Ancient runes- Freyas aett [plural. Aettir]
meanings of these first eight runes were essential components of life for the Nordic people and are symbolic of nurturing and concerned with concrete matters of daily life. are particularly helpful as supporting and assisting forces, which can be added to spells to enhance or otherwise assist their effects.
Cattle, wealth Owning cattle and gold were ways to raise yourself through the ranks of tribal society
The richness and gain of spirituality and happiness
Schreiber’s corrections, Fehu stands for fortune in both the material and immaterial sense of the word.
Merkstave, Fehu represents the opposite: loss [both personally and materially] as well as the negative forces that come with wealth: greed and poverty.
can use Fehu in a practical aspect to stabilize our magic and reduce the chances of backfire and side effects.
do not make the mistake of trying to find a loophole to Gamp’s Principle Exception of Wealth with this rune.
Aurochs [horned cattle], water
Schreiber noted the pictographic translation to be that of a Graphorn, which is incidentally the symbol for the number two in arithmancy.
Merkstave, Uruz speaks of slowness, dullness, and potentially even cowardice depending on how it is combined with other runes.
can be used to bolster and enhance the effects of a spell, though precautions must be taken as side effects can also be juiced up. For this reason it is not uncommon to find Fehu and Uruz inscribed together.
I feel it’s important to note while it’s still early in your magical career that you should be very careful with the kind of magic you are doing. Nothing exists in a vacuum, and every spell has some consequence, whether you are aware of it or not. This is the Law of Unintended Consequences, and it states that every action has some unintended or unforeseen reaction that may be positive (i.e. luck, goodwill), negative (backfire, unnecessary harm), or neutral (the benefits and negatives cancel each other out). It is vital to keep this in mind with all of your spellwork but with runes especially; you will come across examples and texts throughout your time in this course where misuse of runes has resulted in some very unfortunate circumstances, and you would be wise to learn all you can to avoid following in those footsteps.
magical use of Thurisaz is associated with change, constructive conflict, and defense.
To strengthen offensive spells
Schreiber’s corrections tell us that the standard form of this rune is used to denote the giant race, and it has been used in this sense on maps to mark the territories of giants. This use eventually became so common that the rune assumed the more general meaning of danger as well.
Merkstave, Thurisaz represents unbridled destruction and danger, as well as unresolved conflict. Thurisaz is most commonly used in its merkstave form to bolster defensive spells and decrease destruction caused by offensive spellwork. As noted in your textbook, this requires a great deal of skill and concentration as the defensive spellcaster must keep both the spell and the rune in mind while building the defenses.
Merkstave, Ansuz speaks to delusion and misunderstanding, and it may be used in conjunction with memory and befuddlement charms to increase their effectiveness. However, when used on Muggles, Ansuz can cause the spell to overpower the mind and leave the recipient generally incapable of higher cognitive functioning. It was declared illegal by the Ministry of Magic in 1939
divinatory tools and spell craft. It may also increase the effects of communicative devices
Raido is significant in the use of magical transportation, and the original portkeys were in fact small rune stones inscribed with Raido that allowed witches and wizards to travel from one village to the next. Raido does not just represent physical journeys, but also spiritual and life journeys.
Upright, it may indicate positive changes while merkstave may represent chaos or stagnancy. As with all runes, read Raido in context with other runes to understand the precise meaning.
Raido’s magical effect is most notable in transportation spells, as it helps to stabilise them. It can, for example, reduce the effect of Portkey-sickness if inscribed onto the Portkey before activation. Unfortunately however, there is no evidence to suggest that Raido reduces the risk of splinching while Apparating.
Standard Merkstave Variant
Schreiber follows the Muggle interpretation for Kenaz, which is disease, and extends it to also include magical maladies. There is some speculation in the divinatory aspects, however, that may suggest a more accurate reading is “torch” (we will talk more about this particular rune and its divergent meanings next year), but when it comes to using Kenaz in spellwork, the primary effects noticed are in relation to health and disease.
Like Thurisaz, Kenaz is used mostly in its merkstave (rightward-facing) form to promote vigour, health, illumination, and creativity. Used upright (or leftward-facing) in its standard form, Kenaz associates itself with weakness, ill health (often mentally), and confusion.
Kenaz lends itself to potion creation more so than wand work. For hundreds of years, potioneers have carved the rune into cauldrons and phials, and even St. Mungo’s has Kenaz placed around the wards to promote health. It has been suggested that the late Potions Master, Severus Snape, used Kenaz to enhance the efficacy of several of his signature potions. Certainly for anyone desiring to become a healer, this rune may be of great use when performing your duties. (In the picture to the right, we see Kenaz upright, which suggests the brewer had ill-intent.)
Gebo, as the Muggles understand it, means “gift.” Sophia Schreiber opted to leave interpretation of this rune open, as little is known or understood about Gebo. “Gift” is possibly an all-inclusive word for theorized interpretations such as sacrifice, companionship, and generosity; those are generally the accepted understandings.
Merkstave, Gebo may represent the dark side of these qualities: greed, loneliness, and selfishness. In an effort to make our lives more difficult as translators, upright and merkstave Gebo look exactly the same, and translating this rune correctly requires a great amount of context.
Using Gebo in spellwork is not recommended. Runologists are still arguing over the practical aspects of this rune and nobody is quite sure of the effect it has. In my own research, I suspect it was used in spellwork during times of perfect planetary alignment, possibly with human sacrifice to seal the work. Since all of these forces are incredibly powerful, these were spells most likely meant to bring destruction to rival civilizations or influence the course of history within a kingdom. As such, you should never use Gebo in your work, lest some undesired consequences result.
Upright Merkstave Variant
Schreiber and the Muggles both agree on the basic interpretation of Wunjo: joy. This rune deals specifically with emotional states, and healers at St. Mungo’s often place Wunjo in wards with mentally unstable patients to bring calm, happiness, fellowship, and clarity.
Merkstave, Wunjo represents the opposite: sorrow, anger, delirium, and debilitating mania. Wunjo works to enhance any spell that requires emotion to function, such as the Patronus Charm (which requires happy memories).
There have been several instances throughout history of Wunjo being used, both positively and negatively. It is said that the former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore placed the upright Wunjo around his office, causing a sense of calm and happiness to overtake those who entered. On the other end, Morgan le Fay, the infamous witch of the Middle Ages, is rumored to have used the merkstave Wunjo to depress those around her, ensuring her total power during her reign. From the tale of a rebellion mounted against her, we can learn that upright Wunjo can effectively cancel out merkstave Wunjo, allowing whole peoples and areas to immediately begin to feel like themselves.
We have yet again come to the end of another lesson. Remember that your midterm will be held after the lesson next week. You will have time to study, and it will be open note. Next week we will cover runes 13-18, which you will also be tested on in a separate quiz. Before I see you next week, take a look at Chapter Four: Heimdall’s aett. For today, you have a quiz on the runes we studied as well as the vocabulary covered in this lesson.
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Aett: Set of eight runes dedicated to one particular Germanic god. There are three aettir in the Elder Futhark.
Freya: The Norse goddess of beauty and fertility.
Law of Unintended Consequences: Every action has an unforeseen positive, neutral, or negative effect.
Merkstave: Literally “dark stick”; refers to a rune drawn or shown in an inverted or mirrored position.
Standard or Upright: The normal form of the rune.
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Image credits: Rae Elliot (horn, cauldron on table)
Original lesson written by Professor Genesis Starfight
Have you ever come across strange markings in old, worn books and wondered what they said? Do you have a love for languages and writing? Would you like to learn some of the world’s oldest magic? The study of Ancient Runes is a course concerning itself with ancient magical scripts from around the world, their history, their linguistics, and the spells they were used to compose. This year, prepare to enter the world of the Nords, the councils of the magi, and the halls of Valhalla.Enroll
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