Meditations
on the Anglo Saxon Rune Poem
The aim of this section is to present a
series of mediations based around the old Anglo Saxon Rune Poem.
This is a very interesting and powerful
poem, with many different aspects to it.
Firstly, it is based around the old FUÐORC or Germanic alphabet and at
one level simply records this alphabet with a short verse for each letter. As with our modern alphabet, each letter
represents a specific sound of the language.
However, unlike our modern alphabet, each letter also has a specific
meaning. At one level, this is something
simple such as a plant, animal or an action such as riding. However, embedded into this is a much deeper
symbology that speaks of ancient wisdom and knowledge.
Whilst the ideas inherent in this poem
undoubtedly have pre-Christian origins, the poem itself is thought to have been
written down in the eighth or ninth centuries AD, placing it well into the
Christian era. Indeed, it was
rediscovered in a monastery and the written version we have has been
Christianised. As such, it is an
extremely valuable resource to the English Folk Christian wishing to connect
with his or her distant ancestors and with the culture they lived in – yet
doing so in a Christian context.
The poem is organised into three sets
of eight verses, or aetts, with letters derived from the elder FUÐORC held in
common with other Germanic ‘alphabets’.
In addition to these, are a further five characters added into the Anglo
Saxon language to accommodate new sounds resulting from greater contact with
other peoples and especially the Latin tongue.
It is suggested that a Rosary could be
used to help in this meditation. Remember
that the Old English word for prayer is ‘bede’ – each rosary bede is therefore
a prayer offered to God. The rosary
would be divided into three sets of eight beads, each with an appropriate Runic
inscription. As you pass each bead
through your fingers, you should say the sound of the Rune (either mentally to
yourself or out aloud as you prefer) and between each bead ponder on its
meaning. A meditation is given below for
each runic character.
Tony Linsell’s ‘Anglo Saxon Mythology,
Migration & Magic’ is specifically acknowledged as a source of inspiration
for this project.
First Ætt
a
feoh
feoh byð frofur fira gehwylcum
sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
wealth is a comfort to all men
yet everyone should freely give it
to win glory and honour before God in
heaven.
In its most literal sense feoh, means
money or wealth and is related to our modern word 'fee'. Traditionally it is associated with cattle,
as this is how our ancestors often saved and increased their wealth, much as
today we put it into a bank. At face
value, we may think it is about wealth, perhaps about saving it up or the
importance of having and not having it.
But it is actually telling us much more.
The verse is composed of two different statements:
Firstly, "wealth is a comfort to all
men". Here we have a clear
statement that wealth is not in itself bad.
It is a 'comfort'. This does not
mean "comfort" in the lazy, luxurious sense, but rather
'security'. It is the ability to not
have to worry where your next meal is coming from, where you might live, how
you will keep warm in winter and so on.
We still say "I'm not rich, but I'm comfortable". With the security of a degree of wealth
behind us, we can actually become less concerned with material things and turn
our attention to more spiritual matters.
Secondly, "yet each must give freely
to win glory in heaven". This is
both advice and a warning. The warning
is that whilst wealth in itself is not a bad thing, we should not become obsessive
about it. In particular, we should not
become obsessive about acquiring it and hoarding it. It is what we do with our wealth that is
important, not what we have. There are
many myths and stories about dragons guarding great hoards of treasure. Indeed, the dragon in this sense can be seen
as the greedy and avaricious side of our nature. Anglo Saxon Christians associated dragons
with evil and the devil. Unnecessary
hoarding of our wealth will invoke a greedy and mean spirit within us.
The type wealth embodied in feoh does not
have to be money. It can be happiness or
contentedness. But it also refers to
spiritual wealth. Our spiritual journey
is to learn and to develop and to move closer to God. Our Lord guides us on this journey and as we
progress we become more whole or holy; literally more spiritually healthy.
The final part of the verse tells of
winning dom, or glory and honour before God in
heaven. At one level, dom
refers to how we are remembered in this world.
Glory, in this sense, is the outward manifestation of our earthly
courage and fame. But it is much more
than this. The poem does not refer to
winning glory on earth, but rather in heaven.
In the Christian tradition, glory actually refers to the transcending of
our earthly bodies into a higher plane as we enter heaven. Earthly wealth can provide comfort for us in
this world. But it can also tie us to
this world. The poem here is not just
telling us how we can be remembered in this world, but is telling us that our
true ‘doom’, or destiny, is to transcend this earthly life, and earthly
material, in order to advance towards a higher state of spiritual existence in
heaven.
u
felafrecne deor feohteþ mid hornum
mære morstapa þæt is modig wuht
The aurochs is determined and horned above
Fierce and bold this beast fights with
horns
A mighty stepper over moors, it is a
courageous creature.
The Aurochs was a primitive ancestor of
the wild ox which is now extinct. This
sense of primitiveness is embodied in the word '
An initiation rite for young Germanic
warriors involved hunting and killing an Aurochs armed only with basic weapons
such as spear and knife. The Aurochs was
a formidable foe and victory in the hunt was by no means assured. Hunting it required courage, stamina and
patience.
"Fight the good fight with all thy
might".
Our Lord showed courage and
determination. Allowing himself to be
crucified was not the act of a meek victim, but one of great courage in meeting
great adversity head on. He did not
cower on the Cross, but faced this cruel test with dignity and strength. This is an important facet of Germanic
Christianity and one that is strongly reflected through our early literature
and mythology. Our folk faith does not
teach us to cower in the face of hostility or turn the other cheek and let
people walk over us. Our ancient warrior
tradition has been absorbed into biblical Christianity and we know when we must
stand firm and fight against that which would do us harm. We still value the characteristics of
strength used to a good purpose, of honest toil and endurance in the face of
all sorts of difficulties. These
characteristics were clearly shown by Our Lord on the cross. Yet through this dreadful trial of courage,
strength and endurance, he has emerged the victor over death - the victor over
darkness.
T
þorn
þorn bið þearle scearp þegna gehwylcum
anfengys yfyl ungemetum reþe
manna gehwylcum ðe mid him resteð
Thorn is very sharp for everyone
Evil to take hold of immeasurably severe
To everyone who reside with him.
In mythology, the 'Thurs' are giants,
representing the forces of chaos; the raw uncontrolled energy that existed
before the cosmos was brought into being.
It was these energies that the gods used to bring about the creation of
the cosmos. The actual act of creation
could be described as a sudden burst of cosmic energy, akin to the theory of
the 'big bang' or a clap of thunder.
This is expressed mythologically as the slaying of the 'primal matter'
(Ymir) by Woden, Will and Weoh. Thorn
represents the cosmic energy unleashed by this creative and protective
power. Our ancestors called this power
Thunder and attributed the personality of Thunnor or Thor to it. Left uncontrolled, these destructive energies
continue to work against the order of creation and would ultimately return it
back to the nothingness of the Ginnungagap.
Thunnor is depicted in the mythology as constantly battling these forces
in order to hold them in check and maintain the order of creation.
Thorn therefore reminds us of Christ the
Pantokreter, or the Cosmic Christ. This
title signifies his all-powerful rule over all things and his role of holding
all creation together. The Gospels teach
that it is Christ who brought about creation and it is he who holds it together
against the forces that would return it to the void. In Thorn, we therefore see a powerful foreshadowing
of a central part of Christian theology and in Thor a foreshadowing of the role
of the Cosmic Christ as Pantokreter.
St Paul teaches that through the
Pantokreter, God not only holds all things together, but also draws the created
universe back to himself. We are thus
reminded of the mystical body of Christ.
o
os
os byþ ordfruma ælcere spræce
wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur
and eorla gehwam eaddnys and tohiht
God is the source of all speech
Wisdom’s support and comfort to councillors
And for everyone a blessing and hope
Originally meaning God, 'Os' came to be
translated in Christian times by its Latin meaning, 'mouth'. However, this could have been a deliberate
play on words as we shall see. Infact,
the word is derived from the proto-Germanic word 'Ansus' meaning ancestor and
the Rune is still called Anzuz in the Germanic Fuþarc.
The connection between God, ancestors and
mouth is an important one and is most unlikely to be coincidental. Our pre-Christian ancestors saw their gods as
literally their own ancestors. They were
created by them and were part of the same family.
Os also reminds us of God as the Word -
the mouth piece. It was the divine Word,
or Logos, that brought everything into existence out of the void of chaos or
Ginnungagap. Through Os, we can start to
understand the nature of the Word, who is the source of not just all speech,
but of all creative thought and expression.
The Word is the means by which the thoughts and the will of God are
expressed in a tangible form.
Os is therefore about the ability to
communicate, but it also represents the hidden body of ancestral wisdom -
ancient knowledge stored up for us to explore.
It encourages us to think about the way Our Lord teaches us about God,
how we come to know God by learning from him.
The Word is a blessing and inspiration to us because He shows us the way
through the spiritual darkness along the path of light towards an ever closer
union with God.
But Os also teaches us about the Word as
our ancestor. Our folk religion teaches
that different peoples develop different relationships with God and that the
Word has been made known to them in different ways over the years. Although fulfilled through the incarnation as
Jesus Christ, the Word has been revealed to our folk before this. Our mythology teaches us of how God, in the
form of Woden (wisdom), Will (will) and Weoh (holiness) breathed the spirit of
life into us; gave us a will and blessed us with holiness.
Our mythology associates Woden with
wisdom, speech, communication and inspired word craft such as poetry. It is Woden who hung nine long nights from
the world tree and passed through to the very depths of the cosmos to receive
the knowledge of all things which is locked in the Runes. In this story, lies a very powerful
reflection of Christ crucified – not simply to wash away our sins, but to take
us with him into a journey of greater wisdom and knowledge of God and eventual
union with the Godhead.
r
rad
rad byð on recyde rinca gewhwlcum
sefte and swiþhwæt ðam ðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas
Travelling seems easy to a warrior in his
own hall
For those who cover the mile-paths
on a sturdy steed.
When we are undertaking a long and difficult
journey, it often seems that it would be so much easier if we were able to do
it from the comfort of our own homes. We
long to be back in familiar and comfortable surroundings. Conversely, a long and difficult journey can
seem easy when we are just thinking about it at home!
We make plans at home, but actually
carrying these plans out is much more difficult. It is easier to make plans than to take
action. It is easier to think than to
do. And yet both are necessary. There is no point in a well planned course of
action if we do nothing to bring it about.
But it is better to make sure that our actions are well planned and
difficulties thought through and prepared for as best we can.
Rad represents the point at which we translate
thought into action, the point at which thinking becomes doing. It seems to be too much of a coincidence that
this Rune comes immediately after Os which embodies the power of thought and
expression. After the thinking comes the
doing!
But the message carries a deeper
meaning. There is a tension in the verse
between our home - our comfort zone - and the hard ride in the wilderness. To achieve real results we often have to move
beyond the comfortable and familiar and stretch ourselves somewhat. When we are hard pressed in the outside world
though, we can draw comfort from our familiar world and the thought of
returning to it.
Another interesting thought on the
relationship between Rad and Os is that Os (God or mouth) is often associated
with God as Woden. In mythology, he
rides on an eight legged horse called Sleipnir; symbolising his shamanic
journey to the depths of the cosmos to recover the Runes themselves. Thus not only does thought lead to expression
and action, but action leads to further thought and learning. Woden is strongly connected to the quest for
knowledge and understanding. He is the
embodiment of divine wisdom. His journey
brought us the Runes, which are sacred windows into the wisdom of God. Christ as the Logos, or Word of God, draws us
closer to the Godhead through the wisdom and knowledge embodied in the Runes.
At the heart of this
journey and at the heart of the Runes is the mystical body of Christ.
c
cen
cen byð cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre
blac and beorhtlic byrneð oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restað
the torch is known to all living creatures
by its fire
pale and bright it burns most often
where princes rest within
Cen is usually translated as 'torch'; but
is related to our modern words 'ken', 'canny' or even 'cunning', which imply a
sense of 'knowing', sometimes through a sixth sense or intuition. The torch represented by Cen is the inner
light that burns within and enlightens and informs us. It is part of our intuitive skills and
suggests divine guidance and enlightenment.
Our Lord is described as 'the light'.
It is this light that breaks through the darkness and leads us to a
greater understanding of God and ultimately to wholeness in the unity of the
Godhead. The inner light within us is a
spark of the divine flame or energies.
It is this spiritual part of ourselves that is instinctively attracted
to the Godhead and which seeks to transform the limitations of our earthly
human condition. It is the light that is
the way, the truth and the life. As this
suggests; Christ lies within us, just as much as he is around us.
Cen also implies the gift of being able
to think clearly and to focus on information we need to solve a certain problem
or make a certain decision. It is the
power to be able to use the information we have, relate it to what we know and
thereby to learn. We see this most
clearly expressed in mythology through Woden who is driven by this flame.
But the torch is also the divine flame
around which we can unite with our kith and kin. It can form the basis of community or common
action. It can be the burning passion of
common goals or a collective course of action to meet our needs. In Cen, we know God is with us when we struggle
for what is right.
g
gyfu gumena byð gleng and herenys
wraþu and weorþscype and wræcna gehwam
ar and ætwist ðe byð oþra leas
Giving is for everyone glorious and
praiseworthy
A measure of worthiness
And for the needy
Help and sustenance they would not
otherwise have
Giving is a good thing to do. Giving is better than receiving. Our culture places much emphasis on the act
of giving, be it charity or exchanging presents.
Those of us with sufficient wealth can
help those without. This is the basis of
community and civilised society. But
people have different things to give and have different needs. One person may be rich in one thing, perhaps
money, and can give to those who are not materially well off. Another person may be poor in terms of
wealth, but be endowed with gifts of being able to sing, or make us laugh or
offer spiritual comfort. Thus the act of
giving can be reciprocal. That a gift
should be returned by a gift is a very old North European maxim. Thus we have the basis for exchanging
presents at Yuletide, 'returning a favour', or being indebted to someone.
Giving is at the heart of sacrifice,
which really means giving up something we value for the sake of something more
important. This lies at the heart of the
Christian faith. God offered himself as
a sacrifice in order to show us that there is life after death. As Christ's earthly body died on the cross,
he was reborn in a new form - his glorified body. The resurrected Christ continues to show us
the way to God and gently draws us in.
In Havamal, we read a similar story of
how Woden (Odin) offers himself as a sacrifice for the benefit of humankind.
"wounded with
a spear, dedicated to Woden, myself to myself".
Though Woden did not physically die on
the Irminsul, he did give up an eye in return for inner sight or a knowledge of
the mysteries of the Cosmos as contained in the Runes. In other words, he offered his old self as a
sacrifice and was changed into a higher state through this act. This is what 'glorification' means.
w
wen
wen ne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt
sares and forge and him sylfa hæfð
blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht
Joyful is he who does not know suffering
Pain and sorrow
But has for himself wealth and happiness
And a nice home
At face value, Wen is telling us that
those of us who have everything we need and do not know pain and sorrow are, or
should be, full of joy. Conversely,
although it is not spelt out, those of us who know poverty, pain and sorrow are
less likely to be full of joy. We are
being taught that we should be joyful when we recognise our good fortune and be
thankful of it. This applies to
spiritual good fortune as much as to material things. We should recognise and rejoice in our
friends and family, our happiness and health just as much as in being able to
live a comfortable life.
To have wealth and happiness is a good
thing, but we should recognise our good fortune. It is something to strive for, to work
towards - not just for us but for others.
Conversely, pain and sorrow is something we should not strive for! We may have to deal with pain and sorrow, and
should do so with courage, but it is not something we should seek out - either
for ourselves or for others.
But Wen has much more to teach us than
this. The actual word in Old English is Wenn
(Wenn) which also means hope and expectation, or 'wish'. It is related to the German 'Wonne' and
proto-Germanic 'Wunjo'. Thus
'joyfulness' is related to our ability to hope or wish. Happiness can be attained by a belief that we
can improve our lot and that things will get better. In a spiritual sense, joy comes about through
the hope that we will attain everlasting life through being closer to God. Indeed, 'Wunjo' can mean 'fulfilment' or
'perfection'.
In mythology, Woden is sometimes called
Oski - the fulfiller of wishes. The
mythological stories tell of him granting wishes to people, sometimes ensuring
they get precisely what they ask for rather than what they meant! The moral in these tales is not so much that
we should be clear about what we request, but that God is telling us that often
what we think we want is not what we really want or need.
This is our hope and our
joy.
Second Ætt
h
hægl
hægl byþ hwitust corna
hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte
wealcaþ hit windes scura
weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan
Hail is the whitest of grains
It swirls down from the heavens above
It is tossed about by stormy winds
And then turns into water
A hailstorm can be extremely
destructive. Rather than giving much needed
water to thirsty plants, it can destroy them.
But then the hail will itself turn into the very water they need!
In mythology, Hail embodies the power of
eternal ice and reaches through the primal world into Nifelham, or the land of
eternal cold and darkness. It is a
window into the underworld, the world of shadows, the place where souls reside
who have gone backwards in terms of spiritual evolution. It can be frightening and dangerous and warns
us of what that world of Nifelham is like.
But it also returns to its original state
of water, the source of life and the mixing of eternal ice with primal
fire. As such, it teaches us that the
coldness of Nifelham can be overcome and warmed through. Souls residing there can be lifted back
towards heaven through the unconditional love of Our Lord.
As a consequence of this, Hail is
associated with protection against bad weather and the potentially destructive
forces of nature. It was placed on
people's front doors as a sign of welcome and that the home was a shelter from
the elements. The word 'hail' implies a
greeting, a warm welcome. It also
implies a blessing and is linked to words such as whole, holy and health. Outwardly representing the dark and
frightening force of the worst part of the underworld, it also offers
protection and eventual release from that world. It
is therefore a symbol of the ultimate place of safety and shelter - that of
heaven itself. Heaven means 'haven', a
place of safety. In Christ we have the
eternal hope that we will be raised out of the darkness and cold up into the
shelter of heaven. Christ, through his
passion on the cross, reaches down into the very depths of the cold underworld
of Nifelham and gathers us up to heaven.
We too can display the Hægl rune as a
sign of welcome and safety. We can place
it at the entrance to our home, Church or anywhere else we feel
appropriate. As a sign, it represents
more than just a shelter though. It is a
symbol of our journey to heaven and our trust in Christ.
n
nyd
nyd byþ nearu on breostan
niþa bearnum weorþeþ hi ðeah
oft to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre
gif hi his hlystaþ æror
Necessity grips the heart
And yet it can often be a help and
salvation
To the children of men
If they address it soon enough
Nyd (Need) is one of our most
basic human instincts. We know that we
need food and drink to survive and that we need to keep warm in the
winter. It is an instinct that drives us
on and keeps us going. Necessity and
hardship can be very difficult and depressing, but it is often when the going
gets tough that our survival instincts are at their strongest. 'Necessity is the mother of invention', they
say.
One of our primal needs, especially in
northern climes, is fire.
Primal fire represents one of the two
equal and opposite forces that permeate the cosmos from which all matter is
derived. Thus fire is not just a basic
need, it is a part of the primal cosmos.
Unlike the other primal energy, represented by ice, it is vibrant,
active and full of energy. Potentially
dangerous, it can be harnessed to bring warmth and life. On its own, unpredictable and powerful. But when controlled properly, absolutely
essential to life and evolution.
Fire represents the spark of divinity
that courses through all things. The
fire that gives rise to the light, the Word of God who leads us out of the
darkness to the Godhead. It is the spark
of divinity that came amongst us in human form.
In the olden days, our ancestors used to
make a Nyd Fyr (Need Fire) by rubbing two pieces of wood together and the runic
character represents this action. The
Nyd Fyr ritual involved two children creating a fire at opposite ends of a
sacred enclosure. This would be the
first act of a religious ritual and symbolically cleansed the area. Cattle would sometimes be driven between the
two fires in order to ensure their health and fertility; a practice we know
about because it was expressly banned by the
The Need Rune also teaches us the
importance of friction as a means of turning needs into positive outcomes and
weaknesses into strengths. It teaches us
about the need for self sufficiency and self preservation; the strength of
resistance and defiance. It teaches us
how to overcome stress through developing our inner strengths or inner fire.
Hardship and necessity can come about
through the random acts of chaos depicted in our mythology as the work of
Giants. People often refer to these as
'acts' of God, although they are no such thing.
They are just random occurrences brought about by the forces of chaos
that God constantly battles to keep under control.
i
is
is byþ oferceald ungemetum slidor
glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust
flor forste geworuht fæger ansyne
Ice is very cold immeasurably slippery
It glistens as bright as glass as though it
were gems
A floor wrought with frost fair to behold
Ice is cold and solid. It is the opposite of fire, which is hot and
lively. It can represent inertia, the
tendency not to do anything and to resist change. Yet when brought into contact with fire, it
melts and produces water - the very basis of life itself. Fire and ice represent the cosmic opposites
that come together to produce the basic material of existence as we know
it.
Ice is a binding force; it holds things
together. It holds things tight as it
freezes water solid. It appears to be
still, calm and has an inner strength of solidity.
Yet it is not static. There is movement within it that we cannot
see. Icebergs move, but very
slowly. The force of these movements is
irresistible and can create huge natural features such as valleys. This is not the quick force of fire that can
flare up without notice and be extinguished almost as fast. This is the slow, constant movement of change
that we may not at first notice, but which will eventually have profound
effects upon our lives.
And so it is with our relationship with
God. The relationship is a
little distant, perhaps a little cold.
We do not know God as well as we should and as well as we would
like. The Ice Rune reflects the natural
tendency to stick with what we know.
What we know is often not what leads to spiritual evolution. Inertia in our everyday lives slows down our
spiritual progress and reflects the wastelands of Nifelham.
We need the light and the fire of Our
Lord to break through this inertia and use its properties to help our spiritual
evolution. Warmth is what makes Ice
dynamic – the slow but solid growth of faith.
Ice glistens bright as though it were
precious gems. It can be beautiful to
behold, but very dangerous. It looks
very solid and yet will easily slip out of your hands. That which may look alluring can be very
dangerous. It reminds us to be wary of
false promises and easy paths to God.
These may seem alluring on the outside, but they are cold and sterile
within. The Kingdom is revealed through
the light - the fire of Nyd - the Word of God.
The light dispels the cold and the dark.
Ice also represents the slow, but sure
advancement of the kingdom of heaven and of our own steady spiritual
growth. Outwardly, it may gleam with
bright symbols. We may misunderstand the
importance of these - attaching an overtly worldly value to them. But inwardly, it remains solid and firm and
provides the basis for true spiritual development.
The Ice Rune therefore teaches us to be
wary of what might seem bright and alluring.
It teaches that superficial beauty and allure may mask a cold
interior. A bright surface does not
always mean a warm interior. But, it
also teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is a solid reality behind all the
glitz and glamour we may build up around it.
We need to focus on this solid reality and not the shiny surface that so
easily slips away when we try to hold it.
j
ger
ger byþ gumena hiht ðonne god læteþ
halig heofones cyning hrusan syllan
beorhte blæda beornum and þearfum
A fruitful year is joyful to everyone
When God, the holy king of Heaven,
Brings forth the gifts of our mother earth
Bright crops for both rich and poor
Sometimes, this Rune is translated as
'harvest', but is more literally 'year'.
The term ' a fruitful' year' recognises the yearly cycle of planting and
tending crops, then eventually harvesting them.
God brings forth the gifts of our mother earth. This verse reflects the Ercebot, an early
eleventh century charm for unfruitful land, which contains the following words:
Erce, Erce, Erce, Earth Mother,
May the Almighty Eternal Lord grant you fields to increase and
flourish
Fields sprouting and thriving, flourishing and bountiful
Bright shafts of millet crops, broad
barley crops and white wheat crops
And all the fruits of the earth
May you be well, earth, mother of men,
May you grow in the embrace of God,
filled with food for the benefit of men
These are both Christian poems, yet both
contain the seeds of an earlier understanding.
The spirit of God interacts with the material of our mother the earth to
produce the new life - the gifts of our mother.
In some respects, it is hard to think of a Christian verse that better
encapsulates the spiritual thinking of the older faith our ancestor's held
before their conversion.
These gifts include the birth of Our
Lord. The spirit of God comes together
with the earthly mother to produce the son who is both fully God and fully
human. He embodies the fruit of the
earth; our spiritual and physical nourishment.
He is our guide to a deeper spirituality and to progress towards
God. In the Eucharist, we offer back to
God the fruits of the earth and in turn are nourished by the very body and
blood of Christ. Through this
sacramental process, we are brought to God through Christ.
We are reminded that the various
activities of the agricultural year are intended to achieve a specific
goal. We fertilise and prepare the
fields, plant the crops, water and nurture them before we harvest. In the same way, there is a Church year, one
that plots the main events of the life of Our Lord. This also leads to a specific goal; the
glorification of Christ, his conquest of death and ascension into heaven. The Church celebrates this cycle of events
each year and looks to the risen Christ to raise each one of us up to glory in
God through his own body and blood.
In the olden days, our ancestors honoured
the god Ing Frey (Ingeld) as the god of peace and plentiful harvests. He was born of the spirit father and earth
mother and in mythology ‘died’ in winter and was reborn each spring to
represent the new life and he victory of life over death. He was also the protector and progenitor of
the Western Germanic people and was believed to have dwelt among us. He was seen as a friend of the people, a
beacon of light pointing towards his father.
Through Ing, our ancestors therefore had
a foreshadowing of Christ – to be fulfilled in the person of Jesus.
I
eoh
eoh byð utan unsmeþe treow
heard hrusan fæst hyrde fyres
wyrtrumun underwreþyd wyn on eþle
The yew is an unsmooth tree on the outside
Held firm in the earth, roots twisting
beneath
Guardian of fire and a joy on the land
Yew is one of the trees used to symbolise
the mystical Irminsul, the world tree our ancestors saw as a metaphor for the
cosmos. On its surface, it is just a
rough tree. But in its upper branches
lies the
In the lower branches of the tree lies
the
The three roots of this great tree pass
through the earth, down through the primal world of Hel which our ancestors saw
as a land of brightness and healing rather than of eternal damnation and
torment. Within the realm, lay the place
of eternal cold and darkness. This is
the place that our ancestors saw as the realm of darkness and shadows. But we can live in confidence that Christ will
lift those souls out of Nifelham into the light and indeed raise them up into
Heaven itself.
Yew is an evergreen. As such, it symbolises longevity and the
concept of eternal life and salvation.
Interestingly, its leaves and berries are poisonous and can lead to
death. Yet, it is also said that a
powerful herbal remedy can be made from these same leaves.
It was from the Irminsul that Woden hung
for nine long nights, passing through the primal world of Hel into the very
core of the cosmos. From here, he
retrieved the Runes, the sacred windows into the meaning of all things. The Christian Cross became for our ancestors
another way of looking at the Irminsul.
Through the Cross, Our Lord died to this world, descended into the land
of shadows and the cold of Nifelham to raise up the dead. Through the Cross, and the passion of Our
Lord, we are all heirs to this promise of rebirth and everlasting life in
Heaven.
p
peorþ
peorþ byð symble plega and hlehter
wlancum ðær wigan sittaþ
on beorsele bliðe æt somne
Peorth is always play and laughter
Where proud warriors sit
In the feast hall cheerfully together
Peorth may have been some form of game we
no longer know. Or it may have been just
a term used for general merriment, story telling, joking and riddle making in
the feast hall. The Anglo Saxon English
loved feasting and used the event as a means of binding together their
communities as well as discussing serious events. Most of the time, they just enjoyed
themselves, toasting successes and making resolutions (called boasts) about
what they would do next. Interestingly,
the word for such ritualised feasting was 'Symbel' (pronounced sumbel), which
is the third word of this verse.
Symbel is more than just a ritualised
feast and the practice continued after the conversion. Drink and sometimes food is consumed and toasts
and boasts offered to God, the holy Angels and to comrades. As such, it mirrors the Eucharist in many
ways and may have followed on from it – or even have been an integral part of
it. It certainly provides an
opportunity to integrate our religious and communal life in a way that reflects
our ancient folk ways.
Peorth can be seen as symbolising the
benefits of strong communities, of bonding and comradeship. This spirit of communal activity lies at the
heart of strong societies. It is something
that our modern society tends not to do well, placing more emphasis on
individualism. But Peorth teaches us the
importance of working as a team - more than a team - a tribe. Strong, well bonded communities work better
together and will be more successful.
Peorth also teaches us the importance of
looking for the positive wherever we can.
Sometimes, Symbel would have been held at difficult times. Serious matters would have been discussed and
serious oaths made in support of the extended family or clan. But even these events should as far as
possible be undertaken cheerfully. This
is a fundamental Christian message - to do what needs to be done cheerfully.
The poem 'Dream of the Rood' tells of how
Christ cheerfully strode up to the Cross to battle with evil and to overcome
death. This is the way of the warrior,
the way of our ancestors’ society - even when they were not feeling
particularly cheerful! It lies at the
heart of the English character - laughing and joking in the face of
adversity. Not because a person is over
confident. But as a means of belittling
the adversity; reducing it to something less frightening. Peorth tells us of the importance of communal
activities to reinforce this, build up our confidence to face the enemy more
confidently than we might otherwise do.
But, most of all it tells us to do this as a strong community, a band of
comrades supporting each other.
z
eolhx
eolhx secg eardað hæfþ oftust on fenne
wexeþ on wætere wundaþ grimme
blode brendeðþ beorna gehwylcne
þe him ænigne onfeng gedeð
Elkgrass usually makes its home on the fen
Growing in water it can inflict grim wounds
Burning with the blood of all
Those who in anyway dare grasp it
Eolhx actually refers to Elk rather than
to a type of marsh grass used in the poem.
Its shape resembles the antlers of an Elk, which are a symbol of
protection and defence. Elks were
important to our ancestors because they were a principle source of food and
clothing; basic elements of survival.
Survival is a primal human instinct and
defensive action is a tried and tested means of protecting ourselves. Eolhx is a symbol of life and divine
protection. It represents a focus
through which the loving embrace of God can offer us safety and comfort. It has the power to ward off evil and concentrate
our energy on a positive pathway to the upper world of Heaven.
The shape of Eolhx can be seen as a
representation of a human figure stretching their arms upwards towards Heaven,
reaching out to God. It is also a symbol
of the world tree or Irminsul, its branches pointing upwards to Heaven. As such, it reminds us of our spiritual journey towards an ever
closer relationship with God. It is
infact an extremely holy symbol, representing life, the world tree, the upper
world, our spiritual quest to become like God and the protective powers that
emanate from it.
Turned upside down, the Eolhx Rune
represents the opposite of life – death.
It was often engraved on tombstones, even in Christian times; the right
way up z
to indicate the date of birth (life) and upside down k to indicate the date of
death.
Although the author of the poem has for
some reason chosen to substitute the older meaning of Eolhx for a reference to
Elkgrass, the underlying meaning in the verse remains much the same.
Elkgrass is a tough marsh plant that
survives in harsh conditions and has razor sharp edges to its leaves. It represents a stubborn and tenacious spirit
that guards its secrets with great strength.
It too is a symbol of defence and protection. Furthermore, the grass is inextricably
connected to the marsh, binding it and protecting all manner of life forms from
the dangers of their environment.
It must be treated with great care. It may seem to offer a firm hold in otherwise
treacherous waters, but it can cause a serious injury if not handled
correctly. Our Lord himself tells us
that the road to Heaven will not be easy and many will fall by the
wayside. It is through him that we learn
this path and through him we learn how to walk through the marsh to eternal life
in Heaven.
s
sigel
sigel sæmannum symble biþ on hihte
ðonne hi hine feriað ofer fisces bæþ
oþ hi brimhengest bringeð to lande
The sun always brings hopeful joy to
seafarers
When they journey over the great fish-bath
Until the sea stallion brings them to land
Sigel (pronounced sail) is a symbol of
the sun, its warming light and energy.
The sun allows growth and healing.
It is essential to agriculture and its annual cycles formed the basis of
our ancestor's earliest religion. Our
northern sun is one of gentle, welcome warmth; not one of harsh, scorching heat
– usually!
Sunlight brings joy and hope. In the depths of winter, we await its return
with eager anticipation. A lack of
sunlight for long periods of time can lead to depression and illness. Upon its return in spring, we see the land
spring back to life. It is a powerful
symbol of regeneration, rebirth and of hope.
It reminds us that whatever darkness or shadows befall us, through the
passing cycles of life, there is always light and hope waiting for us - whether
in this world or another one.
Sunlight also allows us to see where we
are going, whether we are crossing the sea or just walking along a road. As such, s is associated with seeing clearly, both in the sense
of seeing what we are doing and in the sense of understanding things more
clearly. It represents an ability to see
through things to identify what is really there - or what is really meant.
It also represents an 'inner light', the
radiant energy of our souls known as our Scima
in Old English. This is a divine energy,
literally the spark of divinity that lies within us.
Christ is this light. He shows us the way to God. He enables us to see things clearly and to
understand. He is also our hope - the
hope we all have to lead fulfilled lives and to advance spiritually towards
God. We can strengthen our relationship
with him by meditation and reflective prayer.
Each Rune shows us a way to Christ and is a means by which Christ speaks
to us.
Sigel resembles a bolt of lightening,
which is associated with thunder.
Traditionally, this
is associated with Þunnor (Thor) and his magical hammer Mjolmir (which probably
means lightening). In this sense the
Sigel Rune is related to the Thorn Rune T, representing the power of
Christ battling the forces of evil and chaos - depicted in mythology as Giants
seeking to undo the work of creation.
This is particularly understood in Christian terms as Christ the
Pantokreter.
Sigel also means victory. This can be considered as the victory of
summer over winter or light over darkness, as the sun always returns. Again, it is a powerful symbol of the cycle
of birth, death and rebirth. It represents
the victory of Christ over death, the victory of the light of Christ over the
powers of darkness. The victory of order over chaos. It is a very potent symbol because it
acknowledges that this victory involves the use of forceful energy, symbolised
by the lightening bolt and Þunnor's hammer.
Through Sigel, our folk religion gives us
a very important understanding of the nature of Christ as the Word of God. It was the Word who brought about
creation. And it is the Word who fights
against evil powers that would seek to return it to the chaos of the
Ginnungagap. In this, we see Christ as a
powerful warrior for order and creation, a powerful warrior for righteousness
and protection. His warming embrace is
full of light and love. But he can
strike forcefully at his enemies and those powers of darkness that would seek
to return us to the night.
Some authors translate Sigel as Sail
rather than sun, mainly for reasons associated with the grammatical
construction of the verse. Whilst there
may be a point on the grammar issue, this view is not generally accepted by
modern scholars. It may be that the
author of the poem sought to disguise its real meaning as it was too strongly
associated with sun worship. Other
sources quite clearly associate it with the sun, lightening and victory.
The energy of Sigel should be carefully guided, through
the love of Christ to do the work of God.
It is a great pity that such a potent symbol of light was misused during
the last great war so that now it is most often associated with death and
savagery - the very opposite of its true meaning. In time, its true meaning will hopefully be
restored, though clearly great sensitivity is needed.
Third Ætt
t
Tir
Tir byð
wið æðelingas a byð on færylde
ofer nihta genipu
næfre swiceð
Tir is a sure guide
Keeping troth with princes
Keeping watch above
Over the mists of night
Never failing
Tir is the earliest known name for God
used by Anglo Saxon English people. It
is derived from the Germanic name Tiwaz and is related to the Latin Deus and the Indo European word Dayaus and the Greek Theos, simply meaning 'God'. Our ancestors saw Tir as the original Sky
Father, possibly going back to a time when our ancestral religion was actually
more monotheistic than polytheistic.
Tir is a warrior. The shape of this Rune is that of a spear, an
arrow or the sharp point of a sword. He
embodies the qualities of bravery and self sacrifice. He teaches us to act with courage and honour
in all our affairs; being just and decent - but standing firm for what is
right. He was looked to for inspiration
in negotiations and arbitration at tribal assemblies. His inspiration is to find a just and
peaceful solution to disputes wherever this is possible. As such, Tir is strongly associated with law
and order.
The modern Judaic Christ is often
portrayed as a pacifist and a passive victim.
But this is not how our ancestors saw him. It is unlikely that they would have converted
if that was the only vision of Christ that was on offer. Christ to them was a just warrior and tribal
king, reflecting their understanding of God developed over many
generations. Yet the biblical stories of
Christ's life and teachings have helped us to develop the concept of the
'ethical warrior', embodied in Tir. We
understand our ancestral religion better through an appreciation of the earthly
life of Our Lord. This fusion of the two
traditions led to the development of our folk Christianity and ultimately to
the development of the medieval tradition of chivalry. Tir is very much the patron of the ethical
warrior - or Knight.
Christ emphasised the futility of the Old
Testament 'tit for tat', 'eye for an eye' response which only tends to escalate
the cycle of violence. This was the
point of Christ's message to turn the other cheek. Where possible, the situation should be
defused peacefully, which is precisely the real message of Tir.
There are, however, times when physical
force is needed to defend ourselves and our property; when negotiation and
arbitration are not enough. Only a fool
would stand aside whilst their wife and children are being murdered. Sometimes, it is better to act decisively
sooner rather than later. Tir, then,
embodies the concept of a 'Just War' - one that can be morally and ethically
justified as being necessary to prevent a worse evil and where other options
are not available or unlikely to work.
Tir is not only associated with the
warrior spirit in the sense of someone who physically fights battles. He shows us to act as an ethical warrior in
all our doings. We should stand firm for
what we believe in; act justly and face the world bravely and with honour. The way of the warrior is not an easy one. Again, this code became part of our folk
Christian culture as the basis of the chivalric orders.
Tir is portrayed as a father figure in
mythology. He looks over us from the
heavens as our heavenly Father. He
sacrificed his hand to the Fenris wolf as part of a deception to overcome the
power of evil. This reflects the
sacrifice a father will make for the sake of his children.
Tir is a sure guide, because he is our
heavenly Father. He is even handed, fair
and just. He keeps his word, not just
with princes, but with everyone. His
judgement is binding and he is sometimes called the binding God. The phrase 'keeping watch above' is not an
exact translation of the Old English, which refers more to a sense of moving
over something. But keeping watch is
intended to portray the sense of this meaning.
It is the sense of the Sky Father, moving over the earth and watching
over us from 'somewhere up there'.
Again, the phrase 'never failing' reinforces the traditional view of Tir
as the dependable sky Father, one who looks after his children and acts in
their best interests.
b
beorc
beorc byð blæda leas bereð efne swa ðeah
tanas butan tuddre byð on telgum wlitig
byð ðeah on helme hyrsted fægere
geloden leafum lyfte getenge
Birch is without fruit it sends out shoots
rather than seed
Splendid are its branches and its crown
richly adorned
Laden with leaves reaching to heaven
Despite the obvious similarity of the Old
English beorc with the modern
word birch, this verse is most often translated as poplar. The reason for this is uncertain, yet the
reference to the tree sending out suckers seems to suggest a reference to
poplar rather than birch. Yet, in other
Runic systems, it is clearly linked to the birch tree and this association is
maintained in the translation above.
It is usually seen as a feminine Rune, of
child bearing and motherhood. It has
been associated with the Goddess Berchta who
was venerated in parts of what is now
And yet, the verse makes the point that
the tree is without fruit' and 'sends out shoots' rather than seed. Poplars certainly send out shoots. Furthermore, neither poplar nor birch produce
fruit in the sense of apples or pears.
Yet they do produce small catkins containing seeds that detach
themselves from the tree and float away in the breeze to land in the earth
nearby.
Perhaps the author was trying to
symbolise the blessed virgin who brought forth Our Lord without the more
obvious aspects of fruitfulness! The
poem goes on to describe the beauty of the tree's branches and its richly
adorned crown rising to heaven. This
could be a hidden reference to the world tree or Irminsul. The richly adorned crown of the tree is not
just reaching to heaven but actually represents heaven - the golden crown being
that of Our Lord himself. Associated
with femininity and motherhood we are reminded that he crowned Our Lady as
Queen of Heaven. As Our Lord's earthly
mother, she embodies all the qualities of motherhood and nurturing
traditionally associated with this Rune.
e
Eh
Eh bið for eorlum æðelinga wyn
hors hofum wlanc ðær him hæleðas ymb
welege on wicgum wrixlað spræce
and byð unstyllum æfre frofur
The horse riden by warriors is the joy of
princes
A hoof proud steed where heroes abound
Rich men on horseback exchange speech
To the restless, ever a comfort
Horses have always been sacred to the
Germanic peoples. Tacitus tells us they
believed that the behaviour of horses before a battle could predict its
outcome. Bede also tells us that Germanic
priests of the old religion were only allowed to ride a mare and not a
stallion. Indeed, when the High Priest
Coifi decided to profane the heathen shrine of his own faith in Northumberland,
he did so partly by riding a stallion into it.
Horses were used as a means of travelling
around the land. They were the main mode
of transport and communication of their day.
They were also ridden into battle, though they were not usually used by
the Anglo Saxons as cavalry. A mounted
prince or House Carl would be an impressive sight and the horse a prized
possession. A 'hoof proud steed' would
carry his rider mile after mile, at an impressive pace, without tiring. There would be a strong bond between the
warrior and his steed. Horses, like
people, are capable of forming relationships; likes and dislikes. The two would get to know each other well,
forming a partnership based on mutual loyalty, trust and understanding.
These are the two great mystical
principles behind Eh, communication and partnership.
Eh symbolises the need and ability to
communicate ideas, thoughts and information.
'Rich men on horse back exchange speech'. This is one of the corner stones of our
ability to learn, understand and develop.
At one level, it can be simply exchanging news or giving an
instruction. At a deeper level it is
part of the process by which we evaluate new information in the context of what
we already know to produce new knowledge.
This is the basis of learning and learning is the basis of
development. We cannot underestimate the
importance of communication!
The horse has long been a symbol of
shamanic journeys between this world and others in the Germanic tradition. Sleipnir, Odin's famous eight legged horse is
perhaps the best known metaphor for this.
Yggdrasil, the Norse name for the Irminsul or world tree, is made up of
two words meaning awesome (Ygg), a name for Odin himself, and horse (drasil
from which we get our modern word dray).
The horse is a symbol of our ability to travel to other worlds, to learn
through meditation and prophecy and to develop spirituality here in this middle
world.
Partnership is an underlying principle of
early Germanic culture; being based on principles such as leof (pronounced love, but meaning
something more like respect), treow (meaning faith or troth as well as tree) -
'my word is my bond' and the unswerving two way loyalty that existed between a
King and his gesiðas or
companions. This mutual partnership is
symbolised in e by the unique bond between a warrior and his horse. Together they can achieve things that neither
could do alone. It symbolises a strong
community, the very basis of a successful society - one that the modern world
can learn much from.
As a metaphor for partnership, Eh also
reminds us of the powerful partnership between man and wife; the basis of
family and the building blocks of a strong community. e can be seen as two Lagu Runes back to
back - symbolising the partnership of equal and opposites - male and female
which in turn create a new whole.
Good communication is vital to successful
partnership. This is also true the other
way round, good partnership is vital to successful communication. Working together, these two principles allow
us to interact with each other, ensure that we can be properly understood, that
good ideas are taken on board and that bad ideas are collectively recognised
and discarded.
m
Man
Man byð on myrgðe his magan leof
sceal ðeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican
forðam dryhten wile dome sinum
þæt earme flæsc eorðan betæcan
Man in his joy is dear to his kin
And yet each is fated to let others down
Because the Lord's will, his final
judgement
Returns the poor flesh back to the earth
Man is the Rune of the human condition,
of folk communities and what we call society.
As with other Germanic languages, man actually means 'human' in general
and is not referring specifically to a male person.
It encourages us to meditate on human
relationships and how these can affect communities. It symbolises the perfection of those relationships. It recognises that simple pleasures like
laughter and happiness are desirable and valued by humankind. It is telling us that life should be joyful
and is to be enjoyed. It is no
coincidence that the Rune is formed by two w Runes back to back.
But it also telling us that we must not
forget that all these things will ultimately pass away, returning to the earth
from which they come. Life, whilst it is
to be enjoyed, should not be frittered away.
There are higher things to be pursued and the highest thing to attain in
closeness to God. Furthermore, we should
not trust in our mortal flesh, as it is weak and will ultimately let us down.
Whilst the previous Rune e symbolises communication
and partnership, Man symbolises the intelligence behind these attributes. It is our intelligence, our ability to reason
and invent, that separates us from the animal world. In this sense, it is linked to the
mythological two ravens Huginn (mind) and Muninn (memory) who sit on Odin's
shoulders and travel the world for news and information. These two ravens symbolise our ability to
think and reason (mind) and our ability to remember (memory). Together, these are the attributes that enable
us to learn - the basis of our ability to develop and create what we call
civilization.
Mannus is one of the three earth born
gods Tacitus tells us our ancestor's believed in. Mannus brought civilization to our folk and
is generally recognised as the Germanic name for the Norse god Heimdal. He is said to have visited the earth and
lived amongst men as a man, hence the Germanic word for him. He visited three families, representing the
three social classes of the Germanic world; the warrior elite, the free born
farmer and the thrall. To each of these
families he fathered a child, a symbolic expression of how 'culture' was
brought into the world of men by a god who became man.
The myth is reflected in the English
tradition of Scyld Scefing, who can be seen as the bringer of agriculture (the
sheaf) and technology (the shield).
These ancient myths of gods becoming man
to give us culture and civilization are like a fore shadowing of the
incarnation itself, a recognition of God's interaction with our folk which has
been fulfilled through the birth and life of Christ in human form. This helps us to understand the context of how
the early Germanic converts to Christianity would have understood the mysteries
of the incarnation.
l
Lagu
lagu byþ leodum langsum geþuht
gif hi sculan neðan on nacan tealtum
and hi sæ yþa swyðe bregað
and se brimhengest bridles ne gymþ
The mighty meer seems unending to folk
Who have to travel on an unsteady ship
Where mighty waves smash into them
And the sea stallion heeds not the bridle
Lagu refers to a large lake, meer or the sea. The sea has always been an important feature
in the lives of the northern and western Germanic peoples. It is a source of food and a major means of
communication. It is a vast area with
long horizons and endless, often tedious days.
The sea faring life can be extremely dangerous and many good people have
lost their life to it. It is no surprise
that the sea holds such an important position in our folklore.
Water is an absolute essential to
life. Our bodies are mostly made of
water and we will die of lack of water long before we do of food. It has therefore often been used to symbolise
life. Given its fluid nature and the
running waters of rivers and streams, it represents not just life in general,
but the transition from one form of life to another - death to rebirth.
Mythologically, Lagu represents the
Hevergelmere, the great body of water that nourishes the roots of the World
Tree or Irminsul. It is the source of
all rivers, seas and water. It is the
water of life and symbol of the new life we can expect as we transcend one
world to another. Mythically, we can see
Christ walking on the waters of Hevergelmere demonstrating that this new life
comes through him.
Lagu therefore represents the waters of
baptism through which we enter into the body of Christ and of his Church. An outward symbol of the inner life in
Christ.
Our journey through Christ is not always
plain sailing! The seas around us can be
rough and seem never ending. Mighty
waves crash around us from time to time, whilst at other times our journey can
falter in a calm with no apparent wind sending us on our way. Yet through all of this, Our Lord will be
there for us, guiding us to our destination which is the haven of God.
The imagery of this verse is captured in
Song 35 of the Saxon poem, Heliand,
dealing with the miracle of Christ walking on water. This well known story is transferred to a
northern sea and the ship is of the 'high horned' variety used by Germanic and
Norse peoples of that time.
N
Ing
Ing wæs ærest mid East Denum
gesewen secgum oð he siððan eft
ofer wæg gewat wæn æfter ran.
ðus heardingas ðone hæle nemdon
Ing was first seen by men amongst the East
Danes
Until he departed again
Over the waves, his wagon behind him
Thus the warriors named the Saviour
N is
a Rune of rebirth and renewal.
Tacitus tells us that the North Western
Germanic peoples saw themselves as the physical descendents of the god Ingeld
or Ing, calling themselves the Ingævones - followers of Ing. Old English writings refer to the 'Ingefolc'
- people of Ing. Indeed, the word
'English' is derived from this name.
Ingeld is better known by his title, Frey
in English and FreyR or Yng FreyR in Norse.
Frey and FreyR simply mean 'the Lord'.
Ing is the Lord of agriculture, peace,
plenty and fertility. As Lord of the
harvest, he is strongly associated with Lammas tide or the Loaf Mass
(Hlæfmæse). He is patron of fertility and prosperity, of marriage and the
family. In mythological terms, he is the
son of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother, the bringing together of spirit and
earthly matter to produce the new life.
Each year he dies to the cold harsh winter (symbolised by him crossing
the sea) and is reborn the following spring as the earth springs back to life.
This reflects the human birth of Our Lord
in the Christian stories. Ing was
particularly important to the Anglo Saxon English and it seems as though the
Church was able to use much of the people’s understanding of him to introduce
the new faith. Conversely, people’s
understanding of Christ must have been heavily influenced by that of Ing. It is an early folk understanding of the
mystery of Christ's passion and resurrection, of his ministry and underlying
message. This view is reinforced by the
reference to him as ‘Saviour’ in the final sentence of the verse.
E
Eþel
eðel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men
gif he mot þær rihtes and gerysena
onbrucan on blode blædum oftast
A homeland is
precious to all people
If they can live in rightness and honour
Fulfilled through their blood, eternal riches
Our homeland is very dear to us. It was won and defended by our
forebears. It is our duty to treasure
it, defend it and pass it on to our own descendents.
We can be secure as a people within it, able
to live our lives in peace according to our ways and traditions. Each folk group has a right to such a
homeland, somewhere they can survive and prosper. Each folk group has a right to exist and
maintain its individual identity. A
homeland is an essential part of this right.
Also known as Othala or the Odal Rune, E is a powerful symbol of our links with
our homeland. Odalism is a movement that
springs from this, a movement which values our native folk ways, traditions and
links to our native soil.
We enjoy its riches, the security and
fulfilment it gives us. But we should
treat our folklands with respect and not exploit them for greed or selfishness.
It is interesting that Ethel is very
similar to the Ing Rune and that it immediately follows it. This seems to reinforce the bonds of common
blood and soil that exist between our folk, our homeland and Ing Frey as our
progenitor and patron of fertility and prosperity. The fact that both Runes contain g
(
We should respect and honour the land
wights that dwell within it, remembering that they too can be our spiritual
ancestors.
In this sense, we should see E as representing more than just our
homeland. It also represents our
spiritual ancestry, those sacred bonds between us and our forebears - and those
who will come after us. They walk with
the gods, but are still with us in a spiritual sense. They can help us and give us strength. It is our duty to protect these bonds. This means ensuring the survival and
prosperity of our folk group.
Maintaining a viable homeland is an important part of this.
d
Dæg
dæg byþ drihtnes sond deore mannum
mære metodes leoht myrgð and tohiht
eadgum and earmum eallum brice
Day is the Lord's messenger dear to mankind
The creator's glorious light
A joy and comfort to both rich and poor
Useful to all
"O Lord, our
heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to
the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and
grant us this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but
that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is
righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
This is the Third Collect (for grace) taken
from the Morning Prayer liturgy of the Anglican 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Dæg represents the dawn of a new day, a
new beginning and awakening. It is the
coming of the light that shines through the darkness and banishes the
night. We are reminded that Christ
himself is this 'light' and that he leads us towards God.
Christ is the power of light, the light
that came into the world. It is he who
brought light out of the darkness in the act of creation. It is he who chases away the power of night,
the fear and ignorance that this represents.
It is he who brings order out of chaos.
Through Christ we are made more fully
aware of the world around us and of the will of God. Daylight means that we can see. By seeing, we can understand and by
understanding we can learn and grow.
Through Christ we can learn how to become more whole and how to walk the
path to God. It is Christ who lights the
way of this path and Christ who is the beacon that draws us to God.
Christ is not simply the Ruler's
messenger, but rather the message. He is
the Word of God, the Logos. He brings
joy and comfort to all people. Through
Christ we are reborn into a new day and through Him we have a fresh start. We do not need to live in the fear of the
night, but can live in the light.
This Rune is linked to that of N (Ing).
From that verse we understand not only a reference to the cycle of the
year, but also the cycle of the day. Ing
mythologically rises in the east moves in his chariot across our lands and then
disappears westwards over the sea. This
story itself has parallels with the myth of Sunna, (Sun) who rides across the
sky in a chariot bringing daylight. Ing
and Sunna both anticipate the Risen Christ.
They are indeed a joy and comfort to all.
The Additional Anglo Saxon Runes
a
Oak is the symbolic tree of
In years gone by, it was used to build
the great ships of the English navy that beat the Norsemen, the Spanish Armada
and the French. We have placed our trust
in oak to defend and protect us. It did
not let us down in the past and we should place our trust in its symbolic
protection today.
We use the phrase, ‘from tiny acorns do
mighty oaks grow’. In this we recognise
that if we place our trust in what we believe to be right and honourable, we
will be successful and our cause will prosper.
It might seem that we are fighting an uphill battle, but small advances
in the beginning will lead to major victories in the future.
In short, the mighty oak is a symbol of
the true English spirit; solid, dependable, honourable and trustworthy.
A
æsc
æsc bið oferheah eldum dyre
stiþ on staðule stede rihte hylt
ðeah him feohtan on
firas monige
The ash is very tall and dear to men,
Firmly rooted, it holds its place,
Though many attack it
Æsc, or Ash, symbolises the will to stand
tall and proud against all the odds and to withstand everything that tries to
destroy us. It represents endurance,
perseverance and determination.
In mythology, the first man was formed
from an Ash tree. This represents man as
the protector of and provider for the family, standing firm in defending his
family and community. It represents the will to remain
rooted to our native land, not to give in to those who would take it away or
try to up-root us. It represents the
stubborn will to survive and to stay where we are!
Ash has a secondary meaning of ‘spear’. The spear also stands firm in battle and
protects the man who shelters behind it.
The spear was a more important weapon to our ancestors than the
sword.
Although the Rune poem does not include a
verse for Elm, this is an appropriate place to comment on it. As the first primal man was fashioned from an
Ash tree, so the first primal woman was fashioned out of an Elm tree. Elm should be seen as representing the life
bearing and nurturing characteristics of women, the whole basis of family and
community life.
y
yr
yr byð æþelinga and eorla gehwæs
wyn and wyrðmynd
byð on wicge fæger
fæstlic on færelde fyrdgearewa sum
The bow is a joy and honour
To nobles and all men alike
It looks splendid on horse
Reliable when travelling
Part of war gear
The bow is an important part of the
warrior's war gear. It allows him to
fight at a much longer range than the sword or axe and gave the sort of
advantage that modern day missiles and long range rifles do today. The English long bow wrought havoc with
French forces in the middle ages as they could hit the enemy whilst being out
of range themselves. Archery became an
important skill and every Englishman was required by law to practice it at
least once a week - a law which technically remains in force to this day!
The bow represents the ability to remain
one step ahead of the game. An in born
advantage born from superior equipment, knowledge or skill. We are reminded that our ability to survive
and prosper is dependent on creating and keeping this advantage.
j
ior
ior byð eafixa and ðeah a bruceð
fodres on faldan hafað fægerne eard
wætre beworpen þær he wynnum leofaþ
The beaver is a river fish
Although it eats its food on land
It has a fair home, surrounded by water
Where it lives joyfully
The beaver was declared a fish by the
early church because of its scaly tail.
This may have helped overcome Old Testament dietary laws and allowed the
animal to be eaten. Although there is
little or no evidence it formed a regular part of the English diet, its
classification as a fish may have been important in times of famine and
hardship.
The beaver swims like a fish but feeds on
dry land. It is industrious and works
hard building and maintaining its home, creating river dams and generally
beavering away! It is happy in its work.
Sometimes the river breaks through the
dam and destroys its home, but the persistent beaver just picks itself up and
rebuilds.
We need to stand firm against the odds
and not give in when things get tough.
Our Lord reminds us to be joyful in our work - dedicate it to the glory
of God. We should be content with this
and we will be happy.
The beaver reminds us of the importance
of hard work and self reliance. Things
rarely come to us for nothing and hard work is usually needed. We should be self reliant wherever possible
and not become dependent on others who may seek to take what is ours.
Like the beaver, we need to learn to
survive in different environments; living in this world but living apart from
it too. We need to learn to live in the
wider community, but also to build and strengthen our own communities within
it. To live contented, joyful lives in
our own communities, we need to work like the beaver and never give up.
q
ear
ear byð egle eorla gehwylcun
ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneð
hraw colian hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan bleda gedreosaþ
wynna gewitaþ wera geswicaþ
The grave is a terror to all men
When the flesh grows cold
And the pale corpse
Chooses the earth as its companion
Wealth comes to an end, joy fades away
Friendships end
The grave is a cold, dark and lifeless
place. The verse is stark and a little
morbid, reflecting the realistic and somewhat fatalistic character of our
ancestors. It is fitting that it appears
as the last Rune.
But it is not the end of a linear
sequence, but rather part of a cycle that represents the cycle of birth, death
and rebirth in Christ. This is
reinforced by the resemblance of Ear q to Eh z
which
represents life, rather than k which represents death. So Ear is not simply about the grave. It is another lesson that whilst our earthly
death must come to pass, we have the promise of being reborn to eternal life in
Christ.
Even as the joys, hopes and friendships
of this world pass away, so does pain, hurt and loneliness. Whilst our souls are reborn, our earthly body
returns to the earth from which it came.
But our accomplishments live on within this world.
Our dom (doom) is the fame and glory we are remembered
by. It is good to lead a decent,
honourable life and to have achieved positive things for which we can be
remembered. These do not have to be on a
grandiose scale like the Saints, but can be small scale and may even be known
only to God. As St Matthew says:
"Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in
heaven."
Anglo Saxons called death forþferan or faring forth - recognising a journey
from this world to the next. The wealth
and joys of this world are of no more consequence as they are replaced with a
different type of wealth and joy as we anticipate the kingdom of heaven.
Life is a precious gift of God. We should use our lives wisely and positively
to His glory. And we should have faith
in the promise that Christ will raise us out of the cold grave and draw us into
the light of eternal life through him.
This is the doom we should all yearn for, our Christian Domgeorn
(pronounced doom yorn).
go back to Anglo Saxon Christianity