Runes: Also Magic Symbols

This video is in response to Jackson Crawford's video "Runes: Letters, Not Symbols" where he states the runes are just letters and not symbols. Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, in a response video to Crawford's, states the runes are also symbols. I agree with Rune and I add that the runes were also understood to have a magico-religious purpose, and in this video I explain why. Hope you do enjoy it, and may it be useful. Thank you.
Jackson Crawford's video; "Runes: Letters, Not Symbols":
• Runes: Letters, Not Sy...
Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen's video; "Runes: Also Symbols, Not Just Letters":
• Runes: Also Symbols, N...
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#runes #symbols #religion

[@tha_lumii]

Thanks for this vid

[@sashasg11]

No where else better than Arith himself to learn about nordic animism. 🌞💗😇👍👍👍💜💜💜

[@ArithHärger]

You are very kind, thank you very much! Check out "Nordic Animism" channel here on KZbin as well, with Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen. He's a reliable source and quite good ;) be well, and stay safe!

[@sashasg11]

@@ArithHärger my pleasure, you too 💜💜💜😇🌞👍👍👍

[@m_h8745]

How else do you explain stand alone Tiwaz runes carved into sword pommels? Or in stories like that of Sigurd rescuing Brynhild and she teaches him rune magic, instructing him different ways of how to carve individual runes and for what purpose. Stand alone rune magic is all over the ancient Germanic world

[@ArithHärger]

Exactly :D

[@Madgardian]

They couldn't have all been named Tom. lol

[@sergeloos3556]

We are really lucky to have those three sources of information, Dr Crawford, Rune, and you Arith. Thank you so much

[@ernamoller175]

The beautiful bird song in the background is surely a blessing . Thank you Arith.

[@Madgardian]

Excellent talk AH! I too appreciate the multi-disciplinary interpretation of the runes. I have a story of my own experience with them. When working and learning the runes a few years ago, I etched a thurisaz rune on the back of my leather jacket. I believed this "thorn' would protect me. Not long after I managed to crash my motorcycle and wouldn't you know...damage to my jacket and shoulder was right where the rune was etched in! I scratched out the rune as soon as I saw this and never used this particular rune again.

[@dangerouswitch1066]

words are tools, language is technology, technology is magic. poetry is art.

[@a44489]

From poetry comes magic, it does you know infinite realms kinda gives you the 2nd sight, don't think it's imagination.

[@jrojala]

Exactly

[@braindrain2816]

I appreciate that you put these examples into context. Very educational! I watched video twice and recommend that some people should rewatch it with an open mind

[@sergeloos3556]

Absolutely, it ' s worth watching a few times. Brilliant !

[@afwalker1921]

My mother's family came from Germany after the war, and were all dedicated, well, I can't even use that word here... anyway, her brother, an SS veteran, taught me how to use the runes as a magical shorthand based on a system propagated in the Reich by an Armanist named Guido von List. In this, a rune is visualized as a part of the magical working and its shorthand meaning (for example, OS= the power of the voice) invoked. One might even imagine the rune in question superimposed on a certain chakra, conjuring OS on the throat chakra when preparing to engage in an act of motivational oratory or ODAL when desiring to unify an audience, etc. When I reached the age of majority and began to explore the varieties of occultism still found out there, I was able to find a link between this system and Harufism, a practice of certain Sufi orders using the Arabic alphabet in a similar fashion. I would direct you to the writings of "Baron Rudolf von Sebottendorff" (aka Adam Glauer) for exposition should you choose to investigate this in greater depth. I don't know anything about the racist morons out there who wave Hakenkreuz flags and think the way forward is all militarism and malice. I do know that man is something to be surpassed, and the mechanisms intended to facilitate our evolution are already within us, they simply must be found and exercised. After all, people talk about leaving a better planet for our children, but no one says anything about leaving better children for the planet...

[@jamieloom22]

Thank you Arith, very interesting and well spoken as always.

[@warboats]

Great as always, a fair and civil defense of the use of runes for magical purposes. if anyone wants to look into this subject a little more in depth theres a great 2007 paper by Christopher Ray Bishop titled, straightforwardly, 'Runic Magic'. Its frustrating if not a little amusing that this question of magical application of runes is still, sometimes quite aggressively, squabled over by runologists. i cant really substantiate this but i always get the feeling that when an academic dismisses the idea of magical runes its done with more than a little derision, although i do think Crawford does excellent work.

[@Madgardian]

Academia is often very dogmatic. Although I believe it isn't always done with ill intent. "Pure" academia is very slow to change and like things to be easily labeled and put in a box.

[@warboats]

@@Madgardian good point, agreed.

[@spikewillow4552]

Excellent video ! Runa's response to Crawford was needed as is this video, no way are they just letters or even symbols I feel they are also sound/Frequencies. Maybe this is why more women used to practice as they can reach higher Hz 🤔 its about the sound & the pitch. Anyways great video Arith thank you for sharing your thoughts 🤟

[@impunitythebagpuss]

I have cast my homemade runestones every morning for the past 58 years, as a guide for my day. Interesting....liked and subbed.

[@kellybelair3107]

That's 3 weeks in a row I don't get notified of your video release, it's a good thing I look forward to it every Wednesday. Thanx for your time, energy and knowledge Much appreciated ❤

[@2dazla8]

So much valuable information here and what you are sharing makes total sense to me. I appreciate you, your sharing of your knowledge, as well as your sense of humor while doing so ♥ 'Regular animals but on cocaine, and nature, here hold my beer, bro.' Lol That intro is gold 🖤

[@klaudiapetersennaturopathi3794]

Nice translations and explanations. They are very related to the work of two independent students of Run and Polish. It turns out that each rune reflects the Polish language as well as expressions and meanings, and Latin is a mirror image of the Polish language. I recommend getting acquainted with these theories, because it puts our history in a different perspective

[@sarahgilbert8036]

If we think about it, Roman alphabet letters are also used for letters and magic: magical words like abrakadabra, or for making sigils. No one will convince me that runes weren't also magic symbols.

[@vssc1008]

I agree with your view.

[@vpsycho8971]

Its so good to see you again, Ari 🥰💫 i have been away for some time. And as always, you bring knowledge right where i need it. Thank you!

[@margaretwebster2516]

Good your back, look forward to you videos.❤

[@bluedragon1200]

Very good presentation, Arith. It doesn’t matter if we, ourselves are uncomfortable with the esoteric uses of a symbol. What matters is how the individuals that USED them felt. If, through interdisciplinary study, we find evidence that they used the runes as symbols and for magic we must make that part of our understanding of the runes themselves.

[@Hadrada.]

I think it helps to write with runes To me you perhaps get in the mind of how our ancestors thought It’s not the same as the letters I’m using here They are magical Bless Odin for taking them up and Heimdallr for giving us them

[@didsbsg]

It’s all about intention and the power of someone using the runes. Just as words, can used for magic or just talking. Thank you for this

[@marksteven6116]

alu is a chant just like aum in hinduism which you should chant to the sun every day

[@jessevanhalen6967]

There's no sources of an ALU chant, Norse paganism is not Hinduism

[@marksteven6116]

@@jessevanhalen6967 chant AUM

[@jessevanhalen6967]

@@marksteven6116 No

[@marksteven6116]

Don't be a hater dear

[@karkir-joharkarntkristkark9507]

The knowledge exspounded upon in this video underlines how important it is to study the texts in their original language and alphabet in order to pierce through all levels of knowledge - especially the esoteric knowledge. A very important video for academics and other truth seekers, I reckon.

[@reaganiterushman5480]

Boss as always, Arith! I wish I could download your wisdom to my brain, LOL!

[@alysmarcus7747]

morning Arith!!! hope you are well. i had wondered what you thought of this , as i have watched those other two videos as well.

[@tonimello3112]

I'm glad you are feeling better and I love listening to talk!

[@AG-ug3lb]

Thanks for the short explanation about the Havamal. Even if it's not the main subject, there is always something useful for me in your videos. To me the Havamal read almost like Proverbs: mainly a collection of moral life advice. There seems to be more to it. Will read it again 🙂

[@elainemblakely282]

Greetings from the Texas Gulf Coast, USA/ I appreciate the effort you invest in these videos. Thank you.

[@kellyezebra]

I very much admire the clear and easy-to-understand communication style you use. Listening to you makes me feel smarter!

[@giannixx]

I feel that whenever Crawford states that runes were letters instead of magic symbols he is trying to undo the misconception a lot of people have that the runes were primarily used for magic in a modern sense, and is referring to magical uses of runes which only started after the Middle Ages, mostly in the 1800s. This modern conception that carving the Fehu rune will bring you money, and the belief that that is what they were used for by the Scandinavian peoples, is what Crawford is trying to dispel. However, as you have presented in your examples, you can use letters for magic purposes, but that's no different than using spells with the Latin or Greek alphabets. In fact, consider the Merseburg charms, it's the Latin alphabet being used for magic purposes, but it doesn't mean those symbols stop being letters because of that. When they refer to "runes", they are talking about those letters they've written, sometimes the word is even used to mean the whole inscription/message. Now, as I said, you can take those letters and use them for magic, but as you said, it is not the glyphs/symbols that hold the magic, but the intention they are used to convey. I'd like to see his response to this video to straighten things out.

[@giannixx]

Actually nevermind, I went to his channel and found this video* in which he explains the misconception here. He even addresses the "alu" word and the passages in Hávamál. Quote from 7:25 - "That is not to say - I'm sometimes accused of this [...] this is not to say that runes are never used to write down magic, they are. But the magic is in the words that the runes are writting down [...]" *kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHawmI2sgcisopY&ab_channel=JacksonCrawford

[@snakefires582]

"Hey Arith, aren't u forgetting about bind runes?" Arith: " hey , I'm getting there, calm down!" Lol that part made me chuckle

[@svenwesley8150]

Thank You Arith for this video. I think we need multiple points of view so at the very least we do not become so closed-minded as not to accept different ways of looking at the world. After all , the Gods evolve as we do and Their wish for us is to grow as we journey through life (my belief anyway). I have been studying Runes for 30+ years now and I'm still learning something new. BTW, I downloaded your VAR UMN Ablum and your Galdr skills are quite impressive!!!! Hope all is well with You and Your Kin!

[@maxlegermainalaman3883]

Your analysis is very interesting, in ancient Egypt too the dead can speak with magical charms ^^

[@afwalker1921]

If one can string runestones into a magical sentence reflecting a possible future, it is also possible to arrange those stones into the desired outcome and let that be that. I'm just sayin'!!!

[@Robert-gc9gc]

Finally, a giraffe video. Thanks for branching out 😂🦒

[@denyse6666]

I have always used the runes in 3 ways as letters as symbols and in magic and they have always served me well .... thank you kiddo for your very informative video ...

[@denyse6666]

@anticlimacus I have called Arith this for years !

[@jamiegallier2106]

Another fascinating and entertaining production. Appreciate you so much.

[@annieg3489]

I love Giraffs, I have been real close to them and fed them, their eyes are like dark ponds😊Anyway, I think it makes a difference if you view something with or without an animistic view, that causes a difference in perception. I also enjoy both Rune and Crawfords Videos, whom I also have learned alot from, basically facts of historical manner. I love your channel because you also look beyond these facts, you analyse, combine, and have alot of thoughts about things that coinside with mine. Its like you look behind the veil of facts😊Thank you for the Video!, i wonder why Odin shared the words of wisdom but did not follow the ways of conduct himself, as if, once you become a God, it doesnt count anymore🤔

[@Hardrada88]

Really like this video. It's superbly done and well articulated. It's hard to explain to people about runes as often times, they come to "It's writing" like the English. They forget the magic connotations. Remember in Egils saga about the runes carved incorrect under the maids bed :) our culture, runes and the meanings are not for China's mass production 😂really well done! Thank you for sharing I have liked and subscribed today.

[@jrojala]

I love this channel Arith, great work

[@cryptoflora]

Was researching about runes today then thought that maybe you'd have a video about it and you just posted it 🖤

[@ElektrasLove]

Thank you as always amazing. Appreciation 👍🏻

[@stevenhuntley8706]

I don't want to throw shade. Understand this is not shade throwing. Jackson Crawford has said he does not understand the religion or religious aspects and that he thinks the people who believe in the religious aspects are silly, sooo, i don't much put stock in what he says about it. He's a linguist, not a priest, respectfully.

[@wolfmauler]

I'm 20 seconds into the video and I fear poor Arith has lost his mind 😂

[@ArithHärger]

It's the heat :0

[@wolfmauler]

​@@ArithHärger I understand 😆... Nonetheless, FANTASTIC video today 😊. I would hope anyone can see the objective facts here; YES! Objective facts concerning magic and religion, at the very least, evidence of the ancient attitudes toward the Runes central place in both. Appreciate you my friend! 🤘

[@egidijuskilinskas4583]

Runes are very powerful. Those who use them, knows wery well.

[@VeganAJohnH]

Arith. I have not watched this video yet. I am behind on your videos at the moment. But I was watching a young man on Chanel, age of the north , he was chopping fire wood on the beach,as he was cutting the wood, the axe was going through the branches, using a log underneath, By the time he had finished, it looked like a load of rune writing. Is this how the rune writing came about? Also would the Vikings have used their axes like a pen to write messages on logs for other vikings to follow or directions & then just burnt the message after it had been read as fire wood?

[@pierredelacrau1097]

Germanic runes are perhaps inspired from lepontic (celtic) script or alphabet, itself coming from etruscan alphabet itself coming from etc...through contacts between Celts and Germanic tribes along the amber roads. Among Celts these "runes" letters were also used to know future.

[@wolfmauler]

One way that I would describe or begin to describe the Runes, particularly the Futhark, in the context of comparison is to suggest that the Runes are more akin to the Periodic Table, than a mere alphabet concerned with only grammar and phonetics. 🤔

[@vrillionaire88]

Alphabets, especially formal languages, are the same. They are also symbols, that reflect an understanding of the components of nature, and are used for magic

[@wolfmauler]

​@@vrillionaire88 That's not what I'm saying. Take the letter "L": What are it's esoteric properties? What entities are associated with it? What elements? What concepts does it describe or represent, in and of itself? What compliments it's properties and what are it's polarities? What energies are courted, invoked or released by intoning the phonetic sound it represents? These are the differences I'm referring to.

[@dootchan]

giraffes... and still no one knows why they evolved as they did. There are theories but they all fall a bit flat. Thank you for a lovely video.

[@parry3231]

They feed on the tops of trees, causing the trees to grow full and allowing more shade. Just a thought ❤ They are majestic creatures 🦒💚✌

[@dootchan]

@@parry3231 they do - but there's no evidence in the fossil record that they ever *had* to. And their closest relatives just evolved to browse like normal critters. It's a strange evolutionary quirk without a solid reason!

[@ernamoller175]

Giraffes are beautiful, graceful and sensitive animals. I raised, successfully, an orphan!🦒

[@VirtualHolocaust]

What do you think of sigils? Is it the shape of the runes themselves that make them like a cheat code? Or is it what people believe the power of them is? Cause there is some interesting ideas about Sigils and Super Sigils. But with sigils as far as im aware it doesnt matter their shape just that you believe the sigil represents a thing. Another interesting thing is i took auywaska or however you spell it and i think i seen the golden code of our construct. And it was all sigils some looked like a modified ankh from the egyptians. at the time i understood them to be like a meme. They were a single thing that had everything couched into it of its properties and position on the world or whatever you want to look at it as. anyways thanks for the video!

[@wholeyghost7790]

Gregg Braden likened that divinity is one’s capacity to overcome one’s limitations. I guess I thought you would find that interesting.

[@torsteinnorbertson]

Using runes as letters only in a society which was mostly unalphabetized is unlikely, i can't imagine that. Many people used items like combs with runic inscriptions while most certain were not able to read them so the runes had to stand for something as a symbol, the items themself were selfexplaining so there was no need to write something on it beside to implement a symbolic meaning. Second i think people of the past thought the same as we do today in most cases, they didn't differ that much to us like we maybe think or sometimes hope. And even today letters are used as symbols although we don't have to do that anymore so we can conclude that they did the same. As a last point, every rune was a symbol in itself unlike our letters today. F is and a simple grapheme for a phoneme today. Fehu stood for F to explain the usage of the phoneme but also meaning cattle. Many cattle meant beeing wealthy so it also stood for wealth. This is in itself a symbolic meaning. And while not even knowing the phoneme a user could understand by simply beiing told that this letter as a symbol means wealth. Carrying an item with you which has 'wealth' written on it only makes sense if you want to show off or want a magical intention to let the item provide you with wealth. In the first case it's a symbol, in the second magical symbol.

[@pillarsoflight2607]

No different than saying that the hexagrams of the I Ching are just lines, and not symbols.

[@vpsycho8971]

I firmly believe they are letters and magick symbols. Not to say Crawford is completely wrong tho. They function differently per the practitioner. I dont think i could teach the magick purpose of runes for this same reason, because they only work for those found worthy or i dire need of them. That being said, the Runes have a consciousness and make decisions as to how they will be used. This same consciousness will guide the user to match intentions

[@a44489]

Rap, if written from spontaneous views, not todays world kinda unlocks thing's. As you create a unquie sounds with words but don't understand the chemistry behind it. Its like rewriting the world. It also predicts things or insight to were you might come from if you have no clue.

[@eldraque4556]

Runes are blatantly symbolic, they resemble real world (and ethereal) objects so it's literally part of their nature, although they can be used just as letters too...

[@anitachu29]

Thank you for providing such profound backdrop information. Very helpful. I’ve just started to get know these sacred symbols. I have a question want to consult you about- are there symbols or symbol groups(no matter the intention underneath)resemble letters V,L,u or VI, Lu?

[@skioldart6629]

jackon's clever and wise as it is is language specialist advice .... thx Arith. what about rune translation as "secret" ?

[@dylanmagoiofthethalasso4032]

Arith should have swung in with the title and thumbnail saying: Runes: Not Letters, Not Symbols

[@formathistoria]

I wrote about ALU in an academic paper 15 years ago. ALU means ale, sure,but that derives from the word for "OIL", Oil is the meaning (sort of) of the word for "messiah" and the greek "christos"; anointed with oil. ALU is also "Alpha" and "Omega" with "Water", L:, in the middle. So its hard not to see an early, arianic, form of mystery-christianity in ALU. Arianism is often descibed as "the germanic form of christianity" and had a peek during Theoderic the Great of the Goths in the fifth century.

[@acenname]

ALIUM, Latin for GARLIC, was used in ancient medicine to protect against parasites and cure various ailments, and from there, the word as well as the plant became a formula to ward off anything from illness to vampires in Folklore here and there.

[@ei9896]

I know that runes is a branch of old greek alphabet adapted for cutting by knife. All symbols can be a magic symbols and have main idea. Symbols could bind to the sigil. This is casual practice from hermitizm

[@afwalker1921]

In Egypt, beer and onions were the most important funerary offerings. I'm just sayin'...

[@eddydejagere3411]

Best book for runes , i am looking for magical (symbol) use ,(not divination). Thanks.

[@teresafigueiredo4760]

❤

[@redvonmunster3731]

Which sounds more believable. "I want a sword with A BUNCH OF "T's" on it, I fucking love T!" Or "I want a sword with a symbol for victory and I really want to win so let's put a few more on there."

[@footshotstube]

its simple , [english ,latin etc _USED-to have this tooo, SPecially old celtic,runes can be wordsm therefore can me *intent* , four runes can be a an engraving on a sword or sheild and offer the misbeleif they hold magival power and oso are inncribed with the intent , [whatever that might be , but for orr EG of a sword , it involved biting people anf blood]

[@afwalker1921]

The writing system you describe reminds me of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, where one might have a glyph begin or end a written phrase, providing the theme or the emphasis to the reader with a character that stands outside the sentence. Pharonic Egyptian is counterintuitive to someone raised in a modern environment, as one must look over the whole written statement as presented before attempting to read it, something we don't do. It's interesting that our areas of preChristian Europe were much the same, it seems.

[@acenname]

Pictograms represent things, ideograms represent ideas, letters represent sounds. Using the runes as pictograms or ideograms rather than letters is easier to understand if you are illiterate. It is generally more intuitive. That is why the association of letters with things, or as symbols of things first and then sounds later, is used to help children understand them.

[@Son-of-Tyr]

I love Jackson Crawford's channel. His content is absolutely reliable and objective. That being said, I agree that Runes were Also magic symbols in addition to being letters. A good example is my name. My name means 'Son of Týr'. The Týr Rune is to symbolize the god, Týr. The Runes in my name are transitional. They're from the Ribe skull fragment 725 A.D. which uses a mixture of Elder and Younger Futhark. Thought I'd clarify since in the past people felt the need to tell me that my name was "wrong".

[@zaggedout]

Dope video

[@walterdimmick653]

Every form of spoken and written human method of communication has probably been used to invoke, curse and pray to some god, so logically they all have a secondary magical/ religious purpose, I do not see how this could be otherwise.

[@valentinb-hh2kl]

Awesome Video thanks

[@dabitz6167]

Runes: Also Letters, Not Just Symbols

[@Blue138UEF]

Hey arith, where does the names of the runes originate? You said run poems but what rune poems?

[@morganwoolf2188]

I've been trying to find good sources for all the rune poems. Transliteration and translation preferable. Any advice? Are there really 5 rune poems or is this a misunderstanding perpetuated by the internet?

[@Mr.RobotHead]

Is this really runes as magical symbols, or writing in general (and runes are what they used to write) used for magical / religious purposes?

[@joshuajohn6679]

There both to me and faith is powerful.

[@ipos1070]

You want something to futher blow your mind. Camels are from North America. They evolved in North America.

[@wumblebumblebee]

Hold my beer bro 🧙 GIRAFFE love it!

[@cinnamongirl5410]

Runes seem similar to the Hebrew aleph bet, which is every letter is also a number is also a name (or symbol) of something. 3 fold type thing. I'm sure Mr. Crawford knows more than I ever will on his expertise, but he is also a member of acedemia, and we know what's been going on there.

[@ehundelson1628]

I love Crawford's work. But he is a little straight. Anyone who "works" with Runes for a while will know there is power in them.

[@Langwigcfijul]

There is as much power in runes as there is in the letters I'm using right now to write this.

[@ThatWitchesRealm]

Hold my beer bro🤣😂🖤

[@KajiRider1997]

5:43 are you in the netherlands?

[@hexereric]

esclarecedor muito grato!!!!

[@DonnaLLeon]

on my gold lotto ticket i found symbols and how they got there I don't know but... i did win some money on lotto so magic symbols work

[@wren1019]

💙

[@gwailou9003]

Either way, if the runes weren't symbols they are now

[@phillipr.mctear8962]

😎👍

[@White_Oak_]

I've never really liked Jackson Crawford's work. He does not seem to understand the context or deeper meaning of old texts, although he can translate the words literally.

[@cellistina760]

LOL you're hilarious!!

[@elizabethmurray5037]

Bravo! Thank you! )O(

[@devinsmith4790]

While I'm sure it was treated with some magical aspect or whatnot, I think most everyday Pre-Christian Germanic speakers simply used the runes as a rudimentary way of literate communication with each other.

[@ArithHärger]

The great majority of the populations up until the late middle ages did not know how to read and write with the runes, only very specific people educated on the matter, mostly with an important occupation like being a professional poet for royal / nobility courts, professional stone masons and clergy, which means the general population had a far greater predisposition to see the runes as magic symbols because they used them nonetheless even not knowing the letter values but they did know the significance and the runic magic formulas. For instance, most would use Alu and Lauka(R)z not knowing the literal meaning but they knew it had "magic potency" for something specific ("magic"/"protective magic" and "fertility", respectively).

[@soniahazy4880]

🌈🪷🛸🧩💎🎼🧜🏿🧞‍♂️🦅🦇

[@robertbcardoza]

Tree. Forest. Clearing. Not tree, edge of clearing. Not edge of clearing, tree. Nonsense. Neither. Both. Mu. Many, many words, as fingers pointing.

[@delectablepie]

Sleep Token brought me here.

[@afwalker1921]

Aleister Crowley defined magic as causing change to occur in conformity with an individual person's will. According to his definition, it is not necessary to involve outside powers for the divine is found within us. Stop using mythology as a crutch and throw your own lightning bolts where needed. You are Wotan experiencing himself...

[@stewartthomas2642]

Thankyou.Love your stuff kick on love it. ❤❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤍👍

[@ArithHärger]

Thank you my friend, as always!

[@gaddaffilastname4532]

"Runes are letters not symbols" bruh letters are symbols