For as long as anyone can tell, runes have been around helping people in the northern European area and now they are making quite a comeback on a worldwide basis due partly to commercialism and partly due to the unknown uprooting of many occult practices. People are looking for a better way to live and people are looking towards oracles for answers and guidance to their troubles. This is where the runes come into play. In this area, we'll be looking for the runes of the ELDER Futhark, which means that many used in some pagan cultures and newest Futhark are omitted.
Runes come from the Nordic area where the ancient Vikings once lived, worked, and fought. Though they were relatively savage in their outings, the Vikings were people in touch with Earth and the many forces that coexisted with them. They have a whole lore that includes many popular god figures such as Thor, the son of Odin. Thor carried a mighty hammer and many of us know him from comic books. The father of Thor, Odin, was the creator of the Runes and is the most important holy figure of the Viking people. Odin hung upside down from a tree limb for a chance of higher knowledge and right before he came down from the tree limb, he was bestowed with the new system called the Runes. These symbols were used for writing and magic by the high priests.

GMC Fehu property, cattle GO Faihu cattle, property or wealth OE Foeh cattle, or money ON Fe livestock or money
Money, assets, wealth, portable wealth, Sound: fgoods, mobile force, energy, fertility, cattle.

GMC Uraz the auroch GO Urus the auroch OE Ur ox, bison ON Ur drizzle, rainThe auroch was a wild ox, very large and very fierce, in description it sounds very much like the Longhorn. Uruz is associated with the primal creative force, primitive, earliest or original. The German _ursprache_ used linguistically to refer to "original sounds." In the Oxford English Dictionary Ur also refers to the unarticulated sound which would also be apt. It is also an archaic form of "our."
Strength, independence, wildness, stability, Sound: u, v ooorganic organization, health, primal forces

GMC Thurisaz The strong one, giant GO Thuith The good one OE Thorn Thorn ON Thurs GiantThurisaz is a force of defense and destruction. "Bramble" or thorny bushes were used to "fence" and protect boundaries. One form of Norse/Germanic execution was to throw criminals "into thorns". Thor is the god that protects sacred enclosures in much the same way that the thorny hawthorne, blackthorn, or rose does. It is the thicket that protected Sleeping Beauty's castle, the hedge that surrounded sacred enclosures.
Pain, harm, hostility, fire, motivation, Sound: _th_ as in "thorn"force of destruction, force of defence, chaos.

GMC ansuz: a god, ancestral god
GO ansus: a runic god name
OE os: a god
ON ass: a god, AEsir
ansur: a mouth or the mouth of a river
Divine power and inspiration, blessings, good fortune, wisdom, magick, poetry, a God.
Phonetic value: "a"
Windblown cloak, Odhinn, inspired speech
This is the rune of inspired speech and incantation as a creative
expression. It is is linked with the ancestors, the magic of speech
which passes along knowledge with the breath of life, the passing of
knowledge through the spoken word, as differentiated from the written.
It is the rune of the poet, the saga, the seer, those of inspired
speech. It thus represents the ecstasy of inspiriation, the "swan song"
chanting out one's life as he or she prepares to meet death, the first
cry of a newborn baby. It is whistling in the dark to banish fear. It
encompasses the power of suggestion and sublimination.
GMC raidho wagon
GO raidha wagon, ride
OE radh a riding, way
ON reidh riding, chariot
rad/raed wheel/vehicle
Travel, riding, communication, transport, message, rhythm, journey.
Phonetic value "r"
Rhythm and movement are important to the concept of Raidho. The sound
and dance of the estatic traveler who is carried on a circular journey.
The spiral journey of the sun on it's annual course from North to South
and back, as in the journey of Nerthus and Freyr's processions. It is
the wheeling of stars around the cosmic axis. It can be thought of as
the chariot of Thor or Freya or any other cosmic "transportation." As
the chariot is primal forces controled by conscious thought.
GMC kenaz torch GO kusma swelling OE cen torch ON kaun sore, boil kaunazIt is the flame of transformation and regeneration. It is associated with kin and the sacred fires of sexual generation as well as the "kith and kin" who gather around the hearth. It is the flame of the forge, the volcano and deep earth energies. It is the controlled flame of the artist and craftsman. It "breaks out" in unexpected ways, and holds the power to create and/or destroy. It is a primal force of creation, in the myths it is fire and ice that produce the life force.
Knowledge, guidance, a beacon, learning, controlled energy, {The Gothic and Old Norse names are "secondary" according to Thorsson, internal fire, inflammation, etc. The terms were drawn from rune poems.regeneration, inner guidance.

GMC gebo gift, hospitality GO giba gift OE gyfu gift, generousity ON gipt gift, wedding gifuGebo represents hospitality, generousity and giving. It is the joining of giver and the one who receives. As Thorsson points out in _Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic_ it also has the meaning of a gift from the Deities, particularly through union. He relates the gift to the wisdom received by the hero from the valkyrja.
Giving a gift, exchange, trading, equiality, Phoenetic sound "g" as in "gift."an agreement, sex, blending, magical force.
Exchanged gifts

GMC wunjo: joy GO winja: pasture OE wynn: pleasure, delight ON vend: (a rune name) joy, hopeHappiness and joy, glory. The battle well-fought and won. A wand. Prosperity and good fellowship. Peacefullness.(not in the younger row)
Happiness, joy, harmony, fellowship, good news, Phonetic value: wecstasy, unity, well-being, binding, perfection.

GMC Hagalaz hail, egg (?) GO Hagl hail OE Haegl hail ON Hagall hailThe Anglo-Saxon rune poem refers to "hail" as being "grain" which falls and turns into water after being tossed about by wind. The layered nature of a hailstone was recognized, as well as the potential for destruction and the transformative qualities. The concepts that surround Hagalaz recognize that the destructive potential for hail out of season is balanced by the potential for transformation that will bring new fertility and growth.
Accident, sudden change, bad weather, Phoentic value: "h"framework, completion, evolution.

GMC Naudhiz need GO Nauths necessity, need OE Nyd need, distress ON Naudh(r) distress, need, constraintNaudhiz is another of the cosmic forces which is recognized as being a "shaping" power which form the fates of the world and mankind. It is associated with the Nornir who are the "shapers." In the rune poems it represents the layerd concept of necessity providing the friction that leads to transformation. It represents the fire bow which engenders the "need-fire."
Distress, binding, constriction, poverty, pressure, Phonetic value "n"resistance, deliverance, coming into being.

GMC Isa ice GO Eis ice OE Is ice ON Iss iceIt is the primal ice, the icy stream (or glacier) that flows from Niflheimr. Is is an "elemental" rune. It's form can be seen in nearly all of the other runes. It is associated with the rime-giants, the hrimthursar and the wisdom of age. Ice can be considered "static" as many do, however, ice whether one is speaking of the rune or of actual ice is a mysterious substance. Isa can bring things to a halt, or place something in suspension. But the mysterious flow of the glacier is also inherent in Isa, as it is realted to the primal stream. Ice can also be an expansive force, or one that crushes anything caught in its grasp.
Freezing, blockage, teachery, standstill, Phonetic value: "i" as in "ee" (deed).concentration, ego, inaction, calm, coldness.

GMC Jera the (good) year, harvest GO Jer year OE Ger year ON Ar year, (good) seasonIt is the completion of a cycle, a season, or a year, representing the dymanic rotation and changes of the cycles. It is the fruitful completion of a cycle, or the eternal contrast of opposites which provide a whole. It is invoked for a good season (or harvest) and is associated with fertility. The Old Norse name ar is similar to 'ari' which is the ON word for eagle, a solar symbol.
Year, reward, harvest, expansion, abundance, Phonetic value: 'j' or 'y' as in 'yard'payment, cyclical, rewards or penalties for actions.

GMC Eihwaz or iwaz yew tree GO Eihwas yew tree OE Eoh or eow yew tree or mountain ash ON ihwar yew (in runic inscription only)Eihwas represents the spinning World Tree, Yggdrasil. It is the axis about which all else revolves and spins out of. It contains the mystery of life and death. It is a life giving force which has its roots in the Underworld and death. The yew is a powerful stave of protection and banishing, not only because of its association with the forces of life and death, but because of its association with the bow made of yew wood.
Vertical Axis, rebound, flexibility, darkness, Phonetic value is uncertain, "e/i"initiation, other realms, life or death, ghosts.

GMC perthro device for casting lots GO pairthra dice cup OE peordh chess man (gaming piece) ON * (Not in Norse futhark)Pertho is one of the mysteries of the runes. As a container with the lots of life, pertho represents the vagaries of chance which can not be controlled. However the pieces fall, the player must move boldly taking what is cast and make up for in skill and wisdom any lack in the casting itself. It contains the mystery of the Nornic runes. It is the rune of the vitki, the one who seeks the mysteries of the cosmos through the understanding of synchronicity. It is the rune of the warrior who constantly tests himself against chance and luck.
Fate, destiny, pregnancy, time, the Norns, change, psychic, cave. Phonetic value: 'p'

Germanic name: Elhaz, elk; or algiz,The Old English name, "elk-sedge" is a kenning for sword. It represents a two-edged blade. It can be seen as the godhi or gydhja in the attitude of addressing or invoking the gods. Thorsson gives the esoteric interpretation of the name as the protective forse, valkyrijur. It can represent the splayed hand, the horns of the elk, a swan in flight, a divergance or convergence of paths or forces. It is a sign used to promote victory and protection.
Protection, antlered animal, hunting, .hallowing, regal, life, active defence, purifying

GMC Sowilo Sun GO Saugil Sun OE Sigil Sun ON Sol SunThe S-rune is that of the sun, part of the solar wheel. Both the words "sol" and "sunna" for the sun in Old Norse are feminine in nature as were the cosmic forces represented by the sun. It is the counterforce to Isa, or the cosmic ice. The S-rune is often connected to the lightning bolt, or a flash of inspiration or ecstacy.
The Sun, victory, warmth, success, triumph, will, guidance,solar wheel. Phonetic value "s"

GMC Tiwaz the god Tyr GO Teiwaz the god Tyr OE Tir the god Tyr (OE Tiw) glory ON Tyr the god TyrThe T-rune is primarily one of justice since Tyr is the Norse god who presided at the _thing_, (the Germanic general assembly). Judgement was not always arrived at by discussion, judgement by arms was a common concept to the Norse/Germanic cultures. It is associated with the idea that "justice will prevail."
Justice, battle, conquest, victory, winning, Phonetic value: 't"competition, self-sacrifice, self-discipline, honor.

GMC Berkano, birch, the birch goddess, birch twigs GO bairkan birch twig OE beorc birch tree ON bjarkan runic birch goddessThe B-rune is related to the Great Mother, the Earth Goddes. It is the mother of manifestation and of birth and rebirth. The birch tree was often planted before a home to protect it in Scandinavian countries, and the custom continued to be observed in America where settlers built new homes.
Goddess, growth, renewal, rebirth,wife, Phoenetic value: "b"woman, earth mother, containment, liberator.

GMC ehwas horse, or ehwo: the "two" horses GO aihwas stallion OE eh war horse ON ior horse (not found in Younger Futhark)Ehwo is associated with "twin" gods or heroes, the divine twins, or two horses. The Saxon conquers of Britain were Hengist and Horsa (stallion and horse). It is the harmonious relationship between two forces. The ehwas was connected closely to the concept of a man's fetch, the "horse" that carries one on the journey between worlds. It is the rune of Sleipnir. With its close connection to the horse it is also a symbol of fertility, and partnerships.
Harmony, loyalty, trust, journey, transformation, dignity, partnership. Phonetic value "e"

GMC Mannaz Human, mankind GO Manna Man, Human OE Mann Man, Human ON Madhr A Human beingThe Old English Rune Poem says: (Mann) is in his mirth dear to his kinsman; although each shall depart from the other. It is a rune of the human existence, of which life and death are both part. It is the rune of mortality. It also represents interdependence and support, as well as duty and responsiblity. No individual is independent of others, each is part of a larger pattern.
Mankind, intelligence, self, identity, strengths, Phonetic value "m"weaknesses, humanity, divine structure.

GMC laguz a body of water (or laukaz: leek) GO lagus water OE lagu sea, water ON logr sea, water (or laukr: leek) law, (ON log)The sea and other bodies of water, like the earth, were considered a source of wealth and fertility and an expression of the unconscious and undiscovered mysteries of life and death. The Aegir, the gods and goddesses of the sea, both gave and took life and offered fertility and wealth. They were the brewers and the Norse looked at the foaming vat of beer and related it to froth of the ocean.
Healing, mystery, sea, water, emotions, depths, Phonetic value "l"primal water, passage, growth,subcontious.

GMC ingwaz the god Ing GO enguz or iggws the god Ing, a man OE Ing the god or the hero, Ing ON Ing, or Yngvi the god Ing (a title of Freyr)Ing is associated with Nerthus as well as Ing. The circuit of the wagon that was associated with their respective worship represented the "king's circuit", the walking of the bounds, or the circuit of the sacred wagon which insured fertility to the land.
Good luck, protection, man, husband, well-being, potential energy, gestation. Phonetic value "ng" as in "long"

GMC dagaz day GO dags day OE daeg day ON dogr day (not in Younger Futhark)Dagaz refers to the a day, a period of darkness and light, since the Norse counted their days from evening to evening, with the mid-point being dawn and the rising of the sun. It is the rune of awakening, and metaphorically, rebirth.
Exposure,revelation, light, safety, clarity, daytime, polarity, balance. Phonetic value "d" and voiced "th" as in "then"

GMC othalaz ancestral property GO othal property OE ethel homeland, property ON odhal nature, inborn qualityOthala is the rune of the sacred enclosure, the homeland, the village, the homestead. It is the family group, its customs, lands and language as well as the duties and responsiblities that go along with maintaining family ties.
(not in Younger Futhark)
Home, land, house, permanence, possesion, heritage, past, enclosure, inherited power, freedom.

