The Runes
The word "rune" means "secret" or "mystery", and that is why Lord Óðinn had to make such a sacrifice to gain their wisdom! The runes are not the symbols we use to represent them, but rather the meanings behind these ancient symbols. That said, there have been four different mainstream rune rows used by our Folk over the centuries: the Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and the Armanen runes.
These rune rows each represent different phases in our people's history: the Elder Futhark for the Germanic Iron Age, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc for the Migration Period, the Younger Futhark for the Viking Age, and the Armanen runes for the early revival of Ásatrú by Meister Guido von List. As the AFA is reforging Ásatrú, Witan Svan and the Alsherjargoði have combined the four rune rows into what is unofficially called the Folk Futhark.
The Folk Futhark is made with staves from all four rune rows, using Old Norse names for the runes in accordance with the AFA's use of Old Norse as something of a "liturgical language," while retaining the meanings that people associate with the Elder Futhark specifically. This new rune row perfectly encapsulates the AFA's mission of honoring every time period and location of Aryan history, while incorporating the use of Old Norse to fit alongside all of the other vocabulary used in Ásatrú! Here is a breakdown of the new rune row:
Fehu - Fé (Cattle, wealth)
Uruz - Úrr (Aurochs, power)
Thurisaz - Thurs (Giant, thorn, offense/defense)
Ansuz - Áss (God, the Æsir)
Raidho - Reið (Journey, right action)
Kenaz - Kaun (Torch, craft)
Gebo - Gjöf (Gift, reciprocity)
Wunjo - Ynði (Joy, harmony)
Hagalaz - Hagl (Hail, coming storm)
Nauthiz - Nauð (Need-fire, necessity)
Isa - Íss (Ice, iron will)
Jera - Ár (Year, cycles)
Eihwaz - Ýr (Yew tree, Yggdrasil, death)
Perthro - Peraþollr (Pear tree, lot cup, womb)
Algiz - Elgr (Elk, life, connection to divine)
Sowilo - Sól (Sunna, victory over darkness)
Tiwaz - Týr (Týr, victory)
Berkano - Bjarkan (Birch tree, birth, springtime)
Ehwaz - Jór (Horse, marriage, teamwork)
Mannaz - Maðr (Man, Folk, community)
Laguz - Lögr (Lake, leek, healing)
Inguaz - Yngvi (Freyr, seed)
Dagaz - Dagr (Day, dawn, return of spring)
Othala - Óðal (Estate, home, Gimlé)
Goði Trent East
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