runic alphabet
graham walker
any one know of a runic alphabet, what is one, how do you use it,
Merry
graham walker wrote:
> any one know of a runic alphabet, what is one, how do you use it,
There are several helpful sites available:
"Viking Runes" (Eldar Futhark)
http://www.ipcc.com/market/newage/runes.htm
The Eldar Futhark
http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~maboh/runes.html
a bit on Runemal (casting):
http://www1.islandnet.com/~awong/rune.html
A good book is
"Futhark, a Handbook of Rune Magic"
by Edred Thorsson
ISBN: 0877285489
If you're interested in the Ogham (Celtic Tree Alphabet)
try:
http://www.raccoon.com/~aiko/oghams.html
as from
"The Celtic Tree Oracle"
by Liz and Colin Murray
ISBN 0-213-02032-5
--
Merry
PODS: Pagan First Home/Safe Haven
Raven (J. Singleton)
graham walker (gra...@katzcom.demon.co.uk) wrote:
| any one know of a runic alphabet, what is one, how do you use it,
Any encyclopedia should have an entry on runes. Even many dictionaries
include runes in their tables of alphabets -- look by the word "alphabet",
as well as by the word "rune".
There were several forms of the runic set, varying in shape of rune and
numbers of runes, from the Germanic 24-rune set (often called "Futhark"
because the first six runes had the values F, U, Th, A, R, K), to the
Norse 16-rune set, to the Anglo-Saxon 30+ rune set ("Futhorc").
They were used for writing or carving -- using vertical and diagonal lines
but not horizontals, in order to avoid splitting wood along the grain --
and also were supposedly carved into one-rune pieces to be cast for lots
as a divination technique. There are many modern books on such divination;
take them with a grain of salt if they claim to be the True Old Way.
Here's a translation of an authentic old Northern-style alliterative
verse about the runes, a few steps above the "A is for Apple" rhymes
in children's schoolbooks.
THE OLD ENGLISH RUNE POEM
Transcription from the text of Bruce Dickins, per Osborn and Longland.
Translation copyright 1982, Marijane Osborn and Stella Longland; from
their book, RUNE GAMES (London; Boston: Routledge & K. Paul, 1982).
Notes for this ASCII rendition:
1. In the original text, each stanza begins with a rune whose name is
to be spoken aloud as the first word. Below, an attempt is made to
"draw" the rune, but the rune-name is also spelled out in the text.
2. Thorn is here represented by lowercase "th", Eth by uppercase "TH";
in Old English, these are not distinctly different sounds, though in
some tongues they have the sounds of "thin" and "THis", respectively.
3. Please see the book RUNE GAMES for a very extensive explanation of
the runes (incl. astronomical meanings of Tir and Ing) and this poem.
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FEOH byth frofur fira gehwylcum.
Sceal THeah mann gehwylc miclun hyt daelan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
WEALTH is a comfort to one and all,
But he must share it who hopes to cast
His lot for judgment before the lord.
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UR byth anmod ond oferhyrned,
felafrecne deor, feohteth mid hornum,
maere morstapa; thaet is modig wuht.
The AUROCHS is single-minded, with horns
Ascending high, a fierce horn-fighter
Stamping his moors, a striking beast!
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thORN byth THearle scearp; THegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun rethe
manna gehwylcum THe him mid resteTH.
The THORN is most sharp, an evil thing
To take a grip on, extremely grim
For any man who rests among them!
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OS byth ordfruma aelcre spraece,
wisdomes wrathu ond witena frofur,
and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht.
The MOUTH is origin of every speech,
Support of wisdom and wise men's comfort,
Ease and hope to every noble.
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RAD byth on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte, ond swithhwaet THam The sitteth on ufan
meare maegenheardum ofer milpathas.
RIDING for a hero inside a hall
Is soft, more strenuous when astride
A great horse pounding the long mile paths.
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CEN byth cwicera gehwam cuth on fyre,
blac ond beorhtlic, byrneth oftust
THaer hi aethelingas inne restath.
The TORCH, familiar to the living aflame,
Is blinding and brilliant; it burns most often
Where royal folk are at rest within.
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GYFU gumena byth gleng and herenys,
wrathu and wythscype, and wraecna gehwam
ar and aetwist THe byth othra leas.
GIVING, to men, is an ornament
Displaying worth -- and to every outcast
Without any other is substance and honour.
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WYN bruceth THe can weana lyt,
sares and sorge, and him sylfa haefth
blaed and blysse and eac byrga geniht.
JOY is for one who knows little of woe,
Unhampered by sorrow he will have
Bright fruits and bliss and buildings enough.
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HAEGL byth hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcath hit windes scura, weortheth hit to waetere syTHTHan.
HAIL is whitest of grains. It whirls from the sky
Whipped by the gusting wind, then turns into water.
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NYD byth nearu in breostan; weortheth hi THeah oft nitha bearnum
to help and to haele gehwaethre, gif hi his hlystath aeror.
NEED is a tight band on the breast, but it often can be
Turned into an omen of help, if attended to early.
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IS byth oferceald, ungemetum slidor,
glisnath glaeshluttur, gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, faeger ansyne.
ICE is overcold, very slippery.
It glistens like glass, most like a jewel,
A floor made of frost, fair to see.
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GER byth gumena hiht, THonne God laeteth,
halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda beornum ond THearfum.
The SEASON is hopeful when heaven's king
Allows the fields to blossom forth
A bright abundance for rich and poor.
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EOH byth utan unsmethe treow,
heard, hrusan faest, hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwrethyd, wyn on ethle.
YEW on the outside is an unsmooth tree,
But strong and firm, the fire's guardian,
Upheld by deep roots, a joy to the home.
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PEORTH byth symble plega and hlehter
wlancum ... [phrase missing] THar wigan sittath
on beorsele blithe aetsomne.
A lively TUNE means laughter and games
Where brave folk sit in the banquet hall,
Beer-drinking warriors blithe together.
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EOLH-SECG eard haefth oftust on fenne,
wexeTH on wature, wundath grimme,
blode breneTH beorna gehwylcne
THe him aenigne onfeng gedeTH.
EEL-GRASS grows most often in fen,
Waxes in water, grimly wounds,
Burning with stripes of blood the one
Who tries to get a grip on it.
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SIGEL semannum symble bith on hihte,
THonne hi hine feriath ofer fisces beth,
oth hi brimhengest bringeth to lande.
The SUN to seafarers always means hope,
When they ferry across the fishes' bath
Till the horse of the sea brings them to harbour.
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TIR bith tacna sum, healdeTH trywa wel
with aethelingas, a bith on faerylde,
ofer nihta genipu, naefre swiceth.
TIR is a special sign. With princes
It keeps faith well, is ever on course
Over the night's dark; it never fails.
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BEORC byth bleda leas, bereth efne swa THeah
tanas butan tudder, bith on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted faegere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.
The POPLAR is fruit-less, even so puts forth
Shoots without seeding, has shining branches
High in an ornamented helmet,
Laden with leaves, in touch with the sky.
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EH byth for eorlum aethelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc, THaer him haeleth ymbe,
welege on wicgum, wrixlath spraece,
and bith unstyllum aefre frofur.
The HORSE before peers is a princely joy
Stepping out proudly when spoken of
By wealthy riders all around him --
And to one who's unquiet he is ever a comfort.
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MAN byth on myrgthe his magan leof;
sceal theah anra gehwylc oTHrum swican,
for THam dryhten wyle dome sine
thaet earme flaesc eorthan betaecan.
A MAN in his gladness is dear to his kinsman;
Yet each must fail the friend he loves,
For the lord in his judgment will allot
That unfortunate flesh to the earth.
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LAGU byth leodum langsum gethuht,
gif hi sculun nethan on nacan tealtum,
and hi saeytha swythe bregath,
and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeTH.
WATER to landsmen seems overly long
If they must go on the galloping ship,
And the sea-waves scare them excessively,
And the horse of the sea heeds not his bridle.
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ING waes aerest mid Eastdenum
gesewen secgun, oth he siTHTHan eft
ofer waeg gewat; waen aefter-ran;
THus Heardingas THone haele nemdun.
ING at first was seen by folk
Among the East Danes, till afterwards he
Went over the waves, followed his wagon.
Thus the Heardings named this hero.
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ETHEL byth oferleof aeghwylcum men,
gif he mot THaer rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
HOME is beloved of everyone human,
If there he may properly and in peace
Enjoy in the hall a frequent harvest.
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DAEG byth drihtnes sond, deore mannum,
maere metodes leoht, myrgth and tohiht
eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
DAY, God's message, is dear to men:
The great lord's light means gladness and hope
To rich and poor, a profit to all.
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AC byth on eorthan elda bearnum
flaesces fodor, fereth gelome
ofer ganotes baeth; garsecg fandath
hwaether ac haebbe aethele treowe.
OAK on this earth is useful to men
As fodder for pigs -- and often it fares
On the gannet's bath, where the spear-sharp sea
Tests if the oak has noble timber.
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AESC bith oferheah, eldum dyre,
stith on stathule, stede rihte hylt,
THeah him feohtan on firas monige.
The ASH looms high, beloved of men,
In a firm position holds well to its place
Though many foes advance to fight it.
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T~T~T
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YR byth aethelinga and eorla gehwaes
wyn and wyrthmynd, byth on wicge faeger,
faestlic on faerelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
The BOW is a joy to princes and nobles,
A reminder of worth, looks well on a steed,
Quick in its course, fine equipment!
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IAR byth eafix, and THeah a bruceth
fodres on foldan, hafath faegerne eard,
waetre beworpen, THaer he wynnum leofath.
The BEAVER is a river-fish. Though it always ranges
For food on land, it has a fair swelling
Lapped round by water, where it lives happily.
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EAR byth egle eorla gehwylcum,
THonne faestlice flaesc onginneth,
hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosath,
wynna gewitath, wera geswicath.
The DUST is dreadful to every noble,
When suddenly the flesh begins
To cool, and the corpse must choose the earth
As bleak bedfellow. Bright fruits fall,
Joys pass away, covenants fail.
___________________________________________________,__________________________
Y Gwir yn erbyn y Byd <ra...@solaria.sol.net> An Fhirinne in aghaidh an tSaoil
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The Pan of OC
Raven (J. Singleton) wrote:
>
> graham walker (gra...@katzcom.demon.co.uk) wrote:
> | any one know of a runic alphabet, what is one, how do you use it,
>
Raven,
That was really nice to post the poems here. Here's a couple of links to
add for those interested:
http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~maboh/runes.html
http://www.triplemoon.com/futhark.html
For Cletic Ogham Rune links try this:
http://www.indigo.ie/egt/standards/og/ogmharc.html
The Pan of OC
Thomas
The best way to learn about Runes and the Runic Alphabets is to read the
book Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland. It has
many styles of the alphabet coming from many ancient cultures. Hope
this helps.