Siriana raised her hand. "Well Professor for me I can say that I like to discover things and i'm energetic. I have the ability to bridge across danger and do like ice but don't think I lack emotion and it's kind of funny Isa is found twice in my name. Does this mean i lack emotion in my life and change too? This really preoccupies me...hmmm...lets see...I like journeys...I like to learn things and communicate them to others..." she concluded, smiled and lowered her hand jotting down some notes of what she said and looking a bit puzzled.

eliza tried to write her name:
E
L
I
Z
A

Beck thought long and hard about what the professor had asked. Even before this lesson she had thought that the meaning of a name was important to character but not the meaning of each letter.


B=; growth fertility
E=; horse speed
C=; heat, enlightenment
K=; heat enlightement.

The growth meaning cracked her up, since she was less than 5 feet tall, but maybe a growth spurt was in her future, horse speed she didn't understand at all, heat and enlightenment she agreed with. Beck craved learning and knowing. Her favorite thing to do was to read a new book and find something new out.

She raised her hand, "Professor, I understand most of the meaning of my runes, but not , what does horse speed mean?"

Amber looked down at her parchment with her runic name on it. She studied it for a minute before raising her hand.

- Ansuz - Knowledge, Communication, Creativity, Intellectual Pursuits, New Interests, Divine Protection, Spiritual Awareness. Element: Air
- Mannaz - Family Unity And Assistance, Change In Direction, Steady Progress, Overdue Success, Deception, Authoritarianism, Jealousies, Modesty. Element: Air
- Berkanan - Creativity, Partnerships, Stimulation, Excitement, Awareness, Teaching, Caring, Good Health. Element: Earth.
- Ehwaz - Movement, Travel, Confidence, Excitement, Cooperation, Adaptability, Sensuality. Element: Earth.
- Raido - Travel, Agreeable Companions, Discussions, Negotiations, Reunions, Messages, Curb Any Excesses, Favorable Legal Activity. Element: Air

"Well, from what I can gather," she said with a smile, "I like possessing knowledge. I'm creative and can be a good communicator if I try. Because Ansuz is next to Mannaz, I think it's important that the intellectual pursuits lead to steady success. Although I could be wrong." she added quickly. "I can be prone to jealousy, and once again creativity appears." she smiled again. This was becoming more enjoyable by the second. "Because Ehwaz is next to Raido, and they both possess a travel or movement meaning, I guess it means that I like to progress." she said with a smile. She decided not to add her last name to it, for she thought it would be too long.

"Well, with 3 "Ansuz" in my name, I have a lot of knowledge and wisdom" She said smiling... "Kauno, Dagaz and Sowilo are heat, day and light so I must be very bright... or hot..." She started to think she was sounding like a Ravenclaw... Ahhh she thought then said "Naudiz is the Slytherin qualities I have to be ambitious. So I am smart and ambitious! Am I right professor?"

M=
O=
I=
R=
A=

Moira sat there as she glanced through her text book and searched for the meanings of the Ancient Runes that made up her name.
M = Mannaz : Humanity: inner being so far so good she thought as she continued her search hoping that she would not find any thing bad.

The next was O = Othila Hearth Family and inhertiance. She smiled and rubbed at the stone in her hand thinking that if she believed in the omens of Anicient Runes then so far everything seem to be to be going smoothly.

I = Isa frozen ice. Things would change she thought she had been waiting for years to find out what this little trinket would reveal and it says in the book that with patience and wisdom things would change. She was writing all this information down twice once for the teacher and once for her to study on later.

R = Raido Journey and arrival. That is easy it could refer to her arrival at Hogwarts.

A =Ansuz wisdom and knowlege. Which she had been seeking for a long time and as she paused in her class assignment she looked upon her Professor and hoped that he would be able to help her translate her Rune. She turned back to her work and noticed in the margins of her book a notation about Ansuz suprise trick or subterfuge. "Quit thinking that your rock is anything important until after you find out what it is first." She shook her head and waited for the Professor to continue with the class.

Rose flipped through her textbook until she found the conversion chart. She began to translate her name.
Looking at her parchment, she began to interpret her name. "Well," Rose said aloud, not sure if anyone was really listening, "Raido refers to journeys and traveling, which I love to do. Long trips are just so exciting, it makes arriving all the better. Othila is about family and possessions, both of which are very important to me. Despite how much I love going places, I always get homesick, especially when I'm away from home." Rose paused, she was revealing an awful lot about herself. "Right, so Sowilo, I like light, but I wouldn't say I have a whole lot of energy...I'm kinda reserved. But I like discovering things... And Ehwaz, that's about horses and speed, neither of which I like. I hate rushing and I have an thing about horses. I'm guessing since the "e" in my name isn't really pronounced, that Ehwaz is less important."

Rose finished and looked up at the professor. "So, is that...does that make sense?" She was unsure of many things in the wizarding world and she was lacking the normal confidence she had in the muggle world.

Kally sat and flipped through the book until she found the page. And then she wrote..

Kauno C (hard), K C as in cat; K as in king
Ansuz A A as in add
Laguz L as in let
Laguz L L as in let
Jera J, Y J as in jam; Y as in yap

Lia wrote her name out on a piece of parchment, then quickly looked up the runic symbols.
L- (Laguz) Water, Sea, Ocean, River or Lake, Cleansing, Tide
I-(Isa) Ice, Cold, Freezing, Lack of Change, Stagnation, Lack of Emotion, Storing Binding, Bridge Across Danger
A-(Ansuz)Knowledge, Wisdom, Communication, the Mouth, a Message

T- (Tiwaz)Tiw, the God of Battles and Legislations, Protector of Warriors and Mariners, Courage, Compassion
A-(Ansuz)Knowledge, Wisdom, Communication, the Mouth, a Message
Y-(Jera)Hervest, the Agricultural Year, Fertility, Fruition
L-(Laguz)Water, Sea, Ocean, River or Lake, Cleansing, Tide
O-(Othila) Home or Homeland, Hearth, Family, Inheritance, Estate, Possessions
R-(Raido) a Journey, Arrival, Departure, Union or Reunion, Events Concerning Travel or Vehicles

"So," said Lia, "Laguz is about water, lakes, rivers, oceans... All of which I love. Ansuz is about knowledge and communication, whits fits me. I love to learn new things, and I like to communicate." Lia smiled and continued, "Othila can mean possessions, which I have a thing for; material objects. And Raido is about travelling and journeys, which I love, as well. Isa, Tiwaz, and Jera don't really fit my personality, though."

Zack followed the directions by adding notes next to his name.

Z ( Opportunity for growth. Rapid development. Protection. Safe refuge. )
A ( Knowledge. Wisdom. Communication. The mouth. A message. )
C ( Heat, light, enlightenment )
H ( Weather, damaging natural forces. Disruption. Interference. )
A ( Knowledge. Wisdom. Communication. The mouth. A message. )
R ( A journey, arrival, departure. Union or re-union. Events concerning travel or vehicles. )
I ( Yew tree, archer's bow, weapon. Magic, deflection, prevention. )
A ( Knowledge. Wisdom. Communication. The mouth. A message. )
H ( Weather, damaging natural forces. Disruption. Interference. )

Zack then began to interpret what his name might imply. According to his name he has protection from something, he is wise, going through an enlightenment period, there is a disruption in his life, he has no problem communicating, he is going on a journey somewhere, he has magic ability, someone has a message for him, and that he is interfering in something. He became confused of some of his interpretation. When he completed his interpretation he shrugged his shoulders because of his confusion.

Amber grinned. "Pheebs, don't you recognise me?! It's me, Amber!" she whispered, watching for Phoebe's reaction.

Tia hurriedly scrawled down her name on her parchment, not sure that she clearly understood the Professor. She scowled as then hastily dipped her quill in ink again as she began to try to write down the runes that stood for the letters in her name, her Runes Dictionary open at the side of her desk.

T - -
I -
A -

R -
A -
Y -

She raised her quill, dipping it back into ink and bending down over her notebook once more, still slightly puzzled. She wasn't used to Ancient Runes, she really wasn't. Her previous Wizarding Academy didn't encourage the subject much, unfortunately.

"Ohhh, sorry. I am still a bit confused. Hi, how are you? Yeah my holidays were okay exept for a few things" She whispered back.

occ:im not able to post the symbolsso ill just post the rune names
srimathi finished writing and asked do we have to write what it means professor??

Iduna dipped her quill into her ink and began to write:

I-(Isa)
D-(Dagaz)
U-(Uruz)
N-(Naudiz)
A-(Ansuz)

B-(Berkanan)
L-(Laguz)
A-(Ansuz)
C-(Sowilo)
K-(Kauno)

Iduna finished writing. There, she was done. Her name looked pretty cool like that. She then looked up at the professor, waiting for more intruction.

Amy set there looking down at where she wrote out here name.

Professor Opteryx nodded encouragingly as various students shared their interpretations of their names, smiling at each one as they finished. There wasn't a right or wrong answer to this excercise--the point was to get everyone familiar with how rune reading would work in real life.



ooc: The rune meanings can be found from the same site. There should be a 'rune meanings' link on the right sidebar.

"It's in your textbook, on page 30 on," Opteryx encouraged.

"Some of you might find that your interpretation might make very little sense," Professor Opteryx continued, seeing that some of the students were looking quite perplexed. "I would suggest trying to interpret them with another of the rune's meanings. For example, ehwaz could mean either speed of movement, or a horse."



"Yes, that would help you keep track of what each rune stands for and makes translating or interpreting your runes a bit more organized."

"We'll go on for a little more so that everyone has the time to interpret their runes, then I will assign the homework. I'll answer any questions you might have from now to the end of class."

"Professor," said Lia hesitantly, "if some of our runes' meanings don't really fit our personality, does that mean we have a side to our personality we haven't seen before? Or is that just the way the runes work?"

Lia had been wondering that since she translated the meanings of the runes and was happy to have the chance to ask.

"It could be as you said, or it could be the properties of the name that you were given. We rarely choose our own names, so what your name is interpreted in terms of runes could represent what is given to you by the ones who named you, for example, your parents. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, thanks," replied Lia, scribbling down what Professor Opteryx had just told her. The concept of runes and their meanings was making a lot more sense.

Ariana wrote down what the professor had just said as she was going to ask the same question Lia asked. She was still curious though, did that mean that she had a voilent tendacy? She quirked her eyebrow, secretly knowing she felt violent sometimes, but kept it hidden as to not hurt anyone. After all, that was how her father had persihed.

She put down her quill, after making some final adjustments to her doodle and smirked, it looked like a dancing chicken.

Prancie looked down at her translation happily.

Cassandra sat an listened to the professor's every work, she signed as she looked dreamily into his stone grey eyes... He looked so smart, so... handsome... she was developing a mild crush. Well she would excel at the homework, that way he'll be pleased with her...

Tas raised her hand. "My chart tells me exactly what I am, do I have to follow it's advices and believe in its preditions, Professor?" she said a bit frightened of what her chart told her: that she needed to change her diet, that she had to accept her past, though there were some words about wisdom and courage, she was quite affraid.

"It's all up to you whether or not to take it seriously," Professor Opteryx said with a shrug. "The runic interpretation of your name is just that, an interpretation, and it may not be particularly accurate for predicting anything about you other than certain tendencies or habits. I suggest you talk to the Divination professor for advice on interpreting the runes as a prediction."