Get ordained online with American Marriage Ministries to become a minister today, and learn how to marry friends and family in a beautiful, authentic ceremony.īelow, you’ll find each of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, along with its individual meaning. The rune Sowilo or Sowulo corresponds to the letter S, Sowilo means the sun. When used intentionally as part of a Pagan wedding ritual, including Viking weddings, runes are said to bless a marriage with wealth and good health, fertility, wisdom and strength, protection from evil outside forces, and years of love and happiness. You may even see them placed on the walls or floors of a wedding venue as part of casting a circle. By the Medieval and Viking Age, newer rune systems were used everywhere from Norway to England by Scandinavian peoples, as well as the Anglo-Saxon. A few of the earliest rune markings include Ing(waz), Sowilo and Hagalaz among others not of the traditional Elder futhark. Divinations: Birth, becoming, life changes, shelter, liberation, sanctuary or blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation, conspiracy. There are preserved rune etchings dating to 2800 BC, Bronze Age Sweden. You’ll find runes printed on wedding invitations, etched into wedding bands, wedding crowns, and pieces of heirloom jewelry, and painted on wedding altars and arches. Berkano - Literally: Birch Goddess - Esoteric: Birth, Sanctuary Rune of containment and release of energy leading to continued growth and continual rebirth or renewal in all things.

(See Handfasting Ceremony Scripts and Pagan Weddings Scripts in our Library) Reading runes can communicate messages of spiritual. Elder Futhark runes are also used for magic and divination through the use of symbols, numbers, and phonetic meanings. Each symbol is placed belongs to one of three sets or aettir ruled by Freya, Hagal, or Tyr. Runes can be engraved on wedding bands or wedding swordsīecause of their symbolism and visual beauty, as well as their role in Pagan ritual and magic, runes are frequently seen at Viking weddings as part of the marriage rite, and at Wiccan and Pagan handfastings. Elder Futhark runes are letters of an ancient Norse alphabet made up of 24 symbols. They have since been used by Wiccans, Hedge Witches, Neo Druids, Heathens and other modern Pagans.Įach character represents a sound which can be placed together to spell words and create a story, or read on its own to symbolize a unique concept, object, or action. They were carved into stone and metal for protection, ritual magic, casting and divination, vengeance, and to share stories of harvest, gods, and battle.įirst used by Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, including the Vikings in northern Europe, it’s speculated that the Futhark runes became popular in the first or second century A.D. Golden horns of Gallehus, Seeland-II-C ). Kylver stone ), and an ' S shape' (three strokes), more prevalent in later (5th to 7th century) inscriptions (e.g. These runes are known by scholars as the Elder Futhark, and are thought to be one of the oldest forms of runic alphabet. The Elder Futhark s rune is attested in main two variants, a ' shape' (four strokes), more prevalent in earlier (3rd to 5th century) inscriptions (e.g. Norse runes are powerful symbols with an ancient and magical history. At the end of the ninth night the Runes accepted Odin's sacrifice and shown themselves to him, revealing to him all their secrets and powers they possessed.įrom a word to a word I was led to a word,įrom a work to a work I was led to a work.Norse runes can be used in Pagan wedding decor, on the ceremony altar, added to invitations, and more He hung himself from a branch of Yggdrasil, pierced himself with his spear, and stared down into the shadowy waters of the Well of Urd below calling to the runes for nine days and nine nights. To gain the secret knowledge of the runes Odin sacrificed himself to himself. Odin watched the Norns from his seat in Asgard and envied their powers and wisdom and bend his will toward the task of coming to know the runes. Runes allow one to access, use, and change the world shaping forces they symbolize. The word 'rune' means both letter and secret.

The runes are symbols of the most powerful forces in the cosmos. The Elder Futhark Runes are the original runic alphabet of the ancient Vikings and consists of 24 letters. The Teiwaz rune enjoys a very high power and represents strength, endurance, and reliability. The Sowilo Rune makes the 's' sound its meaning is sun or success. The best Elder Futhark runes for strength Tiwaz, Teiwaz (Motivation) This represents the spiritual warrior and courage. This Viking Elder Futhark Rune bead features the Sowilo Rune with ornate Norse knot work.Įach bead measures 14 x 10 mm with a 6.5 mm inside diameter.

Elder Futhark rune Sowilo