The Elder Futhark and Norse Mythology

Each of the 24 Runes of the Elder Futhark is associated with a figure in Norse Mythology; God, Goddess or Wight. To begin with, the Norse deities are divided into two major groups, the Æsir and the Vanir. The Æsir ("eye-seer") is the collective name of the Old Norse Gods of the family of which Odin was the patriarch. The Æsir are the gods of the sky and of consciousness, while the Vanir are the gods of the earth, nature, fertility and the subconscious.

The Æsir call Asgard home. Asgard is the Norse 'heaven' and seat of Odin. There are two heaven's beyond Asgard. There was, in antiquity, war between the Æsir and Vanir, because Odin and Thor did not wish to recognise the Vanir as full gods. When an agreement for peace was finally reached, the two tribes exchanged hostages as a surety. Those Vanir gods and goddesses who relocated to Asgard were 'adopted' as Æsir.

The Gods are powerful, beautiful and larger in stature than ordinary people. They are long-lived, but they are not immortal. Each God has a specialty and an affinity for different areas of knowledge. Mostly they are benevolent and helpful towards humans, particularly those who know how to ask for their aid.

The Norse myth of Odin and the World Tree is credited with being the central myth surrounding the creation of the Elder Futhark runic system. The Runes were discovered by Odin and taught to mankind by Heimdall. Odin, impaled on his own spear, hung from Yggdrasil the world tree for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. His sacrifice was rewarded when the runes appeared below him. He reached for the Runes and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him great power. The story of this is detailed in the Havamàl, which is part of the Poetic Edda. It is known as the Runatal, the discovery of the runes.

SPOILER!!: Runatal excerpt

Excerpt from the Havamàl - 'The Words of the Most High'
Runatal -In which Odin aquired runic knowledge through sacrifice, trial and tribulation

Wounded I hung on a wind-swept gallows
For nine long nights,
Pierced by a spear, pledged to Odin,
Offered, myself to myself
The wisest know not from whence spring
The roots of that ancient rood.
They gave me no bread,
They gave me no mead,
I looked down;
With a loud cry
I took up runes;
From that tree I fell.

Nine lays of power
I learned from the famous Bolthor, Bestla' s father:
He poured me a draught of precious mead,
Mixed with magic Odrerir.

Waxed and throve well;
Word from word gave words to me,
Deed from deed gave deeds to me.

Runes you will find, and readable staves,
Very strong staves,
Very stout staves,
Staves that Bolthor stained,
Made by mighty powers,
Graven by the prophetic God.

For the Gods by Odin, for the Elves by Dain,
By Dvalin, too, for the Dwarves,
By Asvid for the hateful Giants,
And some I carved myself:
Thund, before man was made, scratched them,
Who rose first, fell thereafter.

Know how to cut them,
know how to read them,
Know how to stain them,
know how to prove them,
Know how to evoke them,
know how to score them,
Know how to send them,
know how to send them.

Better not to ask than to over-pledge
As a gift that demands a gift.
Better not to send
Than to slay too many.

-W. H. Auden and P. B. Taylor translation of the Havamàl

There are many translations available, in both prose and verse, and the Havamàl goes on to detail the rune charms Odin learned.


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The Norse Deity Associations of the Aettir

The 24 runes of the Elder Futhark are divided into three groups of eight, known as an ætt (singular of ættir, meaning 'families' or 'groups'), which are said to be ruled over by both a god and goddess. The first ætt is ruled over by Frey and Freyja, the deities of fertility. The second ætt is ruled over by Heimdall and Mordgud, and the third and final ætt is ruled over by Tyr and Zisa. Mordgud and Zisa are often left out in modern texts and it is generally correct to refer to the first ætt as Frey's Aett, the second ætt as Heimdall's ætt and the third as Tyr's ætt. The first ætt is associated with creation, the second with humanity and the third with divine status.