Magic Runes
Symbols from the Iron Age used for divination, healing, and binding magic.
via Wikipedia: Runic magic · see source
Runes historically served purposes of magic alongside their function as a writing system. This dual role is evident from the earliest epigraphic evidence spanning the Roman to the Germanic Iron Age, characterized by non-linguistic inscriptions and specific charm words like 'alu'. A figure known as an erilaz appears in historical records as someone versed in these runes, including their magical applications. From early artifacts to medieval poetry, the use of runes for apotropaic spells and ability enhancement is a documented reality of Germanic history.
- Notable Practitioner
- Egil (in Egils Saga), Sigrdrífa (in Poetic Edda)
Lore & Background
Evidence for runic magic ranges from the Roman era through the Viking Age. In the Poetic Edda's Sigrdrífumál, the valkyrie Sigrdrífa instructs Sigurd on seven types of magical runes: 'victory runes' carved on a sword hilt with Tyr named twice; 'ale-runes' marked on fingernails and cups to prevent bewitchment; 'birth-runes'; 'wave-runes' for ship protection; 'branch-runes' for healing; 'speech-runes'; and incomplete 'thought-runes'. Archaeological finds support these texts, such as the Seeland-II-C and Lindholm amulet featuring repeated Ansuz, Algiz, and Naudiz runes. Other inscriptions include meaningless chants like 'tuwatuwa' on the Vadstena bracteate or 'g͡æg͡og͡æ' on the Undley bracteate. The word 'alu' appears frequently as a charm. Viking Age rings like Kingmoor and runestones such as DR 357 (Stentoften) mention 'runes of power', while stones like DR 81 in Skjern bear curses.
In Their Own Story
In the saga of Egil, a scene depicts runic magic involving blood. Egil discovered a poisoned drink prepared for him and responded by cutting his own hand to carve runes onto the drinking horn, then painting them with his blood to counteract the poison. While this motif of blood-painted runes appears in early Norse literature, it remains uncertain if this was a genuine historical practice or merely a literary invention. Similarly, Snorri Sturluson's Ynglinga Saga recounts King Granmar traveling to Uppsala for a blót where chips fell in a manner predicting he would not live long. The Vita Ansgari describes pagan Norse casting lots with marked chips (blótspánn) or twigs (hlauttein), shaken and thrown like dice, though scholars debate if these marks were specifically runes.
Reader's Guide
Modern systems of runic magic emerged in the early 20th century through Germanic mysticism, later developed by contemporary Germanic Neopaganism. These modern practices differ from historical evidence, relying on Hermeticism, classical occultism, and the I Ching rather than ancient tradition. In 17th-century Sweden, Johannes Bureus created 'Adulruna', a system inspired by Kaballah visions. Guido von List 'revealed' the Armanen runes in 1902 for magical use, followed by Friedrich Bernhard Marby and Siegfried Adolf Kummer. Post-WWII, Karl Spiesberger reformed these into a 'pansophical' system. Since the 1980s, Ralph Blum popularized runic divination with his 1982 book The Book of Runes, utilizing clay or stone tiles drawn from a bag. Later authors like Diana L. Paxson and Freya Aswynn linked these to tarot spreads. Some modern sets include a 'blank rune', which Blum identified as Odin's rune representing the divine.
Did You Know?
- The word 'alu' is the most common early runic charm word, appearing alone or in formulas on artifacts from Central and Northern Europe.
- In Sigrdrífumál, victory runes require the name of the god Tyr to be written twice on a sword's grasp and inlay.
- Ralph Blum's 1982 system introduced the 'blank rune' as Odin's symbol for 'the beginning and the end'.
- The Lindholm amulet features a sequence with triple occurrences of Algiz and Naudiz alongside repeated Ansuz, Algiz, and Naudiz runes.
- Tacitus described Germanic lots made from nut-bearing tree strips marked with signs, though it is debated if these were runes.