Describes the ancient writing system used by Northmen, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings, and the inscriptions found in Scandanavia, the British Isles, and North America.

Written in answer to the increased demand for 'traditional' Rune Lore, this is the product of 10 years of research and practical experimentation. This book incorporates the essentials that are common to those cultures where Runes were used, and remains true to their Heathen origins. The ways of Rune working have evolved over centuries but the essential symbolism, as a key to understanding the profound mysteries of existence, is just as relevant today, as it was to our ancestors. The Runic 'alphabets' were not just a system of writing for the Germanic peoples - they were a Life-Code. Encrypted in their numerical ordering and individual symbolism is a guide to the life journey of the soul - a holistic approach for the individual and collective folk to survive and thrive in the worlds of nature, mankind and the spiritual realms. Their magick arose from the understanding of the inseparability of all phenomena - what our ancestors called the Wyrd. This book presents an integrated collection of basic Rune Lore in the manner the author believes it was meant to be given - as a counsel for the soul's life journey. The Old English word for counsel is "Red"- Rede, hence the title of this book. The author has used the collective system of the twenty four rune staves known as the "Elder Futhark", they being the oldest complete runic system yet found. This book contains the codes that will make the way clear. It has been designed as a 'ready reference', not only for all who wish to explore the patterns of Wyrd, but for those who seek essential reference to the power of the Runes, manifested and un-manifested. For those who are seeking insight into the psychological world of our pre-industrial ancestors, this book will reveal to you their basic attitudes and expectations. The ancestral mythology interwoven with each rune-rede is presented for your own contemplation. Study of the knowledge herein seen through the lens of heathen understanding will reveal an alternative map of reality that will aid you on your life journey.

A fresh examination of one of the most contentious issues in runic scholarship - magical or not? The runic alphabet, in use for well over a thousand years, was employed by various Germanic groups in a variety of ways, including, inevitably, for superstitious and magical rites. Formulaic runic words were inscribed onto small items that could be carried for good luck; runic charms were carved on metal or wooden amulets to ensure peace or prosperity. There are invocations and allusions to pagan and Christian gods and heroes, to spirits of disease, and even to potential lovers. Few such texts are completely unique to Germanic society, and in fact, most of the runic amulets considered in this book show wide-ranging parallels from a variety of European cultures. The question ofwhether runes were magical or not has divided scholarship in the area. Early criticism embraced fantastic notions of runic magic - leading not just to a healthy scepticism, but in some cases to a complete denial of any magical element whatsoever in the runic inscriptions. This book seeks to re-evaulate the whole question of runic sorcery, attested to not only in the medieval Norse literature dealing with runes but primarily in the fascinating magical texts of the runic inscriptions themselves. Dr MINDY MCLEOD teaches in the Department of Linguistics, Deakin University, Melbourne; Dr BERNARD MEES teaches in the Department of History at the University of Melbourne.

A practical handbook to the history, exercises, and techniques of German rune work • Explores the four traditional runic systems: the Older Futhark, the Anglo-Frisian Futhorc, the Younger Futhark, and the Armanic Futhork • Details powerful rune work techniques and exercises, including rune yoga and dance, runic hand gestures (mudras), rune singing (mantras), runic healing, runic tantra and sex magic, rune rituals, runic divination, and the runic theory of crystals • Examines the history of esoteric runology and the trailblazers of modern rune magic, including Guido von List, Friedrich Bernhard Marby, and Rudolf John Gorsleben Although the rune renaissance began blossoming in Anglo-American occult circles in the 1970s, the runes have been part of the occult revival in Germany since its beginning in the late 19th century, with roots that go back centuries further. Exploring the history of esoteric runology and the work of the trailblazers of modern rune magic, including Guido von List, Friedrich Bernhard Marby, and Rudolf John Gorsleben, author Edred Thorsson details the secret practices and runic systems of the German rune magicians, including techniques for using runes in unprecedented ways to draw power into your life. Thorsson explores all four of the traditional runic systems: the Older Futhark (24 runes), the Anglo-Frisian Futhorc (29-33 runes), the Younger Futhark (16 runes), and the Armanic Futhork (18 runes), developed by Guido von List. The author explains the similarities and differences between them as well as how they are all facets of the same underlying runic reality. He examines the early history and possible origins of runic symbols and systems, the renaissance of rune magic from 1919 to 1935, the effects of the Third Reich and Nazis on the runic revival, as well as the reemergence of German runology after World War II. Providing an extensive practical section, Thorsson details powerful runework techniques and exercises, including rune yoga and dance, runic hand gestures (mudras), rune singing (mantras), rune yodeling, runic healing, runic tantra and sex magic, group rites with runes, and two powerful methods of engaging transpersonal powers: the Ritual of the Ninth Night and the Ritual of the Grail Cup. He also explores runic divination, the runic theory of crystals, runic symbolism in medieval German buildings, and runic material from the documents of the Fraternitas Saturni, the Brotherhood of Saturn. By immersing yourself in the world of the runic pioneers and the practices they designed, you will emerge with a deeper understanding of runes as well as the magical world from which they emanate.

Reveals the ancient oracle based on the runic Elder Futhark alphabet of the Norse.

Introduction to the use of runes as a practical script for a variety of purposes in Anglo-Saxon England. Runes are quite frequently mentioned in modern writings, usually imprecisely as a source of mystic knowledge, power or insight. This book sets the record straight. It shows runes working as a practical script for a variety of purposes in early English times, among both indigenous Anglo-Saxons and incoming Vikings. In a scholarly yet readable way it examines the introduction of the runic alphabet (the futhorc) to England in the fifth and sixth centuries, the forms and values of its letters, and the ways in which it developed, up until its decline at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period. It discusses how runes were used for informal and day-to-day purposes, on formal monuments, as decorative letters in prestigious manuscripts, for owners' or makers' names on everyday objects, perhaps even in private letters. For the first time, the book presents, together with earlier finds, the many runic objects discovered over the last twenty years, with a range of inscriptions on bone, metal and stone, even including tourists' scratched signatures found on the pilgrimage routes through Italy. It gives an idea of the immense range of informationon language and social history contained in these unique documents. The late R.I. PAGE was former Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge.