Odin’s Legacy
It is said that Runes were born out of the scorching womb of the earth. Odin, the father of the human race found the Runes and brought them forth from their mysterious hiding place.
Odin captured the Runes after a tortuous trail of will and endurance. For nine days and nine nights he hung suspended from Yggdrasill (the great ash tree that is the center of the universe.) During this time he took no food or drink and at the end of this ordeal he had a vision – the ground seemed to open under him and he could see down to the roots of creation. And there dwelled the Runes, glowing with balefire. Odin tried to seize them but it was too much for him to endure and he became unconscious. When he awoke the Runes was his. He possessed the secret knowledge of the Runes.
Runes embodied the magic power of the Shamans. Over time some of the Rune lore became known to selected people. Warriors used Runes to give themselves extra courage in battle, eventually Runes became used in more common ways – to keep track of important events and so on. In the Middle Ages if a monk could not read Runes he was seen as poorly educated as it was a way to test ones depth of learning.
The original Germanic Runic alphabet contained 24 letters. The first six letters of the alphabet spell out the word "FUTHARK", which is often used when referring to the Runes. When the Runes spread north into Scandinavia, some letters were dropped and the alphabet was simplified to only 16 letters. Sometime between 400 and 600 AD, three Germanic tribes (the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes) invaded Britain. They brought the Runes with them. Once in Britain, the Anglo-Saxon Runes were expanded to as many as 32 characters.
Runes also have magical significance. However, because Runes were used for writing, that idea was dismissed. But Runes have not lost their ancient power. When using this very basic magickal tool, Ruins, one can assemble very powerful amulets and spells. Runes help channel the flow of information between the God’s and whoever’s using them.
If you have Runes and you do readings with them, there is a warning – respect them! The danger that comes from disrespecting the Runes is far worse than just an incorrect reading.
The name of the Rune is the name of the god, the shape of the Rune is the sigil of the god, the power of the Rune is the life force of the god and the function of the Rune is the office of the god.
