#futhorc

WODEN

One-eyed wanderer, on the whale-road wide,

Cloaked in shadow, where dances of salt-mists ride.

With hat pulled low and spear-staff tall in hand,

Travelling the ancient ways of our green land.

The hoar-frost clings to your grey-threaded cloak,

You sought deep secrets that ancient staves bespoke.

Your ravens, Thought and Memory, take to flight,

Carriers of whispers from the dawn's first light.

On windswept heath, by barrows of the dead,

The lonely traveller lifts a weary head.

Finder of wisdom, gifts from passing sign,

Hidden truths, winding Wyrd threads entwine.

So hail, Grímnir, dark rider of Winter storms,

Whose endless journey keeps alight spirit-shade forms.

Bearer of Yggr's boughs and witness of worlds wrath.

Woden, grey traveller, blessings on wise-wandering path.

Northumbrian Rune Poems is now officially available for purchase. Digital and physical copies available here.

It's great to be able to show that runes were being carved in the Netherlands. This is one of the 23 currently known Frisian rune findings: the Westeremden (a location in the North-East of the Netherlands) yew stick, found in 1918 and dated 5th-8th century.  It can be seen in the Groninger Museum. 

Made of Yew (Dutch: Taxus, or IJf) which is not a tree that generally could be found in this area. The inscription reads like a blessing or spell for luck/happiness. To me, this is Frisian galðr:

ophæmujiBAdaæmluþ wimœBæhþuSA iwioKuPdunale:

A knotwork design of Yggdrasil that I drew. The runes on the end of the branches are the initials of the names of the Nine Worlds (although I used the Anglicised ON names but wrote them in OE runes, because that's how I roll).