The Elder Futhark Runes

Ancient Germanic Runic Alphabet

Of the many known runic alphabets, the Elder Futhark is the oldest and probably the most famous. It is of Germanic origin and was used in Europe and Scandanavia from the third century. The Elder Futhark is one of the popular sets of runestones used today for scrying and divination.

The name "futhark" comes from the first six letters of the alphabet and is hence pronounced "futh-ark" rather than "fut-hark". There are many different futharks with differing runes. The Elder Futhark consists of 24 symbols. As with most authentic runic alphabets the symbols are built from straight lines to make them easy to carve. Each rune is a letter and also has its own meaning.

The 24 runes are divided into three groups of eight. Each Aett is associated with one of the Norse Gods.

The Runes of Freya's Aett

F - Cattle U - Aurochs TH - Giant A - God R - Riding K - Torch G - Gifts W - Perfection

The Runes of Hagal's Aett

H - Hail N - Need I - Ice J - Year Y - Yew Tree P - Chance Z - Protection S - Sun

The Runes of Tyr's Aett

T - Spear / Tyr B - Birch E - Horse M - Man L - Lake NG - The God Ing O - Possession D - Day