描く人のミケ

Lesson 8 - Runes

Komið þið sæl,

This week’s lesson will explore the history of runes during the Viking Age. The younger futhark will be the prime focus of discussion, since those were the runes used throughout the Viking Age, but I will still touch on each set of Futhark during this lesson. I am by no means an expert, but this lesson should prove to be suitable for getting a hang on the basics. This is a much more detailed lesson than normal (in fact, it is the longest single-post lesson yet) and I do hope that I did a decent job with the material.

If you have not done so already, check out last week’s lesson on Viking Spirituality. Visit “Viking History” on my blog for all of the lessons.

Contents:

Foreword (feat. Hávamál, st.138-144)

Background

The Futhark

The Elder

The Younger

Reading and Translating

Writing and Usage

Examples

Key Terms

Wrap-up

Sources

Foreword

I hung, I know, on the wind-tossed tree for nine nights in all, suffered the spear wound, was offered to Odin, —myself to my self— tormented on the tree which rises from roots hidden from human kind.

No one brought me bread, drink was denied me, groundward I gazed, raised up the runes, screaming I sought them, but fell back from there.

Nine savage spells I fetched from the famous son of Bolthorn, Bestla’s father, and I drank deep of poetry’s precious mead, the outpourings of Odrer.

I began to bear fruit, and welcome wisdom, began to burgeon and flourish; word after word led me to more words, work after work led me to more works.

Learn to recognize runes, cleverly ordered characters, signs with great significance, characters of colossal power woven by the wisest one, made by the greatest gods, engraved by Odin the god.

Odin cut them for the Æsir Dain etched them for the elves Dvalin for the dwarfs Asvid etched them for the giants, I myself made some for mankind.

Do you comprehend how runes are cut? how to comment on the characters? how the characters must be colored? how to test their truth? how prayer is to be practiced? do you understand how offerings are made? how the sacrifice is sent on its way? how the sacrifice is slaughtered?

Runes are wrapped in myth and mystery. Even today, questions still swirl around them like a violent wind. Who carved them? Were they a sacred knowledge reserved for those who devoted their life to them? Or could anyone carve runes and still retain their integrity? No matter the question at hand, one thing is certain: words have power, and runes were the vehicle used to be able to wield such a power.

4 Dragon Kings of the 4 Seas, postcards version

I hope this collection of sources is informative. I tried to keep my comments to a minimum.

Disclaimer: Auto translation was used for basic sections of text on Japanese websites, because I looked topics up using Kanji. I am not fluent in Japanese.

🔴 Jinja 神社 — Shinto Shrine

"Jinja Shinto" 神社神道 — Shrine Shinto. The traditional religious practices carried on in shrines throughout Japan's history, as well as the attitudes toward life which support these practices. At the core of this religion exists a reverent religious experience which has prevailed from antiquity and which leads Japanese believers to experience the will and activity of the gods through various events of everyday life — Basic Terms of Shinto, Kokugakuin University Link

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"A jinja and its grounds are like the home of the kami. You should treat it with the respect you would show when visiting an important person in their home. The entrance to a jinja is marked by a torii. The torii marks the border between the sacred space of the jinja and the everyday world outside, and so many people pause and bow their heads slightly before walking through". — Jinja Honchō English Link | Jinja Honchō can be translated to "Association of Shinto Shrines"

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"[...] terminology relating to the religious institution of the Shinto jinja, customarily translated as "shrine," including its architectural structures and other facilities, ritual implements, and clerical vestments. [...] Present day shrines are ordinarily composed of main shrine buildings (shaden 社殿) together with halls of sacred dance (kaguraden 神楽殿), shrine offices (shamusho 社務所), and other structures in the shrine precincts (keidai 境内). Items such as torii 鳥居 (sacred arches or gateways), komainu 狛犬 ("Korean Lions"), votive lanterns (tōrō 灯篭), and purification fonts (temizuya 手水舎) can be found along the approach inside the shrine. Shrine buildings may include distinct structures such as a the sanctuary (honden 本殿*), hall of worship (haiden 拝殿* ), and the hall of offerings (heiden 幣殿*). The symbolic "kami body" (shintai 神体) is usually sequestered inside the remote recesses of the sanctuary." — Encyclopedia of Shinto, Kokugakuin University Link

"At shrines, worshipers may present offerings to the kami 神 with the purpose of making a supplication, and in turn, symbolic articles may be presented to worshipers as an emblem of divine power (shintoku 神徳). Offerings to kami may include monetary gifts (saisen 賽銭) or a "votive horse picture" (ema 絵馬). When a person's supplication is granted, he or she frequently makes another offering as a sign of gratitude. Other articles presented to worshipers include "good luck charms" (engimono 縁起物) such as "demon-breaking arrows" (hamaya 破魔矢) and bows, and other similar talismans. These may be charms for general good fortune, or amulets for protection and blessing in specific areas of life" — Same as above.

The article did not give Kanji I added them, hopefully getting them correct. Asterisk means I had to utilize wikipedia's Kanji, otherwise they are from Nihingo Master Dictionary Link and Imiwa Japanese Dictionary Link

🔹 Links for image examples of many of the aspects mentioned above: Japan Guide Link; Maikoya Link; Illustrations Link;

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Venerating a specific Kami vs venerating a specific Jinja I have only seen in David Chart's writing thus far. You may want to research further. It makes sense to me as all the Ofuda I possess have the Jinja's name rather than the Kami's name but that might not be universal.

"The first thing that you need to do is to choose a jinja to venerate. Note that you need to choose a jinja, not a kami. Even when the same kami is enshrined at more than one jinja, which is common, you venerate the kami at a particular jinja. You can choose more than one jinja, and, in fact, the standard rule in Japan is to venerate at least two, and normally three or more. You can even venerate more than one jinja that enshrines the same kami, and those venerations are separate from each other." — Shinto Practice for Non-Japanese by David Chart p 29 Link

"Although you primarily venerate a jinja rather than a kami, it is common to choose a jinja because you like the main kami enshrined there. Most jinja enshrine more than one kami, and some famous kami are actually more than one kami. The most important example is Hachiman Okami, who is (normally) Homudawake no Mikoto, Okinagatarashihime no Mikoto, and Tamayorihime no Mikoto. This means that, if you choose a jinja based on one of the kami, you may well get other kami as part of a "package deal"." — Shinto Practice for Non-Japanese by David Chart p 30

It is probably even more common to choose a jinja because it is famous for a particular kind of benefit. Kinkazan Koganëyama Jinja ("Gold Flower Mountain Gold Mountain Jinja") in Miyagi Prefecture is famous for financial benefits, and according to the jinja's story, if you visit three times in three consecutive years, you will never suffer financial hardship. [...] Tokyo Daijing is famous for "enmusubi", which in this case means finding a good marriage partner, and not because its main kami is Amaterasu Omikami. ([Ise] Jingū is not famous for enmusubi, despite having the same main kami.) Kitanotenmangū is famous for academic success, because its main kami is Tenjin-sama, who was the famous scholar Sugawara no Michizane. — Shinto Practice for Non-Japanese by David Chart p 30

🔴 Ujigami Jinja 氏神神社— 'Local Kami' Shrine

Since the middle ages, the ujigami has come to be viewed as the tutelary deity of a geographical area such as a village — Encyclopedia of Shinto Kokugakuin University Link

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Generally, every local community, whether in city, town, or village, has its own ujigami shrine. The Japanese word uji means "clan", and ujigami denotes the clan's guardian kami, the kami who look after family and community life. All the members of a given community are considered ujiko or 'children of the clan,' hence 'children of the clan kami.' [...] From this perspective it may be said that Shrine Shinto has superimposed a kind of archaic kinship system on territorially defined social units. — Jinja Honchō English link

A ujigami shrine is a shrine that enshrines the guardian deity of the area in which one lives, and the people who live in a certain area around the shrine are called ujiko. Originally, it originated from the fact that clans literally worshipped their ancestral deities (oyagami) or deities with a deep connection to the clan as "ujigamisama," and this group of blood relatives was called ujiko. Today, the terms "ubusunagami" and "ubuko" refer to geographical relationships, but the terms ujigami and ujiko have gradually become confused [(conflated?)] when referring to geographical relationships as well. — Jinja Honchō Japanese Link

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Sarutahiko no O Kami is the main enshrined kami of Tsubaki Grand Shrine North America. Ancestor and leader of all earthly Kami. [...] This is the Hokubei Tsubaki Grand Shrine Ofuda of Sarutahiko no O Kami, specific to North America. If you are not sure of your Ujigami 氏神 (Clan Kami), Ubusunagami 産土神 (Birthplace Guardian Kami), or Chinjugami 鎮守神 (Local Guardian Kami), this Ofuda can be used in the role of an Ujigami Ofuda, because Sarutahiko no O Kami is the leader of all earthly Kami. This Ofuda can be used in the role of an Ujigami Ofuda for all of North America. — Shin Mei Spiritual Center Link

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If you live in the continental USA then Tsubaki Grand Shrine [of North America]* and Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America are both good choices. They have English websites, and will ship ofuda and omamori to you. It will also be easier for you to visit the jinja in person at some point. It could also be argued that these are the nearest equivalent to an Ujigami Jinja for people in your position. —Shinto Practice for Non-Japanese by David Chart p 30

*It is now more broadly "North America" and is officially located in Canada. I don't know if they ship items beyond the US and Canada. Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America in Washington State was closed down and the Kami transferred to a shrine at the Shin Mei Spiritual Center in British Columbia, Canada where it is one of three shrines Link. It maintains a similar name "Tsubaki Grand Shrine North America."

🔴 Sūkei Jinja 崇敬神社 — A Shrine special to an individual

Revered Shrines: shrines that people have particular faith in. In contrast [to Ujigami Shrines], a revered shrine is one that is revered due to a special personal faith, rather than due to geographical or blood ties, and those who worship at such shrines are called "sūkeisha 崇敬者" — Jinja Honchō Japanese Link

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Sūkeisha are people who particularly revere a jinja, and who visit it to pay their respects, but who are not ujiko. It is common for them to also support the jinja financially.” — An Introduction to Shinto by David Chart p 112 Link

🔴 Ofuda お札

Ofuda are used to venerate the kami in your own home, and some people say that the kami’s spirit resides in them. Physically, they are tablets with the name of the kami or jinja written on, and they come in various sizes. — Jinja Honcho English Link

"If you visit a shrine, you may receive a sacred talisman or amulet. There are various types of ofuda (sacred charms), including the "Jingu Taima" ofuda of Ise Grand Shrine and oufuda issued by each shrine. [...] Ofuda is enshrined in the household altar to protect the home. Ofuda that has been enshrined for a year is brought to the shrine at the end of the year and burned. Then, as the new year approaches, it is a good idea to receive a new Ofuda" — Jinja Honcho Japanese Link

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Ofuda — These serve as a kind of talisman or amulet and contain the name of the Kami written within a protective cover of paper or cloth. Generally, they are placed within the household's kamidana and serve to incorporate the household into the deity's benevolent graces. — A Year in The Life of a Shinto Shrine by John K Nelson pp 261-262 Link | About Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki

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Jingū Taima are the Ofuda of Amaterasu-Ōmikami:

In early modern Japan, they were typically known as oharai お祓 and were understood to be efficacious in warding off evil, as the name suggests. In the modern period (1868-1945), Ise amulets were restyled jingū taima, [...] One [position] held that: they were symbols (onjirushi 御璽) of the Sun Goddess and her unsurpassed virtue (shintoko 神徳) The other [position held] that: amulets were himo-rogi 神籬, namely the most sacred of material objects since, in them, the Sun Goddess was a real presence. These contrary positions were established in the Meiji period, and they are current today. In 2003, there was a major debate on Ise amulets at [Jinja Honchō] headquarters in Tokyo, where arguments in favor of both positions were traded. The symbol theory won through" pp 302-303 [...] "Notwithstanding the official [Jinja Honchō] interpretation of the amulets as "symbols," purification rites in Ise and the rites demanded for home veneration suggest, indeed the very different understanding that the Sun Goddess is present in every one of them." p 305 — Resurrecting the Sacred Land of Japan by John Breen in Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. Link

Daijingu Temple of Hawaii still describes them as oharai お祓

"Jingu-Taima Oharaisama for Kamidana" — Link

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If you have a Kamidana you can also use this Ofuda stand next to your Kamidana to hold Gokitou shinpu (special Ofuda [given] at prayer ceremonies) or Housaiyoke Ofuda (Home Protection Ofuda). — Shin Mei Spiritual Center Link

🔹Home Protection Ofuda examples that are available from Daijingu Temple of Hawaii: 1- Protect from Robbery; 2-Maintain Peace, Harmony & Prosperity; 3- Protect from Fire & Disaster. — Link

🔴 Kamidana 神棚

"A household Shinto altar, a facility for the conduct of family rites at home, in which amulets of the kami, an "apportioned spirit" (bunrei 分霊) of the kami, and similar items may be enshrined. The place chosen for installation of the kamidana should be clean, bright, and quiet, in a location convenient for worship and placement of offerings. An eastern or southern orientation is generally considered to be desirable. While kamidana have today become important sites for daily devotion to the kami, the institution of the kamidana itself is not particularly old" — Encyclopedia of Shinto Kokugakuin University Link

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"Kamidama — Shinto altar in a private home. Japanese homes freguendy have both an altar for Shinto deities as well as a butsudan for worshipping the Buddha and honoring ancestral spirits. Shrines sell a wide variety of amulets that are then placed within the kamidana. Together, they serve to link the household to the shrine." —A Year in The Life of a Shinto Shrine by John K Nelson p 357

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"...you should set up your kamidana 神棚 (Shinto altars for the households) at home. To cultivate a sense of reverence, it is important to practise daily worship of kami. By placing ofuda 御神札 (secret tablets) from the Grand Shrines in Ise, your own local Shinto shrine known as ujigami jinja 氏神神社, and other favourite Shinto shrines on the kamidana, offering rice, salt, water, sake and others items every day, and reciting norito, you will feel closer to the kami. This is particularly recommended for those who cannot easily visit Shinto shrines due to time schedules or geographical reasons." —Mediators between Kami and the People: What is the position of the Shinto priests? by Shinto Priest Hirohito Tsuji Link This is advice for prospective priests but is the same guideline for lay people (except for lay people not everyone offers every single day.)

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"Kamidana" means "kami shelf", and that succinctly expresses the two essential elements of a kamidana: kami, in one or more ofuda, and a shelf to put them on. That is all you need, and the shelf can be extremely small, little bigger than the ofuda and fixed to the wall. The important point is that the ofuda must be standing on the shelf, not lying down, and must not be pinned or fastened to the wall or a surface. Stand the o-fuda so that the surface with the writing on is facing away from the wall; imagine that the kami are looking out of that side. You can arrange ofuda next to each other, or one in front of another, with those in front leaning on those behind. — Shinto Practice for Non-Japanese by David Chart p 41

Never get ofuda from anywhere but a Shinto Shrine. I have seen sellers on Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay selling ofuda but its extremely improper and against religious tradition.

Caring for an Ofuda:

An Ofuda is a sacred item that should be properly cared for. Please do not request an Ofuda to use as a decoration. To properly care for the Ofuda, place the Ofuda in a Kamidana, or high on the north or west wall in your living room or workplace. If the floor above is occupied, please write the kanji for cloud (雲) and place it on the ceiling above the Ofuda/Kamidana. Offerings of rice, salt, and water should be made (The Member's Handbook has the details). One year after receiving an Ofuda, we recommend replacing it with a new one" — Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America's Instructions Link

"Installation: If you have a Kamidana, please place this Ofuda on your Kamidana, inside the Ita or Miya (small shine) if you have one. If you do not have a Kamidana please place this Ofuda in a sacred space in your home or a central place in your home. Place the Ofuda higher than eye-level and facing south or east if possible. You can take the Ofuda out of its shop bag, but please keep the translucent paper cover on the Ofuda to preserve the Ofuda’s purity. Duration: This Ofuda is your in-home connection to the Kami so it is traditional to replace it annually to strengthen and renew your connection to the Kami." — Shin Mei Spiritual Center Instructions Link

"It is common for the ofuda to face south or east, but depending on the layout of the house, any direction is acceptable as long as it is an appropriate location" — Ise Jingū Japanese Link

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You can buy supplies that are not ofuda or omamori, like an ofuda stand, miyagata, or shinki set from non-shrine vendors. However, keep in mind the money you give to obtain the items from a shrine helps support that shrine.

🔴 Location of the Ofuda on the Kamidana

Info for this section is compiled from Jinja Honcho's Japanese website; Ise Jingū's Japanese website; and Practicing Shinto For Non-Japanese by David Chart.

Order:

'Most important' or 'central' Kami/Jinja goes center or first in a stack

Ujigami Jinja goes to your right or second in a stack

Sūkei Jinja goes to your left or third in a stack

Any additional in order of importance: next to the right, then to the left, etc.

In Japan the "most important" is the Jingū Taima of Ise Grand Shrine specifically according to Jinja Honchō. Not all Shrines are a part of or agree with Jinja Honchō.

"...the center is the highest ranking [...] the sacred talisman (Jingu Taima) of Ise Jingu, the chief deity of the Japanese people, is placed in the center [...] In the case of a single-shrine Miyagata shrine, the Jingu Taima is placed at the front" — Ise Jingū Japanese Link | (for some reason a ton of the text disappeared in that link not sure why)

Outside Japan there is no statement on which is the most important.

If you live outside Japan:

The Jingū Taima ("most important") may seem irrelevant. However, instead of viewing it as solely the Ofuda of Amaterasu-Ōmikami one can see it as "oharai お祓" which are "understood to be efficacious in warding off evil," as Daijingu Temple of Hawaii still describes them for this purpose.

Ujigami Jinja ofuda may literally be impossible. Unless one is in North America and agrees with the concept that Sarutahiko-no-Ōkami can be one's Ujigami.

Ultimately, because no guidance has been issued for Kamidana outside Japan, the order of importance is unique to the individual and one may want to ask a priest for personal guidance.

🔴 Compiled Sources Links

Sources Not Used in Post

Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers by Ann Llewellyn Evan | Includes Japanese Kanji, Kana, and Furigana; Rōmaji; and English Translation — Link

Living With Kami's Reading List — Link

Sources Used in Post