Runes. Magical art of the ancient Scandinavians

I want to dedicate this book to my grandmother Ulyana (Olga) Brechko and my mother Svetlana for opening this world to me and encouraging my creativity. And also to express my sincere gratitude to Tonechka Davydova, my guardian angel, and Vera Kutyreva for her boundless patience.

Olga Korbut (Insolate)

© Korbut O., text, 2017

© Eksmo Publishing House LLC, 2018

* * *

Olga Korbut, also known online as Insolate, is an esotericist, runologist, tarot reader, and practicing psychologist. Creator of the “Magiclife” self-development school and the “Runes XXI” community, author of training courses and seminars on runes, Tarot, practical magic. Author of numerous publications, popularizer of esoteric practices on the Internet.

“What’s good about this book? Real author's developments in rune magic and a very sober, balanced approach to practice, which Olga shares with the reader. Runica is a living and developing discipline. Without practitioners who use runes in life and gain experience in their knowledge and application, the runic is dead.”

Oleg Sinko, Eril (master of rune magic), psychologist, reiki master

Instead of an introduction

It’s the 21st century, the world has been taken over by high technology, computers are becoming smaller, new means of communication instantly connect people located thousands of kilometers from each other, but only one thing remains unchanged at all times - our belief in the supernatural, in the fact that where -There is a magic wand that makes wishes come true. I'll tell you a secret - it really exists. More precisely, there are as many as 24 of them - and these are runes! They came to us from the distant 1st–2nd centuries. n. e. from the territory where Germany and the Scandinavian countries are now located. The runes passed through the dark Middle Ages and were forgotten during the period technical revolution, but burst into the 21st century, capturing the minds of our contemporaries with their mystery. In my book I want to tell you about this magic that came from the distant past and was embodied in the modern runic tradition.

Runes are very popular today. And if there is a lot of different information about the runes themselves, then about practical application runes, only fragmentary information can be found. On the one hand, many people use runes and leave reviews about their work, but on the other hand, you will not find a clearly stated scheme and sequence of runic influence anywhere - there are too many different opinions and at the same time complete absence specifics. My book will fill this gap and teach you how to use rune magic in practice.

If you have embarked on the path of self-development and are ready to change your life for the better, runes will help you with this. And this book and my humble guide will provide an opportunity to establish a connection with them.

From a small historical information you will learn what runes are, where they came from and why they help us achieve our goals. I will teach you, through fortune telling using runes, to find out the reasons for the occurrence of a particular situation, predict future events and analyze the results of your activities. I will tell you how runes can be used to achieve various goals, what runic staves are, what they are like and by what principles they are created. The materials collected in the book will help you use the power of runes to improve your life. You will learn how to monitor adverse trends and learn how to protect yourself and those you care about from them. This information will show the way out difficult situation, will teach you to resist negative influences and will simply make you feel confident no matter what happens. You will learn how to properly organize your workspace, how to use the power of the Moon and various ritual objects and, most importantly, how to apply the acquired knowledge without causing harm to yourself and your loved ones.

It is important to understand: runes cannot be studied only through reading esoteric literature. To understand their power and principles of influence, personal experience and own discoveries, born in the course of creative experiments. Each of us has an active creative principle that can change reality, and in order to influence reality, you just need to free your inner strength and take advantage of your capabilities!

Chapter 1
Theories of the origin of runes and sources of information about runes

Runes are the writing system of the ancient Germans, which was used from approximately the 1st to the 12th centuries. n. e. on the territory of modern Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and from the 10th to the 12th centuries. in Greenland and Iceland. Runes are symbolic figures consisting of straight lines. They were usually carved on various hard materials: wood, stone, metal.

There are several versions of the origin of the word “rune”.

According to one theory, the word "rune" comes from the Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon words "run", Old Icelandic "runar" and Old German "runa", which contain the Germanic root "ru", as well as from the Gothic concept "runa" ”, meaning “secret”, and the ancient German “runen” (modern Raunen) - “whisper mysteriously”.

The author of books on Celtic history and geomancy, Nigel Pennick, writes about the connection of the word “rune” with the ancient Celtic “run” and the Welsh “rhin”, both meaning “whisper”. His work states that the word "run" means "mystery" in Irish and "lot" in Scots Gaelic.

Researchers R. Morris and E. Antonsen see a connection between the name “rune” and the Indo-European root “run”, which means “to scratch”, “to make notches”.

As you can see, there are several opinions, but each of them contains a certain mystical component inherent in these ancient signs.

The runic alphabet itself appeared around the 3rd century. BC e., but it is still not known for certain for what purpose the runes were created: whether they were tools for fortune telling, special signs for esoteric practice, or whether they were originally intended as writing.

There are also several hypotheses about the origin of the runic symbols, from scientifically based to downright mystical.

I understand that you are not historians and that you are primarily interested in how to use runes, and not where they came from. But nevertheless, I think that you need to understand the subject that you are studying and, moreover, are going to use for your benefit, so tolerate a little “boringness”.

Greco-Latin version

A specialist in the field of archeology and toponymy, Isaac Taylor, put forward a version of the structural relationship between the runic alphabet and the Greek one, used in the 6th century. BC e. on the shores of the Black Sea. This conclusion was prompted by the elongated and angular shape of the runes. According to the theory of the Danish linguist Ludwig-Franz-Adalbert Wimmer, runes originated from the Latin script of the late 2nd century. n. e.

Northern Etruscan version

The Northern Etruscan version of the origin of runes is considered the most popular. In 1928, it was put forward by the Norwegian scientist Karl Marstrander. He was supported in 1929 by the Scandinavian researcher Magnus Hammarström, adding to this theory the assumption that the runes are of mixed origin from the Northern Etruscan and Ogham alphabets. Most scientists consider this borrowing to be the most likely.

Western Asian version

It is believed that the Lydian alphabet, which arose from the Phoenician, has a number of letters similar in graphics to runes. This writing disappears in the 3rd century. BC e., and around the same time runes appeared in Europe. Some runic symbols have analogues in the Semitic alphabets, for example, the runes Gebo, Berkana, Ing (in the Scandinavian version) are found in the South Arabian script.

Non-traditional versions

In the 1930s–1940s. in Germany, the Urrunen theory (Prrunen Theory) was developed, suggesting that runes come from certain prarunas, from which the North Semitic alphabet and all other alphabetic writings of the world originated. This theory was developed solely for the purpose of Germanizing the alphabet, so it cannot be considered reliable. The Swedish professor Sigurd Agrell also adhered to an unconventional theory, who believed that runes appeared in the 1st century. and were originally a kind of code. In 1932, he put forward the assumption that the rune f (Fehu) was the last, and not the first, in the runic alphabet. This theory scientific world did not accept, but she also found a number of followers, among whom, for example, Thomas Karlsson, the author of the famous book “Runes and Nordic Magic.”

Mythological version

Scandinavian myths describe how the god Odin received the runes. He learned that to gain great wisdom he must sacrifice himself, after which he pierced himself with a spear and hung on the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights without food or water. For this Odin was rewarded: the giant Belthorn came up to him, gave him honey to drink and handed him secret signs– runes. This is stated in one of the stanzas of the “Elder Edda” - a poetic collection of sacred songs about gods and heroes Scandinavian mythology:

I know I was hanging
in the branches in the wind
nine long nights
pierced by a spear,
dedicated to Odin
as a sacrifice to oneself,
on that tree
whose roots are hidden
in the depths of the unknown.
Nobody fed
no one gave me anything to drink
I looked at the ground
I picked up the runes
groaning, he raised them, -
and fell from the tree.

You will find the runes
and you will perceive the signs,
strongest signs,
the strongest signs,
Hroft painted them,
and the gods created
and Odin cut them out.

(“Speeches of the High”, 138–39, 142, translation by A. I. Korsun)

There are two versions of how the runes came from the world of the gods into the hands of people. We learn about this from the “Song of Riga,” one of the Eddic poems that is useful to read for anyone interested in runes. It is believed that the god Heimdall, in the form of Rig, taught the runes to his heir named Kon. According to another version, Rig is Odin himself, and if we accept this version, it turns out that it was the supreme god who gave the runes to people.

On at the moment There is only one runic writing recognized by science. This is futhark - a series of ancient Germanic and Scandinavian symbols (elder futhark), as well as derivatives from them: Northumbrian (Anglo-Saxon), Icelandic and Danish runes (younger futhark). The existence of runic alphabets of other nations is in doubt - this is worth remembering for lovers of Hungarian, Turkic and other runes, including the “runes of angels”. It is believed that only Futhark symbols are capable of changing the world, because they were given to humanity by God Odin, and all other alphabets were invented by people, and we know nothing about their divine origin.

We agree with the magical version of the origin of runes because we perceive magic as an integral part of human life.

Abstract thinking is what makes a person human and distinguishes him from all other creatures on earth. It was thanks to this thinking that appeared religious ceremonies And magical practices(in my opinion, the essence is the same). Man is a rational and pragmatic creature, but at the same time, people have believed in the supernatural for many millennia, and this belief does not weaken, but only grows stronger. Agree that since this happens, then it really makes sense. If magic didn't work, it wouldn't be so popular. A person can be deceived once or even twice, but once he is convinced that he has been lied to again, he will no longer believe you, and even tell a good hundred other people about his conclusions.

There is nothing supernatural in magic, because man is a creator by nature.

When we create something, be it works fine arts, music or a new pie recipe, we change ourselves, we change the world around us. And this act of creation is precisely the most “magical” magic. Being in a state of creative search, we change our psychological state, thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Thanks to this, our perception expands: we see the world from a different angle and notice opportunities that were previously hidden or simply invisible to those who we were before. And we get more, our plans are realized, and our goals become achievable. The same thing happens when we perform any ritual or create runic scripts. We enter an altered state of consciousness through light trance or meditation, thereby releasing the hidden resources of our psyche. Magic can neither be taken from the outside nor lost, since it is already within ourselves and consists of will, reason and directed action. In relation to runes, everything is explained simply: with the power of our mind we create a connection, in the process structuring information about the problem, with an effort of will we change our attitude to the situation and with the help of logical and understandable actions we get what we want.

This is how any magic works. But let's return to the runes.

Today we do not have detailed description meanings and meanings of the runes compiled by the ancients northern peoples. The real sources of this information are the so-called Rune Poems: the Icelandic Rune Poem, the Norwegian Rune Poem and the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem.

These poems indicate the order of runes in the alphabets and provide some information about the meaning of the symbols and associative connections. But this information is not enough, and it is expressed mostly in metaphors (kennings, characteristic of skaldic poetry). In addition, the poems themselves were written by a Christian, a person far from ancient tradition, and several centuries after the spread of the runes, which naturally left its mark on the interpretation and presentation of the material.

There are several options for translating runic poems. First, they were translated from old languages ​​(Old Norse - Old Norse and Proto-German - Proto-Germanic) into modern German and Norwegian, then into English, and only then into Russian. Because of large quantity reworkings of the text and the use of different names for the same symbols in ancient poems, there are still differences in the names of some runes. For example:

German name: Berkana

Anglo-Saxon: Beork

Old Norse: Bjarkan Some information about the practical use of runes is contained in a song in the Elder Edda called “The Speech of Sigrdriva.” It describes how the Valkyrie Sigrdriva reveals the magical meanings of the runes to the ruler Sigurd. Verses 6–13 describe 8 runic groups:

5. Klenu tinga chain mail
I give you a drink
full of strength
and great glory;
there are songs of magic in it
and healing runes,
good spells
and the joys of the runes.

6. Runes of victory,
if you strive for her, -
cut them out
on the sword hilt
and mark twice
in the name of Tyr!

7. Beer runes
know that it's deception
you weren't scared!
Apply them to the horn
write on your hand,
rune Naud - on the nail.

8. Sanctify the horn,
beware of deceit
throw the onion into the moisture;
then I know for sure
what a magic potion
you won't get drunk.

9. Midwife runes
find out if you want
to be of assistance during childbirth!
Apply them to your palm
squeeze your wrists
calling to diss.

10. Surf runes
know in order to save
ships are sailing!
Draw those runes
on the nose, on the steering wheel
and burn out on the oars, -
let the surf be terrible
and the black shafts,
You will land unharmed.

11. Healing runes
for healing
you must know;
on the trunk that branches
leans towards the east,
cut them out.

12. Know the runes of speech,
if you don't want to
to take revenge on you!
They are put together
they are made up
they are intertwined
at a ting like this,
where people should
do justice.

13. Know the runes of thought,
if the wisest
do you want to become!
Hroft solved them,
he invented them
from such moisture
that once leaked out
from Heiddraupnir's brain
and the horns of Hoddrofnir.

(Translation by A. I. Korsun)

Based on the above passage, we cannot say anything specific about the practical use of runes, since the text contains only the names of runic groups and hints as to what they are intended for.

Perhaps it was an encrypted message, but, alas, no one can confirm or deny this information. Both Soulo and Teyvaz could be called the rune of victory, and Anguz and Laguz could be called the runes of thought. Therefore, based on primary sources, one can only make assumptions, and nothing more.

The modern practical use of runes began in 1982 after the publication of Ralph Blum’s book on runic fortune-telling, “The Book of Runes. A Guide to Using the Ancient Oracle: Viking Runes." Ralph Bloom was not a serious historian or researcher, and the runes themselves, accompanied by a couple of sheets describing their meanings, fell into his hands by accident. At first he put them aside, but after some time he returned to studying them. Blum began searching for available literature on the origin and use of runes and, at the same time as reading books, studied the Chinese I Ching system, believing that in working with one oracle it was logical to seek help from another.

Blum expresses the idea that each rune is a separate magical sign with certain properties and power. He also suggested using the 25th empty rune in fortune telling. The interpretations of the symbols proposed by Blum are slightly different from modern ones, and some runologists do not recommend working with an empty rune at all.

Following Blum, a number of authors appeared who actively wrote about fortune telling with runes and their use in magic. By the end of the 90s of the last century practical work with these ancient symbols it has acquired a modern appearance, and today there is a place in it for both predictions and the use of combinations of runes as magical tools.

Runes entered my life in the early 90s along with the magazine “Science and Religion”, and a little later – with the Donetsk newspaper “Magic”. Perhaps it was precisely thanks to the simple recommendation to draw the Fehu and Otal runes on pieces of leather and carry them in a wallet that my family practically did not notice the difficulties of the restructuring.

Today they are gaining more and more popularity rune staves and scripts - combinations of runes endowed with certain properties. They are also called "formulas". It should be taken into account that the authors of these stavs created them for their own situations, giving the runes their own meaning. Therefore, you should not be surprised that runic combinations do not always work and not for everyone.

Everyone who considers himself an expert on runes tries to classify them and correlate them with objects of living and inanimate nature, elements, mythological characters, colors, sounds, etc. It is difficult to say how much all this makes sense, because we do not know whether they were used similar analogies and relationships in ancient times. Such comparisons and interpretations are individual and often differ from each other.

Modern interpretations of runes, using logic and subjective perception, were derived from the texts of ancient poems, the meanings of the Elder Futhark runes - from the younger ones, becoming enriched and more complex over time.

Your understanding of any rune may differ slightly from other practitioners' interpretations. Only the meanings of symbols from runic poems should be taken as dogma, and all other versions are better interpreted as subjective options for understanding this system.

Chapter 2
Futhark and its structure

In the runic system, each rune occupies a certain position, and the entire series is usually called futhark by the initial letters of its first six characters (fu?ark): Fehu, Uruz, Turisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kenaz. The runic alphabet received its name on the same principle as the alphabet. Although the word “futhark” itself is traditionally written with a “t,” it is more correct to correlate the Thurisaz rune not with T, but with D (D) or the letter combination TH. Thus, both names of the runic alphabet (Fudark or Futhark) are correct.

Sometimes you can find the name “futhork”. This is due to the fact that in a number of younger Futharks the 3rd rune Ansuz meant the sound “o”, not “a”, and was called Oss (Anglo-Saxon runic system).

Futhark consists of three subsections - ettirs, or atts (Il. ?ttir - ettir, Norse. ?tt - att). All attas of the elder futhark have 8 runes, but there are 24 in total.

Rice. 1. Futhark and its structure

The peculiarity of the image of runes is associated with the convenience of their inscription on solid materials: in the past, runic inscriptions were applied to stones or wooden tablets. If you have a question about how to draw runes correctly, take a wooden block and try to carve symbols on it - and everything will become clear to you.

IN modern tradition runes are usually divided into four groups according to the position they occupy relative to their axis.

Symmetrical runes - Uruz, Algiz, Teyvaz, Evaz, Mannaz, Otal - can be read upside down, therefore they are called reversible, or inverted. It is believed that in the inverted position their meaning becomes opposite. In such cases, the inverted position is designated as “p. n."

Rice. 2. Reversible runes

Asymmetrical runes - Thurisaz, Kenaz, Perth, Berkana - do not change when turned over, but can turn from right to left. This is called the mirror position - “mirror”. n." Their meaning also becomes different, but not necessarily opposite.

Rice. 3. Mirror runes

The runes Ansuz, Laguz, Vunyo, Raido, Fehu, which are part of the third group, both turn and turn over. Their interpretation also changes at the same time. In runescripts/ligatures such positions are most often designated as “p. n." - inverted position.

Rice. 4. Inverted and reversed runes

There are also nine runes that do not have reverse positions: Gebo, Hagalaz, Nautiz, Isa, Iera, Eyvaz, Soulo, Inguz, Dagaz. Their meaning is constant.

Rice. 5. Irreversible runes

The meaning of mirrored and inverted runes may change, but almost always it characterizes negative points, problems and troubles.

Now let's move directly to the meanings of the runes adopted in modern practice. I will give brief modern interpretations symbols in parallel with authentic ones from the Anglo-Saxon rune poem translated by Kirill Gorbachenko. I don’t just give an interpretation of the additional “Empty Rune”, the concept of which arose in modern times and goes beyond the framework of the ancient runic tradition. Let me remind you once again that the names of the symbols may vary depending on the translation. In modern tradition, Germanic names of runes are most often found. I also prefer to use them in my work.

They can be a means of achieving wealth and power, and can tell fortunes.

One thing is absolutely certain and beyond doubt: RUNES are living energies, they are not just symbols and signs. This is a blessed GIFT to humanity, thanks to which we can build our lives according to our own choice. With the help of runes, we can more fully realize the wonders of nature, understand ourselves more fully, and gain direct contact with spiritual forces. Runic signs have ancient origin and are magical symbols of the Celtic Druid priests.

So, let's plunge into the depths of centuries, touch the great secret, try to understand: what runes are, where they came from and how they work.

Shamanism is oldest form spiritual expression known to mankind. Its roots go back to prehistoric times, and thus it can be considered the predecessor of all modern existing religions. Among all races and traditions, a person who had the ability to perceive the inaccessible to others, who had the experience of a reality different from ordinary existence, and who communicated with the minds of other forms of life and other planes of existence, enjoyed special honor and respect among his relatives.

The word “shaman” itself (pronounced “sha-man”) comes from the language of the Tungus, one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. It can be interpreted as "one who knows" or " wise man", but in the most accurate translation it means "one who has known bliss." A shaman was considered a person who had overcome the limitations of his physical body, who expanded the boundaries of the mind and experienced a deep spiritual experience. This was usually achieved after completing a long, often painful apprenticeship process. Despite their honorable position in the tribe, socially the shamans led an isolated existence.

We will talk about the knowledge and skills of a special kind of shaman - the so-called runic shamans who lived among the peoples of Northern Europe, Scandinavia and Iceland. Runic shamanism is in many ways similar to the spiritual perception of North American Indians and the Taoist wisdom of the East and is an integral part of universal shamanism. Suppressed in the past by religious intolerance and political tyranny, this knowledge was preserved and passed on through oral tradition. Hidden for the time being, it is now being restored so that people can gain a more complete understanding of the world around them and learn the meaning and purpose of their lives.

Rune shamans had the knowledge and practical skills to use runes - angular symbols drawn on a smooth surface, carved into wood, engraved on stone or on personal belongings. Some people considered runes to be a secret code, a mystical way of releasing power that allowed them to fulfill their desires, prevent hostile intentions, or foresee the future.

The runes were a gift to humanity and a blessing to our race - a mission that, sadly, has remained forgotten to this day. Through understanding the true nature of the runes, we can become more fully aware of the wonders of nature, our natural surroundings, and strengthen our resolve to respect and protect all life on Earth. In addition, we can come to a more complete understanding of ourselves and an awareness of the deep purpose of our lives.

The spiritual task of discovering the Truth is feasible only if you look not on earth or in heaven - regardless of the purity of intentions, sincerity of desires, perseverance and courage - but within. This is the true meaning of the words carved on the pediment of the Delphic Temple in ancient Greece: “Man, know yourself.”

Those of us who explored the main streams and side branches of religious thought, who sought to find answers to life's most complex questions from spiritual leaders and mentors, from philosophers and scientists, did so because of our upbringing: we were all taught that we should look outside, not inside. We are taught to treat knowledge as truth, when it is only information based on assumptions and speculation, and sometimes on blind faith.

Runes can teach us the importance of inner searching and self-awareness of the connection between the spiritual and the physical, the revealed and the hidden, the external and the internal. As a result, we begin to understand that the physical, mental and spiritual are not separate principles, but different facets of a single whole.

At the dawn of a new millennium, humanity has reached a critical point where it faces a clear choice. Despite the great inventions of materialistic science and the wonders of modern technology, our world is on the verge of a great crisis. We can choose either spiritual bankruptcy and degeneration to the point of releasing the forces of Chaos that can destroy humanity and devastate the Earth, or we can expand the boundaries of human awareness, rise to a higher level of perception in multidimensional reality and enter a new Golden Age.

According to modern physics, the basic substance of the universe is at the subatomic level, where matter and energy become interchangeable. This basic unit of matter and energy is called a quantum, an invisible signal or fluctuation that precedes both energy pulses and subatomic particles. It is at this subtle level that the greatest energy potential lies, and this is where runic symbols originate.

Contrary to the opinion of anthropologists, historians and other scientists, runes are not a product human mind, although they can, of course, be manipulated with the mind.

Nor are they ordinary symbols that mean something else. Every runic sign– a carrier of potential energy that precedes existence in any manifestation. It is the repository of primordial activity in nature and in ourselves; when opened and activated, it creates movement. Thus, the runes indicate the possible movement and transformation of the potential inherent in nature and in ourselves. They themselves are the force that ensures any activity. Runes are a component of the cosmic language that introduces us to the inner knowledge of the Universe and ourselves, for the natural laws that govern the Universe also operate within us. Each of us represents the Universe in miniature!

If we treat the runes with care and respect, and not as a means of exploitation and gratification of our own whims, we can come into contact with the innermost part of our being. We learn how our choices and actions create an energetic pattern that defines reality, shaping our future and destiny.

By understanding the runes, we understand both ourselves and our surroundings. By understanding the runes, we understand the Earth and the Universe. Understanding the runes, we learn the external and internal, obvious and hidden, physical and spiritual. This is the true purpose of runes.

runes training

Each rune represents magical symbol , which is used in the manufacture of a magical item when they want to give it magical properties.

Runes have great strength, they help to cope with many life difficulties:

• lack of money
• loneliness
• conflicts in the family and in the team
• searching for yourself and your purpose
• stress and depression

• recover from illness and addictions
• break out of the vicious circle
• attract good luck
• Love
• win

Very often runes are used in making talismans And amulets.

With the help of runes you can solve many problems or tasks.

And you and I will learn this at school.

How will the training take place?

You will receive lessons in your inbox once a week.

Lesson by lesson you will get acquainted with the world of each rune, learn to feel its power, and track how it affects your life. And gradually learn to manage its energy.

You will receive settings for runes and connection to them. I will introduce you to the rune and reveal its meaning, tell you where and for what purposes it can be used.

The lessons will give you powerful adjustments to the vibrations of the Runes, and you will begin to hear their prompts.

You will understand that Runes speak, support and protect. Protect your health and success.

So that you can understand whether you need it and how much you need it, you can pay for the training per lesson. The cost of one lesson is 150 rubles. Thus, you have the opportunity to stop studying at any stage. If you wish, you can pay for several lessons at the same time. Lessons will be sent to you by email once a week after payment has been received.

You can pay for training through Yandex Money: 41001905028291 or via the link:

Or transfer money to bank card, I will indicate the number in personal correspondence.

Please notify me about payment by email: [email protected]

When paying for training, please write to the above postal address that you paid for the training. So that I know who to send the lessons to!!!

All correspondence regarding training will be conducted through him.

You can share your observations and results Here: Here you can also communicate between

I’m waiting for my students, and see you in class!

Runes must be treated as a priceless treasure, because they do not force themselves upon a person. They never prove themselves. If you are not ready to accept runes, they simply will not work for you.

The ancients took mantic systems very seriously, which were clearly considered sacred.

Origin of the runic sign

Some historians claim that runes originated among the Teutonic tribes of Northern Europe in the 5th century. BC e. Others suggest that runes arose much later, in Northern Italy, and originate from the Latin alphabet. There is an opinion that they were invented by the Vikings in the 8th century. n. e. But although scientists differ on the origin of runic writing, most agree that runes were used by pagan tribes throughout the vast expanse of Northern Europe.

In the myths of the Elder and Younger Eddas, runes are presented not as a human invention, but as something already existing, waiting only to be discovered and released.

The poem "Havamal" (the title means "Song of the High One") from the Elder Edda tells how Odin, in an attempt to accomplish something valuable for people, acquired the runes, which were revealed to him as a gift to humanity from the unusual reality of shamanic experience. Runes provided a means of gaining knowledge about the secret forces of nature and the processes underlying existence. They expanded perception beyond the physical senses, allowing one to “see” the Spirit with inner vision and “hear” the inaudible.

The following poetic passage about Odin's experiences is taken from the Poetic Edda (c. 1200 AD), translated from Old Norse:

Hanging on this tall tree

Hanging out there for nine long nights

Wounded by his own blade,

Bloodied for Odin's sake

Self-sacrificed

Nailed to the tree

Whose roots go into the unknown.

Nobody gave me bread

Nobody gave me anything to drink

I looked into the deepest abysses,

Until I tracked down the Runes.

With a cry of victory I grabbed them,

Then everything was enveloped in darkness.

I got the blessing for everyone,

And wisdom too.

From word to word,

I was brought to the Word

From action to another action.

Ready to sacrifice his "ego" for the purposes of the Soul and the ultimate good of humanity, the shaman Odin took nine sticks and threw them to the ground while hanging upside down from a tree ( see Appendix 1). The sticks formed a pattern of vertical and diagonal lines, from which angular symbols began to appear one after another. total number 24. Thus the runes were revealed to Odin.

But these are just legends and myths. In fact, runes are like magic signs have an earlier and more complex origin.

History of runes

The origins of runic art - as well as the origin of the runic symbols themselves - go back to ancient times.

There is no doubt that the very first signs, inscribed by a human hand or carved from bone and wood, were of a magical nature. Already among such ancient graphics we can find symbols that became the prototypes of future common magical signs.

In the 3rd-1st millennia BC, the previously established systems of magical signs began to gradually turn into sacred alphabets. The peoples of Europe became acquainted with the prototype of the runes - the Northern Italic script - no later than the second half of the 1st millennium B.C.

Probably by the middle of the 1st century A.D. The classic all-Germanic runic system - Futhark - was formed. It originally appeared in Denmark, around the 3rd century. from R.H. refers to its distribution in the rest of Scandinavia.

With the introduction of Christianity and the spread of the Latin alphabet, runic writing quickly lost its importance as the main alphabet, although it existed for a long time after that. Pagan runes penetrated even into Christian culture. An excellent example of this is the baptismal font carved from light stone from Burserud Church in Småland.

In general, the cessation of the use of runic signs as an alphabet dates back to the 14th - 15th centuries. However, the runic tradition turned out to be extremely stable, and individual cases the use of runes was recorded much later until the 18th century.

During times of religious persecution, the runes were slandered along with the old ones pagan beliefs. Over the course of several generations, the knowledge of runes was almost erased from human memory.

If we talk about the purely magical use of runic signs, then we can safely say that the tradition of runic magic was preserved in its entirety until the 11th - 13th centuries, in a damaged and partially deformed form - until late Middle Ages, and as relics and “remnants” of the ancient high magic- up to the current century...

But now a new, albeit still timid and uncertain, wave of interest in runic art is beginning.

It's a very subtle thing to catch a glimpse Subtle world, feel the presence of supermundane realities, penetrate with your mind through the gifted instrument into the essence of what is happening. The 24 symbols later became known as the "traditional" or "elder" Futhark runes due to the phonetic combination F-U-Th-A-R-K of the first six symbols that appeared in the earliest manuscripts, oral runic poems and tales. This is the prototype from which all other runic systems descended. (see Appendix 2)

Chapter 2 “Runic system”. Varieties of the runic alphabet

The runes never remained unchanged.

As already mentioned, in the 5th century AD runic magic came to the British Isles. British magicians were not satisfied with Futhark and created their own runic system. These runes (28 of them) are known as early Anglo-Saxon ( see Appendix 3). Later, by the 9th century, they created another runic system, already containing 33 signs.

As in the British Isles, runes also changed in Scandinavia, but the Scandinavian priests took the opposite path. Preserving Futhark for magical needs, they developed more and more runic alphabets, which were used only as a means of writing. Thus, the first revised alphabets contained 16 characters, close in outline to the Futhark runes, the last ones (XI - XII centuries) - 15 or fewer characters, sometimes having nothing in common with Futhark. In total, about a dozen alphabets were created in Scandinavia. These Scandinavian adaptations of Futhark are sometimes called Junior Runes. Younger Futhark has several variants, the most famous are the Swedish-Norwegian and Danish runes ( see Appendix 4, Appendix 5).

There is also the so-called Armanic Futhark ( see Appendix 6), created by Guido von List, a German rune researcher and famous occultist, founder of the school of runic magic. He believed that there was an original runic series consisting of 18 runes. The runes appeared to him in one of his visions. Futhark is called Armanian because it is associated with the theories of Armanism - the racist theories of Nazi Germany.

The most common at present is the classical system - the Elder Futhark. It is used for fortune telling and the creation of various talismans and talismans.

Runes of the Elder Futhark

The Futharkian order of runes had magical meaning. It was divided into three groups of eight runes (attas). It was an order that reveals the very process of creation and quality, originally inherent in nature and ourselves.

Runic shamans have always treated the Futharkian order with care and respect. They contributed to the runic power; their overall intention was to bring harmony and order, to avoid intentional harm, no matter for what purpose the runes were used.

Let's take a quick look at the Futharkian order and its connection to the worldview prevalent in old Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

“First” is the U-rune, URUZ

Name: later Scandinavian - Legr - "water"

British - Lagy - "water"

Gothic - Lagus - "water"

The rune of the inner circle of magic, “that which leads.” A complex but wonderful rune. The classic translation of the name (“water”) does not entirely accurately define its content. The name of this rune implies not just water, but flowing water, moving water - the one that forms a stream and carries along with it. Turning to the Indian Vedic tradition, we can correlate this rune with the god Agni; in Russian Vedism, it probably corresponds to the god Simargl, the Winged Dog, connecting people and gods.

The Laguz rune is the rune of intuition, and its magical use is connected with this. Its use sharpens and enhances the intuitive perception of the world, helps in the study of the occult sciences and in penetrating the secret - this is one aspect of its action. On the other hand, the rune promotes marriage, the formation of new friendships and the restoration of old ones, ending a disagreement or quarrel.

Mantic content. Straight position. The key words are “the need to follow intuition.” Keywords encapsulate the main advice of this sign. Whatever the situation, you need to trust “that which leads,” that part of your being that cannot be realized by the mind and manifests itself in intuition and similar phenomena. No evaluation or reflection is required, and often no understanding is required. If you act (act) according to your own Flow and your own rhythms, it will give you a feeling of inner comfort. Otherwise, tension and internal disharmony are inevitable.

Inverted position. The key word is "warning". The appearance of this sign is a warning about the danger of failure. No one can act beyond the capabilities and accumulated forces allotted to him and not expect a retaliatory blow. There may be overexertion, a desire for something that cannot now come true.

22. Rune Inguz

Name: late Scandinavian - missing

British - Ing - Yngwie

Gothic - Ing (Ingus, Iggws) - Yngvi

One of the most beautiful and most powerful Futhark runes. The rune of fertility in its reproductive (generating) aspect. Dedicated to the bright Frey, the god of fertility (his other name is Ing or Ingvi). As has already been mentioned in this book, Frey is a Van by birth, i.e. Slav. His Slavic name is Dazhdbog; the Scandinavian name is only heyti and means simply “lord”, “lord”.

The magical use of the Inguz rune is associated with the forces of light Freyr; in fact, the use of this rune is a direct appeal to this god. The rune can be used wherever there is a lack of natural forces of fertility: in the case of female infertility or male impotence, poor land harvest or unfruitful work. Also, the Inguz rune is able to relieve excess tension and restore the balance (equilibrium) of a person’s vitality.

Mantic content. Straight position. Key words - "fertility", "completion". Favorable sign. Its appearance indicates the completion (arriving or upcoming) of a certain stage of life. The business you are currently busy with should end favorably. If you asked for advice, the advice is to focus all your energy on finishing what you are doing, what you need to finish. With completion comes something new.

The second aspect of this sign is getting rid of the old, which is necessary to make room for the new. If you are feeling tension and uncertainty right now, know that it will pass as you make room for the New to emerge. In this regard, this sign may indicate (or advise) a way out of the state of stagnation.