- Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic by Jenny Blain