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.
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 with an
additional fourth set for the more recent five runes. Each bede should be inscribed with the
appropriate Runic character. 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 a
(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 '
u (
u also teaches us to be firm in the face
of adversity.
"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.
T (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 the Gods as
literally their own ancestors. They were
created by them and were part of the same family.
o (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. It was the Word who breathed life
into our inert, earthly bodies. Through o,
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.
o 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 o
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 in different personas before this.
Our mythology teaches us of how God, in the form of Woden, Will and Weoh
breathed the spirit of life into us; gave us a will and blessed us with
holiness. Our relationship with the Word
is unique and our understanding of God different to that of other peoples.
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 about 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 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.
r (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 o (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 r and o
is that o (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. We believe that the Logos or Word of God
draws us closer to the Godhead through the wisdom and knowledge embodied in the
Runes. This wisdom underlies the real
teaching and message of Jesus of
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
c (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.
c 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 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.
Second Ætt
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 Geoletide, 'returning a favour', or being indebted to someone.
In Voluspa, we read of how God, in the
form of Odin, Hoenir and Loður (or Woden, Willa and Weoh) gave the first humans
of our folk the gifts of life. This
transported us from the primal world of Hel into the realm of Middengeard. Whilst on earth, we seek to honour God with
loyalty and troth in return. But the
gifts offered to us by God go well beyond this.
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. The Logos, through the earthly life of Jesus
and through our folk god Woden is offering us the gift of understanding how to
walk the path of light to God.
g (
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, w
(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 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 other.
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 - again
either for ourselves or for others.
But w
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'.
God, as 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. But as fulfiller of wishes, Woden reflects
the notion that God will ultimately draw us to perfection or wholeness. It is natural for our souls to desire or wish
this and it is natural for God to grant us it.
This is our hope and our joy.
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, h
(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 God.
As a consequence of this, h
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
n (Nyd or 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. n looks like two sticks being rubbed
together to make fire – the Nyd Fyre.
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
n 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 result from the continuous process of creation.
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
i (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. Interestingly, it is positioned next
to Nyd in the poem.
i 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. i
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 God 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.
i 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.
i 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.
i 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, j
(Ger or Year) 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 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
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.
Ing is, for our folk, an early revelation
of Christ as Logos. Our ancestors had an
understanding of Christ even before the Word was preached to them, even before
his physical birth in human form.
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
I (Eoh or 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. Those of us who are spiritually undeveloped
or who have actually gone backwards during our time on earth will live in this
cold place until ready to move into the primal world of light we call Hel. 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
p (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. It is a religious event in its
own right; a form of the Eucharist.
Drink and sometimes food is consumed and toasts and boasts offered to
God and comrades. It is a two way
communion between God and the tribe.
Through Symbel we hallow the bonds between our people and Almighty God.
p 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 with a common identity and a common sense of
purpose. It is something that our modern
society tends not to do well, with its emphasis on individualism and distorted
concept of community. 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.
p 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 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.
p 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 and supporting the folk. This is the basis of Germanic Christianity.
Third Ætt
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
z (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 divine protection and
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 z
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 and God's
revelation to us through our folk Gods.
It is infact an extremely holy symbol, representing life, the world
tree, the upper world, our spiritual quest to rise up into this world and the
protective powers that emanate from it.
Turned upside down, z
an be seen to represent the three springs that lead down through the primal of
Hel and into the underworld of Nifelham.
In this form, it is a symbol of regression away from God and represents
death rather than life.
z was often engraved on
tombstones; the right way up 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 z
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
s (Sigel pronounced seal) 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.
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, Sigel 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.
In this sense, it 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 our guide and our hope
- the hope we all have to lead fulfilled lives and to advance spiritually
towards the Godhead. We can strengthen
our relationship with him by meditation and reflective prayer through the
Runes.
s resembles a bolt of
lightening, which is associated with thunder.
Traditionally, it is associated with Þunnor (Thor) and his magical
hammer Mjolmir (which probably means lightening). In this sense it is related to Thorn, representing
the power of God battling the forces of evil and chaos - depicted in our
mythology as Giants seeking to undo the work of creation.
s 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 s
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.
The energy of s 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.
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
t (Tir) is the earliest 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, simply meaning 'God'.
Our ancestors saw Tir as the original Sky
Father - he was Allfather before Odin.
He may have been Mother Frigga's mysterious first husband, reflecting
his likely role as the first Sky Father complementing the first Earth
Mother. In this sense, he may have
embodied all the aspects of the supreme deity that our ancestors gradually
began to relate to as individual personalities.
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.
Tir is not associated with war for the
sake of it. He is just and honourable,
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 also strongly associated with
law and order.
The modern Judaic Christ is 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 were 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.
t 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, the code
became part of our folk Christian culture as the basis of the chivalric orders.
As the original Allfather, Tir is
strongly associated with the heavenly Father.
In many ways, we have simply swapped the name Tir for Jehovah and
continued to think of Tir as always. He
is portrayed as a father figure in our 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 Allfather, one who looks after his children and acts in their
best interests.
Hael Tir - Allfather
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
b
(Beorc) is also associated with Mother Frigga and indeed to any of the
Goddesses associated with motherhood. It
reminds us of how our mother brings us into being, feeds us, clothes us and
protects us. It is a quality of
fertility and fruitfulness.
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.
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 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 e,
communication and partnership.
e
(Eh) symbolises the need and ability to communicate ideas, thoughts and
information. 'Rich men on horseback
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). 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 troth - '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, e 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.
Lastly, these two principles are
themselves related and brought together in e. 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
e
(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,
m 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 two ravens Huginn (mind) and Muninn (memory) who sit on Odin's
shoulders in the Norse mythology 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 Heimdal. In Norse mythology, Heimdal is the bringer of
culture. 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).
Mannus was born of Tuisto, who may
actually just be another name for Tir (Tyr) - or the heavenly father. This would make sense, as Tir is seen as the
father of the other gods, although this role was taken over by Odin in the
later Norse mythology.
As Mannus is the son of Tuisto (Tir), so
Heimdal is the son of Odin. The
similarity of the Norse and Germanic traditions strongly points to an
underlying belief of God becoming human to give us culture and
civilization. This is a mythical preview
of the incarnation itself, a recognition of God's interaction with our folk
which has been fulfilled through the birth and life of Christ. 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
l
(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, l 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.
l
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 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 Ing, calling
themselves the Ingævones - followers of Ing. Old English writings refer to the
'Ingefolc' - people of Ing. Indeed, the
word 'English' is probably related to this name. He is our physical, but divine, ancestor; the
progenitor of our people.
He 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. 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. This view is reinforced by the reference to
him as ‘Saviour’ in the final sentence of the verse.
This does not mean that Jesus of
As Lord of the harvest, it is Ing we
particularly look to at the time of the Loaf Mass or the Hlæfmæse. This is the festival of the First Fruits, the
start of the harvest period where we thank the Almighty for all He provides
through our sacred land. Ing Frey is the
Lord of life, of peace, plenty and happiness.
He represents the coming together of the sacred male and sacred female
to produce the new life, whether this be in terms of agriculture, human
reproduction or in terms of our spiritual progression towards God. He is patron of fertility and prosperity, of
marriage and the family.
He is not patron of wanton lust or
activities that do not lead to growth and new life.
Hael Ingeld;
Lord of Life, Lord of Peace!
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
E((Ethel) is better known as the Odal Rune
and is the Rune of our homeland. 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.
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 E is very similar to N (Ing)
and that it immediately follows this Rune.
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.
Dd 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 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 (Yng Freyr) is a revelation of the Word
unique to our folk. He is the shining
one and the bringer of peace and prosperity. He is a joy and comfort to all.
In later Norse mythology, it is Balder
who has particularly strong associations with Christ. There is little, if any, evidence that Balder
was actually known in earlier heathen religion such as that of the Anglo
Saxons. The cult of Balder may well have
developed out of the cult of Ing Frey, each being a folk understanding of
Christ, the Word of God.
Additional Anglo Saxon
Runes
a
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
A 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. A
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!
A has a secondary meaning of
‘spear’. The spear also stands firm in
battle and protects the man who shelters behind it.
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
y
(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 is now so old it has never been rescinded!
y
represents the ability to remain one step ahead of the game. It is 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.
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. We need to stand firm against the odds and
not give in when things get tough. The
gods want us to be joyful in our work and we should be content with this and
happy; always striving for the common good of our family and folk.
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. This is reinforced by the
resemblance of q to z which represents life, rather than k which represents death. So q 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 into a higher
state of existence through the Logos, 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.
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