The sources remind us that we must approach the with respect, otherwise we are denied their wisdom. Runic Divination In fact, Egil’s contains an important warning:

Thanks to Tacitus’ account, we know the ancient Runes none should grave ever Germanic tribes carved runes on twigs or pieces of Who knows not to read them; young branches and cast them over a white cloth. After Of dark spell full many an invocation to the deities, the priest would draw The meaning may miss. three of these symbols, letting chance or divine inspi- ration guide their hand, and interpreted them. They are not trifling matter; they were born of the sac- rifice of the god of knowledge, war and magic, so they must be used with great care.

The following stanza from Egil’s Saga echoes a passage from the Havamal, where himself warns diviners against practicing with levity:

All will prove true that you ask of runes; Those that are come from the gods, Which the high Powers wrought, And which Odin painted: Then silence is surely best.

With this clear in mind, let us move on to some of the divination methods. There are many of them: some were born of modern interpretations often tied to the New Age revival, or the misguided study of the runes in the esoteric scene of the early 20th century before the outbreak of World War II, while others were inspired As mentioned earlier, the runes do not have fixed, by tarot reading. But we believe that, when addressing specific meaning, as they are not an exact tool for fore- the runes for counsel, one should be as close as possible seeing the future. They are to be intended as guidelines: to the way of the ancients, because it probably is the by reading them, one reflects on their situation from a one closest to unlocking the meaning in these symbols different point of view or starts an introspective analy- carved on wood in its most authentic way. sis. Odin is the god of wisdom and magic, and prefers to give a piece of advice we can interpret according to our own nature, instead of orders. Runes, then, are a powerful tool to unravel the skein of destiny when it appears as an intricate tangle. They help us meditate on the world and on ourselves, and the directions they give are born of our interpretation, leaving to us the Samplekey role in fulfilling our destiny. file

26 Norse Grimoire The Three for the future as the power of the Sun will thaw the In this divination method, one draws three runes ice. Those very runes would not have that same inter- focusing on the question to ask and trusting in the pretation if arrayed in a different way. Isa, Sowelu and inspiration of the moment to choose the runes one Fehu might point at a problem that slowed somebody after the other. The runes are then placed from left to down in their past, but also at the presence of a source right on the space dedicated to them, like the lightly of energy that aims at solving said problem, eventually colored cloth mentioned by Tacitus. leading to success. Basically, we are asking the Norns for help in unravel- ing the mysterious weave of destiny. The Cosmic Wheel In this reading method, one draws four runes: one for every solstice and equinox, powerful moments in ancient Norse culture. The four runes are then placed in the shape of a rhombus, its top vertex representing midsummer and then, continuing clock-wise, autumn, the winter solstice and the coming of spring respectively.

The first rune is that of Urd, tied to the past: it rep- resents what lies at the foundation of the matter, its roots or situation of origin. The second rune is held by Verdandi, the Norn of the present, and provides an alternative point of view to evaluate the present situa- tion from one particular aspect. Then the third rune is Skuld, the future, that offers a glimpse of a potential direction the matter could take. However, it is up to us to interpret the answer according to the conclusion we reached thanks to the two previous runes, be it a warning or a sign of hope.

In addition, the runes could happen to be reversed (that is to say turned upside down) when drawn and laid on the cloth, but they should be left in whatever This method is used to meditate over the present year position they first appear. As a matter of fact, runes can or the one about to begin, receiving directions for have different meanings based on their position. As an each period. example, when upright Ansuz means good communi- cation, as well as good interpersonal skills, mindfulness In this case, too, the order of drawing and whether the and wisdom when making a choice. When reversed, runes are drawn upright or reversed are relevant. instead, it indicates an obstacle, a misunderstanding or a bad piece of advice. Spontaneous Casting This system is perhaps the closest we know to the one In addition, every rune must be taken into exam in used in ancient times. After meditating and invok- its relation with the ones drawn before and after it. ing the deities, all the runes are cast on the cloth. As an example, drawing Fehu, Isa and then Sowelu The ones appearing face down (meaning with their could point to an economic problem leading to a symbol not visible) are ignored; the remaining runes Sampleblock, although that specific sequence hints at hope are carefully analyzed. file

27 The Origins of the Runes The Spring of Wisdom Odin threw his eye into Mimir’s Well, where the head of the wise one spoke words of knowledge. In this reading method, a question is asked and only one answer is given. After concentrating on the issue, only one rune is drawn and placed on the cloth without altering its initial position, and then its meaning can be interpreted. If the rune is reversed or associated to a negative meaning, worry not; it is still a word of comfort or warning and it is up to us to draw conclu- sions after careful analysis, in order to take action and improve our lives.

Sometimes, the runes form a recognizable symbol in their random disposition that should be interpreted as the main theme of the divination. The runes are left where they fell, considering those closer to the center as the most relevant to understand the matter at hand. By contrast, those closer to the edge of the cloth offer only minor suggestions. In this case, the interpretation does not follow a preset The Runes as Charms order. Although the runes at the center are the most Be they carved in a pendant, drawn on an item or tat- relevant ones, one cannot forget the importance of the tooed on the skin, the ancients attributed to the runes runes that were cast in a reversed position. In addition, a power derived of their meaning, and used them for it can be useful to determine which runes actually fell protection or aid. The Sigdrifa told to face down, as they will not be part of the solution. carve them on his sword, on the horn from which he drank, on his palms and even on his nails to harness Concerning the main theme, sometimes the runes do their power. not fall in a configuration that resembles the shape of a specific rune. In such situations, one should not force It is then possible, and we are not the first ones to do the reading and try to see symbols where there are so, to choose the rune that has the deepest meaning for none. The response of the runes should be accepted as us or could help us the most and draw, carve or bear Sampleit is, being meant only as food for thought. it as a charm. file

28 Norse Grimoire Elder Futhark Now that we know the history and mythology sur- rounding these mysterious symbols, we can start exploring each rune, its meaning and the mythological background that confers even more meaning to it.

Odin’s Eye Numerous rune sets on the market feature an blank rune, that is to say without any symbol on it, that deserves a few words. It is considered the rune of Odin or Fate, a reminder of the eye Odin gave in exchange for wisdom. But even though it is a rather poetic image, there is no evidence the ancients used it. How could there be? The runes are symbols, therefore The order of presentation is that of the Elder Futhark, a missing or blank “symbol” cannot be passed down and will include the meaning of each rune when through generations. The blank rune was introduced reversed, if present. While sources make no mention in 1982 by Ralph Blum, who published a book about of interpreting the runes when reversed, this practice runes that came with a set that included a rune devoid is widely used nowadays, so it makes sense to at least of any symbols. mention it. Not all runes have a different interpreta- tion when reversed, as nine have the same shape no As a result, those who use the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc matter the direction they are looked from. The Norse with the added Northumbria runes for divina- placed a great importance on the number nine, so tion, instead of the more diffused and attested Elder there being nine such runes is unlikely to be a coin- Futhark, end up using 33 runes instead of 24. So, cidence. Nine are the worlds around , nine while the Elder Futhark is composed of three aettir the days Odin hung from it, the magic ring Draupnir with eight runes each, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc is multiplies by nine every nine nights, and nine are the composed of four aettir plus a stray rune (that is to steps takes after killing Jormungandr, the great say, the 33th rune). The rune is named Gar, the spear world-serpent, before succumbing to its poison. of Odin, and it is considered to be a important even if it does not belong to any aet, because it stands for the Continuing down the path which ancient peoples trod weapon that Odin wounded himself with, causing the before us, we will now analyze the stanzas of various other runes to be created. It also resembles the weave rune poems dedicated to each of these symbols in of Fate in look and shape, and there are those who order to better understand their meanings. use it in place of the blank rune. In fact, this rune can be interpreted as a recommendation not to investigate Samplefurther, as the answer is known only to the gods. file

29 The Origins of the Runes The Guiding Rune

When a rune appears in game, drawn from the satchel of a rune master or carved in the game world, the Game Master can use the optional rules of the Guiding Rune.

Every character can choose to embrace a rune of the Futhark alphabet and wear it as a talisman carved on a stone, an item of jewelry, a weapon or tattooed on their body.

Rune masters, both player characters and non-player characters, can also draw a rune once per long rest, its effect applying for the rest of the day to those who witness the extraction.

There are numerous other options to use the Guiding Rune, such as placing one in the description of a vision or panorama, making one appear in a shrine or on trunks in a forest and so on.

How many runes can have effect on the characters every long rest is left to the discretion of the Game Master. For example, the rune master could draw more than one rune at a time, up to a maximum of one rune for each character present.

If a rune is drawn, but it does not belong to any Aett among those the characters have sworn themselves to, then nothing happens. Any effect lasts until the next long rest of the character.

Effect of the Aett When a rune is drawn and it belongs to the Aett of the rune the character is sworn to, said character will be slightly influenced by it. The effect of the Aett is meant to be a source of inspi- ration for the game and an interpretation aid for the characters and must be introduced by the Game Master first.

Effect of the Rune When the rune the character is sworn to is drawn, said character will be strongly influenced by it. The effect of the rune is added to that of the Aett and influences Samplethe game mechanics. file

30 Norse Grimoire of fertility, as laid with the dwarves in exchange for this shining gold necklace, which shone in all its Fehu beauty and glory once she was back to the surface. This story is reminiscent of another myth common to many other cultures, where a maiden journeys to the under- ground and brings back light, beauty, and prosperity when she return to the surface. In other words, spring.

The Norwegian and Icelandic poems, instead, high- light the negative side of the concept wealth, that is to say the envy and discord it spreads among friends and relatives. 1. Fehu Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin Wealth and Prosperity and fire of the sea and path of the serpent.

[f]

The Gift of Life, presided over by Audhumla, and Freyja.

Upright Well-deserved good fortune, success, wellbeing.

Reversed Evil, jealousy, envy.

Fehu is the first rune in the Futhark and it looks like Freyja herself was antagonized by the other deities for an F with two strokes angled upwards. The glyph has her wealth. In a controversial passage from the Voluspa been interpreted as a plow or a cow with long horns, the narrates the beginning of the war between emphasizing the idea of prosperity. It is Freyja’s rune the Aesir and the , which was ended with an (the fact that it matches the first letter of her name exchange of hostages. It was during this reconciliation is no coincidence), sometimes associated with her that Freyja, along with her father Njord and her twin brother Freyr, another important deity of nature and brother Freyr, moved to to live with the Aesir. fertility for both soil and people. The war I remember, the first in the world, In ancient Norse Fehu means “cattle”. In the Norse When the gods with spears and Viking world it was cattle that defined the wealth had smitten , of a person. Unsurprisingly, the modern English word And in the hall of Hor had burned her, “fee” has the same root as Fehu. Three times burned, and three times born, Oft and again, yet ever she lives. Therefore, this rune is related to the concepts of abun- dance and wealth, which are aspects embodied by Gullveig is a name strongly connected to gold and Freyja. She is not only the goddess that helps the earth wealth, but it is not mentioned in any other work of bear fruit, but also the wealthiest among all the gods. literature. this lead to the belief that Gullveig is actu- SampleFor example, she owns a necklace called Brisingamen ally one of the titles of the goddessfile Freyja. After all, she that she obtained by delving deep into the earth, down was involved with the war between the Aesir and the to the dark halls of the dwarves. This is actually a myth Vanir, a conflict full of riches.

31 The Elder Futhark The following verses seem to confirm this hypothesis, god Njord (father of Freyr and Freyja) is the archaic as they could be referring to Freyja: goddess Nerthus, to whom cows are sacred. She was a deity of soil and fertility, and consequently associated Heith they named her to bovines. The sources are not clear on this, but it Who sought their home, is very likely that the mother of Freyr and Freyja was The wide-seeing witch, indeed Nerthus, and this could explain the natural and In magic wise; fertile attributions of the twins. Minds she bewitched In the Norse world there is also a primordial cow That were moved by her magic, named Audhumla, feeding the first frost giants born To evil women a joy she was. of with her milk. To sustain herself, she licks the salt off of the rocks around her and in time gave life to As seen earlier, she who taught the seidr to the gods the first being of new kin, Buri. Buri would then lay was Freyja, often criticized for her seducing ways. But with frost giantesses and sire Bor, who would in turn that is the destiny of every goddess of love, after all. sire Odin, Vili and Vé, the progenitors of a new world. In fact, the three gods killed the giant Ymir and used As her rune confirms, Freyja’s wealth and power were a his body to form the sky, the earth and the moun- source of great envy. For this, her enemies went as far tains. His blood became the ocean, which drowned as pushing her to the center of Odin’s hall, where they most of the frost giants, while with his lashes the gods attempted to set her on fire three times, without success. fashioned a barrier to protect the realm of men: thus After this feat, one might assume the Aesir chose to keep Midgard, the middle fence, originated. her among their ranks in the hopes that she would share her riches and p magical knowledge with them. Fehu, then, is a rune of material prosperity and wellbe- ing, connected to property and gold. When upright it The Norwegian rune poem says the following of Fehu: symbolizes a gain, a success or fertility, while if reversed it heralds the opposite: a loss or conflict due to envy or Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin; financial concerns. the wolf lives in the forest.

Another reminder of the danger of owning too much, which could lead to fighting and feuds. Wealth is lik- ened to a wolf hiding in the woods, growing larger and larger with the passing of time, ready to pounce. In there is a wolf that does just that: it is , one of ’s monstrous spawn. As a pup he was kept around by the gods, but as soon as he began growing in size and becoming more and more aggres- sive, they were forced to find a way to get rid of him. Greed is like a voracious wolf, destined to grow ever larger and more dangerous. Wolves are the worst ene- mies of cattle. Therefore poem warns us against them, or rather against greed that can lead only to ruin. About the connection between the concept of cattle Sampleand this rune, it must be noted that the wife of the file

32 Norse Grimoire 33