Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 62.142.248.1

Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 6
The Runes
Runes are both a mundane alphabet and a means of casting
spells, reflecting an illiterate people's awe at the permanent,
impersonal power of written words.
The Saxon word rune has a number of meanings, including
"mystery" and "counsel." A magician can be
described as "runecrafty", and a wise man as
"runewita".
Most rune-literate Saxons carve runes in stone, to commemorate
burials or victories (Grave of Aelfric son of
Cutha son of. . .) or to leave simple messages (bad place,
water nearby, Aethelstan came here). They also mark
weapons and other utensils, and hall-posts or benches,
with the owner's name or with submagical invocations
(Thunor's sword, Bless our hearth). They do not waste
runes on fragile parchment and ink. Simple rune literacy
can aid magic, especially using the runes as lots for
Divination.
Magicians who suffer ordeals to gain rune secrets can create
long-lasting, independent magics, which, like other
written words, may have effects their authors can't foresee.
A runecrafty magician learns to see runes in
hawthorn-branches, driftwood, and bird-tracks in the
snow, for the Seven Worlds are thatched together with
runes that predate the gods. Such knowledge is not a
born Talent: anyone who dares can learn it. [Gaining
Runes: Page 132; Rune Magic: page 1331
The runic alphabet is called the futhorc, after its first six
characters (just as the word "alphabet" comes from the
Greek letters alpha and beta). Each of the twenty-nine
runes in the futhorc has a name, a sound, and a customary
magical meaning, as listed on the "Runes" sidebar.
This list differs from the runes in Land of Giants because
of the shifts in language and alphabet between the
Germanic tribes who migrated to Britain and those who
remained behind on the continent. During this period
there were probably different runic alphabets between
parts of the same tribe, let alone places separated by seas.
The runes represent less than a third of human speech
sounds (though they are the most common in the
Germanic languages) and only a fraction of human ideas:
there must be still more runes known to men, and more
than that known only by gods.
The Runes
F - feoh, 'Wealth." Wealth
h U - ur, "Aurochs." Strength, courage
TH -thorn, '7horn." Sharp, evil
0 - os, "Mouth." Speech, magic, power,
prophecy
R R - rad, "Road." Travel, hardships and rewards
k C - ken, "Torch." Light, a beacon, leadership
X G - gyfu, "Gift." Gift, generosity
P W - wynn, "Joy." Joy
H H - hagl. "Hail." Hail, weather, snow, cold
+ N - nyd, "Need." Need, hardship
I
I - Is, "Ice." Ice, cold, slippery
9 J - ger, "Harvest." Plenty, Frig
1 EO - eoh, "Yew." Yew tree, lrminsul
c( P - peorth "Hearth." Hospitality, laughter,
entertainment
Y X - eolh, "Elksedge." Danger, wariness
h S - sigel, "Sun." Warmth, fair journey, good
fortune
T - tir, "Tiw." Warrior, courage, glory, order,
justice, law
B - beorc, "Birch." Fertility, healing, magic
(rune wands are most often birch)
M E - eh, "Horse." Horse, pride, adventure, travel
M - man, "Man." Humanity, friendship
r L - lagu, 'water" . Water. sea-journey, fear
# NG - ing, lllng'' (a hero). Turn of the seasons,
fertility, peace, plenty
2 OE - ethel, "Homeland." Freedom, security,
prosperity
w D - daeg, "Day." Day, reason, understanding
A - ac, "Oak." Honor, trust, rich harvest
F I€ - asc, "Ash." Endurance, perseverance,
determi nation
L Y - yr, 'weapon." Weapon, warfare
* IA - ior, "Beaver." Happiness, contentment
'r EA - ear, "Grave." Death, end
Nihtgenga
Nihtgenga ("night-goers") is the generic Saxon term for all
monsters and children of darkness. A nihtgenga might be
a thyrs or a werwulf, or a band of goblins or faeries.
Spirits of the unquiet dead are especially feared.