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From
the poetic Eddas, the songs telling the deeds of the Vikings
and their gods, come many references to the magic of the runes
and their use by deities and heroes alike. Rune means secret
or hidden and comes from ru, a secret or mystery in
the ancient Northern European language. The modern German word
raunen, to whisper, is also derived from this stem.
Runes
were angular markings made by the Germanic peoples, that is,
the English, German, and Scandinavian races who shared a common
heritage and language. These marks, on stone metal, and wood,
were used on inscriptions, monuments, and for magical divinatory
purposes. Stone was one of the main materials of Viking art,
which was not a separate craft but used to adorn objects used
in everyday life.
As
well as having an alphabetical value, each rune symbolized a
concept, much like a Tarot card, and was intrinsically magical.
To speak the name of a rune or carve it on a sword was believed
to call up the power of the deity or nature spirit who commanded
the rune. In modern times the power is seen as more personal,
that of the intrinsic energies within mankind and the earth.
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