Rune Questions
What are runes?
What are they used for?
Do they work?
Product Questions
Do you polish the stones yourself?
Q: What are runes?
The oldest known rune inscriptions are between 1700 and 2000 years old, and are part of the elder futhark or common germanic runic alphabet. The alphabet included 24 letters and the name 'futhark' comes from the sounds of the first six letters ('th' was a single character). This is the first runic alphabet, and it was used by the Teutonic peoples native to northern Germany and southern Denmark: Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Although it is uncertain exactly how this alphabet originated, it is speculated that the letters were copied and adapted from the letters on roman coins.
Elder Futhark
Immigrants from this region settled in Scandinavia and the British Isles. The British Isles had previously been settled mainly by two Celtic tribes: the Gaels in the north and west, and the Britons in England and Wales. It is a common misconception that runes are Celtic in origin, but it was the Teutonic tribes that used this alphabet, not the Celts.
The Teutonic peoples were settled in Britain by the mid 5th century AD. Over the course of about 150 years, the alphabet changed, reflecting the linguistic changes, and eventually expanded to 33 letters. This version of the alphabet is the old english futhorc or anglo-saxon runic alphabet. By the 7th century AD, Britain was converted to Christianity, and because the monks associated runes with pagan worship they quickly set themselves to the task of adapting Roman letters to the sounds of Anglo-Saxon speech.
Old English Futhorc
Examples of runes used in Scandinavia appear earlier than in Britain, as early as the late 2nd century AD, and use continued as late as medieval times. It is also in this region where the most examples of runes have been discovered. For these reasons, runes in general are often thought of as a Norse alphabet. But as in the British Isles, the alphabet evolved along with the language of the land, and similarly, a unique variation of the original futhark arose. By the beginning of the viking age, about 793 AD, the Scandinavian alphabet had shrunk to 16 letters, and this is referred to as the younger futhark.
Oddly however, the reduction of the alphabet made it less precise. For example, there were no consonants for the sounds d, g and p, instead letters representing the sounds t, k and b were used. This made spelling imprecise and consequently difficult to decipher. In addtion, during the viking age two different forms of the alphabet were used: the 'long-branch' runes and the 'short-twig' runes. One likely originated as a short hand version of the first, but were often used interchangably.
Christianity was introduced and accepted in Scandinavia sometime in the 11th century AD, marking the end of the viking age. And although the monks likely tried to erradicate the natives' use of the 'pagan' runes, it remained to some degree for centuries.
Q: What are runes used for?
Rune divination is done by interpreting the meanings of rune symbols. Generally it is done by marking individual stones, sticks or other objects with the rune symbols then drawing randomly from a pouch. Each symbol that is drawn is interpreted in relation to the question to be answered.
Q: Do they work?
The level of mystical powers a person associates with runes and runecasting varies greatly from person to person. Some believe that the runes posess indisputable divine power and the stones channel that power to reveal supernatural truths to the user. Some people believe that the symbols represent archetype concepts that are part of our inate human psyche (article on Jugian archetype), and our subconcious will be drawn to specific symbols in response to our question. Other people may simply believe that we see what we want to see in the runes, because there are in fact many possible meanings for each stone.
As someone who uses a combination of science and mythology in their outlook on life and spirituality, my personal opinion of runecasting lies somewhere in the middle. I believe that runes are primarily a meditative tool that allow us to examine our situation from different perspectives. The original meaning of the word fate was not 'an inalterable predestination' but 'a destiny created by one's earlier actions.' The actions we choose affect our path. When one recognizes all the different ways a single choice may influence the desired outcome of an event, one can then best determine an appropriate action. The challenge is recognizing all of the options available and the impact any decision would have. This is where I find runes useful. When facing any dilemma I find that using runes opens my mind up to things I would never have thought of otherwise and it helps me understand the forces surrounding the situation.
The runes will by no means give you a quick fix solution to your problems; you have to be willing to really look within yourself for the answers and to grow from what you learn about yourself. But, yes, I would have to say that if used with an open and inquisitive approach runes do definitely work.
Q: Do you tumble/polish the stones yourself?
A: Runes are part of an ancient alphabet used by the peoples of northern europe. The actual written characters are sometimes referred to as rune-staves (old english: runstafas) as the word rune can allude to multiple meanings. Run from old english and proto-germanic languages means 'secret' or 'mystery'. The word rune may refer to mysterious writings, markings attributed with magickal powers, or symbols of mystical knowledge. Each rune represents an abstract concept that was a fundamental part of the cultures that first used them. For example: the first letter in the alphabet, fehu, represents property and wealth; othila, which is often the last letter, represents cultural values and ancestral rights.
A: Runecasting is a form of divination. Divination is any practice by which one seeks knowledge or perception of an unknown subject through intuition and/or an interpretation of signs. Commonly known types of divination include tarot cards, astrology, crystal gazing, tea leaves, palm reading, numerology and dream interpretation. Lesser known types include the use of pendulums, bones, examining patterns in flame, smoke, and wax dripped into water, as well as observing behavior of birds, snakes and mice.
A: Divination is sometimes defined as 'the practice of seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means' or 'discovering something that is unknown by magical methods.' These are popularly accepted definitions, but stereotypical, and generally considered controversial by people who actually practice divination. Divination is often dismissed as merely a superstition, and some dictionaries define it as a 'pretended art,' but anthropologists have recognized some form of divination in virtually every culture and religion.
A: No. The river stones are already polished when I get them, and the lake stones that I collect myself are only varnished. The shape and texture of these stones is completely natural, produced by the waters of Lake Superior.
