A A.-S. rune name Ác
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem Verse:
Oak is on earth---for sons of men
Food for the flesh---It fares often
Over whale's bath---The sea finds
Whether oak has---nobile faith
Oak was sacred to the god Thunor (Thor), and was one of the holy trees of the Northern European peoples, known for its strength and durability. The acorns of some varieties served as food for man and beast alike. The folklore surrounding the oak is great and most of this can be applied to the rune. Offerings of food were often left at its base and court assemblies often met at its base. The oak was seen as a tree with great healing and magical powers. The rune poem verse indicates that the rune itself may also be one of testing, that of the ordeal to see if one has noble faith and strength.
In divination, it may mean a test of strength of character or indicate that a time for strength is needed. In spellwork it can be used to promote strength and durability.
a A.-S. rune name Æsc
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem Verse:
Ash is very tall----dear to men,
Resolute in stability---It holds the right place
Though it fights off---many men.
Æsc is the rune of steadfastness, of standing strong, resolute in one's place. In Northern European folklore, the first male human was created from an ash and some accounts say the World Tree was an ash. Æsc is therefore a rune of the center of being, of the will, and the self. The wood of the tree itself was used in spells of warding and this is also indicated in the rune poem passage.
In divination, Æsc may indicate a need to be steadfast. In spellwork, it may be used to booster one's own will or in spells of a protective nature.
y A.-S. rune name Yr
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem Verse:
Bow is to nobles---and men alike
Joy and worthiness---it is fair on a horse
Steadfast on a journey---It is a piece of war gear.
The meaning of the word Yr is unknown, but most take it to mean "bow." Yr's passage resembles that of Eh in that it is something that brings joy and worthiness to nobles. Therefore the rune can probably be linked to many of the qualities of honor. In divination, it may indicate a time of joy and self worth. In spellwork, it could be used for spells of a defensive nature.
I A.-S. rune name Ior
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem Verse:
Serpent is a river fish - and though it always uses
Food on earth - it has a fair home
Surrounded by water - where it lives in happiness
Ior is another rune whose name is obscure as is its passage. The symbolism behind the passage seems to mean there "is no place like home." In divination it could mean such, while for spellwork its mysteries are too deep to make it safely utilized.
P A.-S. rune name Ear
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem Verse:
The grave is hideous---to every man
When steadily---the flesh begins
The body cools---and chooses the earth black
To bed with---Fruits fall
Joys pass away---truths are broken
Ear again is an obscure rune name whose meaning is not quite known, although most take it to mean "earth" or "grave." The passage definitely describes the decay of the body and the destruction of the flesh after death. The rune itself is probably linked then to human mortality, the frailness of the earthly flesh. It is in a way very reminiscent of the rune Mann. However, instead of being about betrayal Ear seems to be more about the fear of death. For the Northern Europeans, the worst that could happen was what was known as a straw death. A straw death was one due to illness or old age. Without modern medical care such a way of dying must have often been slow and painful, death in battle or due to an accident or even a heart attack while working in the fields must have been a much preferred way to go. Too, the references to the grave and the black earth, may simply be a cynical jeer from a follower of Woden (Odin), whose cult utilized cremation instead of inhumation for the dead.
In divination it may indicate an illness, while any usage in spellwork would most likely be unethical.
Q A.-S. rune name Cweordh
There is no passage for the rune cweordh in any of the rune poems. Its name might mean "fire twirl, but no one is certain. Therefore this rune cannot truly used for anything except writing.
S A.-S. rune name Stán
Stán means stone and therefore we can easily link this rune to the qualities of stone. It ismost likely linked to hardness and perhaps even to protection through analogous to stone walls. Again, having no rune poem verse to go by, it is difficult to say what its meaning is in divination or its use in magic.
G A.-S. rune name Gár
Gár means spear and can be linked to that weapon's symbolism. The spear was seen by the Northern Europeans as a weapon of sacrifice. Followers of the god Odin threw a spear over the opposing army to dedicate them as sacrifices to that god. Prisoners of war as were criminals were stabed by a spear prior to hanging. The shape of the rune Tír is also that of a spear, and therefore this rune can probably be safely identified with victory in battle and the act of sacrifice. Most of its mysteries probably lie between the runes Os, Giefu, and Tír.
The First Aett