Skip to content

The Book Of Runes * Francis Melville (Barron’s 1993 * isbn 0764155512)

I think the runes are a terrible subject to buy books about. These books tend to be either overly scholarly, saying that the runes were nothing more than easy-to-make symbols to write simple texts such as shopping lists; or in the other case “fluffy bunny” newage books turning an ancient practise into modern witchy oracle things. I know Melville from his very reasonable Book Of High Magic which is about Medieval and Renaissance magic. Also he wrote a cheap, but fine book about alchemy which comes in the same series as this Book Of Runes. Melville opens with the scholarly approach, telling about the history of the runes and the different ‘alphabets’. After this you will get a very brief lesson in Norse mythology and then Melville starts to write about the runes themselves. However he warns for this a few times in the first pages, this is where the book comes into the difficult practises of explaining the runes. There is hardly any traditional information, but the Eddas and other classical texts mention more than once that the runes were used for magical purposes. The names of the runes differ in different books and languages (also traditional) and the different alphabets even sometimes have different symbols for the same letters. Melville gives associations for the runes and this is what makes this kinds of books so hard to compare: these associations are personal and by no means traditional. Melville sometimes says how he comes to his connections with gods, trees, plants, animals, astrological sign or planet, colour and element. He might have added Tarot or I-Ching hexagrams like some other books do, but especially in the case of the Norse gods and astrology the opinions differ. A few examples of how this works:

The rune Ansuz is connected to Odin, because the root ́ss means “god” and Odin is the highest of them. In fact, originally Tyr was the highest God, but later he was surpassed by Odin. Other Germanic/Teutonic tribes had other main gods, so this is at least questionable. The bird associated with this rune is a raven; of course because the ravens are Odins animals, but so are his dog, or the Midgardsnake that he kills, or… Well then, the raven is a bird bringing messages from the world to Odin, so the planet becomes Mercury who is in Greek mythology the messenger of the gods (Hermes). For the same reason the plant is the mushroom which in Dutch is called “fly-fungus”, because it is hallucinative and this allows the shaman to travel between the world of the gods and our world below.

Another one. The name of the rune Hagal means “hail”, so Melville had to think of the primal giant Ymir “who was born from the melting ice”. In fact, Ymir came forth from interaction between the fires of Niflheim and the ice from Muspelheim. If you want to name a character that really came from ice, then I would say this is Bure who is licked out of a salt stone by the primal cow Audhumla.

In a way these connections are logical, but you can imagine that other writers come to other conclusions, so how should we find out what is credible and what is not? Probably not of it all is, which makes the runes even more difficult. Probably a personal interpretation could only make them fit to use them as some kind of Tarot or I-Ching. That Melville supports this idea is proven by the fact that for every rune he gives a “worldly” or “predicting” and an “esoteric” meaning.

Then the book continues by telling how you can make your own runestones and how to use them in “rune magic” and towards the end you will read about talismans, blessings and the like.

As I said, I have more of such runes-books which all more or less are the same. This one by Melville and a little one by Bernard King seem to at least try to be a bit serious, but I am still not sure about all the practical things that are dragged towards the subject with no obvious reason.

At The Well Of Wyrd * Edred Thorsson (1988 samuel weisser isbn 0877286787 / 1999 samuel weisser isbn 157863136X)

This is the third part of a ‘runic divination’ trilogy with the titles Runelore: a handbook of esoteric runology and Futhark: a handbook of rune magic. I just happened to be able to buy this book cheap, second hand and in my own country. My first printing is called At the well of wyrd: a handbook of runic divination, so the title was changed for the reprint it seems. Stephen Edred Thorsson/Flowers is the founder of the Rune Gild, “a school of esoteric knowledge based on the Odian system of the Runes”. He is a sholar (PhD) and esotericist, making him an authority in the eyes of some. Of course I haven’t read a whole lot of Rune Gild literature, but their website has some (nice) writings, the Finland header has a blog (PYHÄ) and I am currently reading Thorsson’s 1986 dissertation Runes and Magic. However it is all interesting in a way, I am still not convinced of the historical justification of some of the systems and ideas of Thorsson. In At The Well Of Wyrd Thorsson says several times that there are only hints about the historical systems of runic divination, yet he builds a complete system and sometimes even refers to Tacitus’ Gemania as source, while Tacitus only gives a very loose remark of “lots” and “signs”. In all my ignorance, I cannot see in this booklet much difference from all too wanting, modern interpretations of possible functions of the runes in the past. Nice is that Thorsson names every rune in the elder Futhark with quotes from the famous rune-poems, but when it comes to casting systems and the like, I am off. No worries of course, I will just stack this booklet with my other runebooks, continue to read the disseration and probably come to the conclusion that these texts of Thorsson are not meant for me.

Runes And Magic * Stephen Edred Flowers (1986 peter lang * isbn 0820403334)

I know Edred Flowers/Thorsson because of his writings in the Tyr Journal and later from his Bureus booklet. Of course I learned that the man is the founder of the Rune Gild. I had no intention to read the man’s ‘standard works’ until I had some discussions with another Rune Gilder. At The Well Of Wyrd (see elsewhere) arrived earlier and wasn’t too much of a good encounter. Runes and Magic is Flowers’ dissertation. Written on a typewriter and with a pen for the uncommon letters, impossible to get, so I got a library copy. Runes and Magic is (of course) a much more scholarly work than that other booklet. It deals with runes and magic (and not ‘runic magic’). Flowers investigated a great many Northern magical and runic scriptures and inscriptions, cataloged them, gives interpretations, looks for systems, etc. Very interesting for sure! Flowers is very open about the level of speculativity, but his theories are founded as well as possible (and his masters agreed of course). I had never seen so many inscriptions together (even though the writer doesn’t give the actual runes very often) and so much information on this kind of Northern magical systems. Runes and Magic didn’t change my view on Flowers’ and his Rune Gild system though. In any case, I can advise this book to anyone interested in runes and/or Northern magic, either or not affiliated with the Rune Gild. -20/9/06-

Runenlore * Maurice Bos * 2005

Ingwaz.nl is a new Dutch Asatru website that made a flying start. Immediately after it was launched there were plenty articles, translations of ancient texts and a section about the runes. The man behind the site thought that it was a good idea to make the rune-section available in a booklet as well because that is easier to read and easier to access. Before I wrote this, there was a messages-section saying that you can order this booklet for E 7,-. For a reason I don’t know this message-board is now gone and there is no mention about this booklet anymore. But I suppose you can still contact the writer to inform about it.

The booklet is written in Dutch, printed with colour plates on the inside and inspite of the 50 pages highly informative. I have a few runebooks, but I like this one best so far. Bos opens with an introduction telling that most of the runebooks on the market are too free in explanations, combining the runes with whatever has nothing to do with them (Tarot, astrology, etc.). After the introduction you get a nice history of the runes. Very nice is the table with different futharks next to eachother. After this I would have preferred to get the last section, but in the booklet now follow the individual runes with their sounds, associations and a little bit of explanation. I am particularly happy about the last part which contains an introduction, reproductions and translation of the different ‘rune poems’. These are famous ancient texts explaining the runes. You get three versions of the Abecedarium Normandicum and then the Anglosaxon rune-poem, the Icelandic rune-poem, the Oldnorse rune-poem and the Swedish rune-poem. These rune-poems not only give us the name of the runes in the different futharks, but also the explanation. So why do the modern runebooks leave out the poems and come up with their own interpretations?

“Hagal/hail is a cold rain and a shower of wet snow and the illness of snakes. hagal – leader of the battle.”

A very nice booklet and definately a suggestion for those of you who can read Dutch. Contact the writer to see if you can get a copy too.

Wisdom From The Edda * Stephen A. McNallen * 1981

This booklet doesn’t give an author, but I expect it to be written by McNallen. On 12 pages you will get quotes from the Nordic scriptures on the following subjects: friendship, love, moderation, wisdom, hospitality, modesty, courage, caution, pride, immortality and self-reliance. Every subject is introduced and then a few quotes follow. Unfortunately the sources are not given, but according to the introduction most come from the first poem of the poetic Edda: the Havamal.

Living Asatru * Stephen A. McNallen * 1993

“A handbook of simple celebrations” is the subtitle for this A4 book of 54 pages. It is a nice introduction to show how you can bring Asatru into your daily life. McNallen shows how he sees influence and fuctions of the gods, how to revive your pre-Christian faith by simple daily rituals, how to make mead, how to make your family aware of the kins-links, etc. Towards the end McNallen goes around the year speaking about self-invented and traditional festivities and how to incorporate them in our present day lives. All this is brought in a very readable and simple manner with a lot of humor. A nice read for sure and both for newbees and people who have been studying the matter for a longer time, but fail to find a way to use all the information in their daily lifes.

What Is Asatru * Stephen A. McNallen 1985

This is an old booklet by the founder of the Asatru Folk Assembly, but it was revised in the previous year. In the form of questions and answers you get the most basic info about the Asatru faith. How does the “Asafolk” see their gods, festivities, other convictions, nature, daily life, etc. The booklet is only 16 pages.

Tacitus: De Opstand Van De Bataven * Vincent Hunink (transl.) (athenaeum 2005 * isbn 9025353347)

However the revolt of the Batavians was actually just a short rebellion against the Roman occupators, this history is often displayed as being a part of the glorious past of the Dutch peoples. The only information about this period in history comes from the Histories of Publius Cornelius Tacitus (ca.55-117). Hunink is translator of more classical texts and is working on a translation of the complete works of Tacitus. For the purpose of the Batavians, he only used the three parts of the Histories in which Tacitus writes about the Batavians. This Germanic tribe came to live on what is now Dutch soil. They cooperated with the Romans, but revolted and eventually came back on friendly terms. This history can be found in this nice, small and cheap book. Hunink made a nice introduction and a register/glossery. That register is not too handy, because when Tacitus writes: “Civilis and Classicus were happy because…” and you want to look up who these two persons were again, you have to scan the entire register, because the names are listed under the J of “Julius Civilis” and “Julius Classicus”. For the rest, a very nice booklet in a luxery publication.

Commentarii De Bello Gallico * Gaius Julius Caesar (Vincent Hunink, translator) (51 BCE / 1997/2004 athenaeum * isbn 9025306667)

This new (1997) Dutch translation comes in a nice and small hardcover booklet for a more than reasonable price. For a long time I had wanted to read it, just to have read it. When I eventually bought the book it took me relatively long to read it. Not because it is a boring book, but just because I read small parts of it every now and then. This is of course the famous book about Julius Caesar’s wars in Gaul, a book that is often quoted as a source of information on Celts and Teutons. The book (or at least this translation) reads very easily, almost like a novel. Caesar is regarded as a gifted writer and I can only agree with it. Together with information about wars and expeditions, Caesar gives information about Germanic and Celtic tribes, the way they live, their gods (but of course with the famous ‘interpretatio Romana’), how bridges are built, how battles are prepared. A very nice read! Hunink (who also translated Tacitus for us Dutchmen) added the additions by Aulus Hirtius who filled the gap until the end of Caesars book and the end of Caesar’s reign. After this follows a very informative text of the translator of how this book is extremely coloured and not at all a reliable source of information, nor even does it give a good image of the Gaulic campaign of Caesar. With such information, this is a must-read for everybody interested in (Roman) history and prechristian Northern Europe. I am sure (or at least hope) that there is a comparable English (or whatever language is your own) version available. Dutch readers are lucky to be able to buy something like this.

Germania * Tacitus (reclam 1972 – isbn 3150093910)

“De origine et situ Germanorum liber” is the actual title of this first century book. It was written by the Roman Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (±55-120) and as you can see the book got known under a much shorter name. The actual title means ‘book about the origins and location of the Germans’, which covers the text completely. I got this Latin/German book for only E 3,10. The German publisher Reclam always has these small and cheap books, many of them of old texts. The translation is of 1972. This small book has about 110 pages. About half of them are filled with the Latin text (on the left pages) and the German translation (on the right). The rest are notes/explanations and a biography of the writer.

Tacitus has travelled through the Germanic countries extensively and gives a nice overview of the differnt tribes, the Germanic culture, etc. Of course he wrote from his Roman background, so -for example- Germanic gods get Roman names. Also not all information has proven correctly too. Still the text is a very nice overview of the mass of Germanic tribes that were present in the first years of our era. Tacitus gives some history, where the different tribes had their territories, describes habbits and culture, a little bit of mythology. In any case it is good to have a copy of this often-quoted text at home yourself, especially when you also get the original language and even more especially when it is only E 3,10! There are more expensive German translations and all of the English translations are more expensive, but there is a Penguin Classic with the “Agricola” and “Germania” in one book for $ 10,50.