I know I hung on that windswept tree,
Swung there for nine long nights,
Wounded by my own blade,
Bloodied for Odin,
Myself an offering to myself:
Bound to the tree,
That no man knows
Whither the roots of it run.

None gave me bread,
None gave me drink,
Down to the deepest depths I peered
Until I spied the Runes.
With a roaring cry I seized them up,
Then dizzy and fainting, I fell.

Well-being I won
And wisdom too.
I grew and took joy in my growth:
From a word to a word
I was led to a word,
From a deed to another deed.

- The Poetic Edda (circa 1200 A.D.)

You will notice that this page has changed considerably. I have been doing a lot of work with the runes lately, and thought that the full information I have been using would also be useful to my website visitors. So please enjoy the new and improved rune pages.

The First Aett -
Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo

The Second Aett -
Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Pertho, Algiz, Sowelu

The Third Aett -
Tiewaz, Berkana, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Inguz, Dagaz, Othila

My friend Ardy has a lovely site of her own, and she is a far more experienced rune-caster than myself, as well as a wonderful woman. I'd recommend a visit to her site - Fantasy In Wood. She has pages there on all the traditional meanings of the runes, as well as information on creating bindrunes.

This page has some interesting information as well - The Runes of the Elder Futhark.There is also a verbal component to using the Futhark in magick that is very important. I've found a lovely page that gives the pronounciations of the runes in proto-Germanic. The files are all in RealAudio format, and are quick to download. Pronounding the Runes.