The Runes

My rune set that I created from applewood.

What's your heritage? I mean, apart from being part of the human family, where does your human family come from? Mine is German, Swiss and French and I believe it's mostly German/Swiss. My recent ancestors are Pennsylvania Dutch from northern Ohio and my maternal grandfather didn't speak English until he went to school at age 5. My parents tell me that my two grandpas used to gently disagree with each other (both being pacifists!) on which Pennsylvania Dutch word was correct for whatever usage they were referring to. I also remember my maternal grandparents bickering with each other in Pennyslvania Dutch so we kids wouldn't understand what was being said!
Family dynamics aside, I've long been intrigued by my ancestral spiritual heritage and the long-lost customs of the tribal Germanic people from which I come. The runic alphabet, it is generally agreed upon, derives from an old Italic alphabet used by the Mediterranean peoples, around the first century CE. However, if you could ask a Germanic tribesperson, she would undoubtedly tell you they were not "invented" but were discovered by Odin; given to him as he hung for nine days upon the World Tree, Yggdrasil. From the Havamal which is an Old Norse poem about the runes: 

I know that I hung
On the wind-blasted tree
All of nights nine,
Pierced by my spear
And given to Odin,
Myself sacrificed to myself
On that pole
Of which none know
Where its roots run.

No aid I received,
Not even a sip from the horn.
Peering down,
I took up the runes -
Screaming I grasped them -
Then I fell back from there.

So, the runes were believed to be very potent, magically speaking, and were used not only for mundane writing, but magic and spellwork as well. They were vessels for archetypal energies which could be directed toward a desired outcome for the user.

This little blog isn't sufficient to provide you with the wealth of rich human history contained within the history of the Germanic peoples. Below find some resources to whet your appetite...

I'll simply share with you that I've created a set of the Elder Futhark runes in copper and sterling silver, to be worn as pendants. They can be strong little buggers, so do your homework before you choose one! Click the pic to go to the store.

Resources:
The best one I've found online is here. Everything to get you started on Norse mythology, cosmology, runic origins, gods and creatures, etc.

Rune pendants

Until next time, whatever your heritage, remember we're all part of the larger human family.

Peace, Sara