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Runestone Norway

Runes and Their Meanings

The 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, the oldest alphabet of the North

Runes were letters before they were anything else. For around a thousand years, people across Scandinavia and northern Europe carved them into stone, wood, bone and metal: names on memorial stones, owners' marks on combs, short charms on amulets.

Each rune also had a name, and each name was a real word: Fehu means cattle, Isa means ice, Sowilo means sun. Those names are where rune meanings come from. This guide gives you all 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, what each one stood for, and where to read its full story in the Rune Library.

Written by Sonya · Halden, Norway

Freyr's aett

Heimdall's aett

also called Hagal's aett

Tyr's aett

Rune names are the reconstructed Proto-Germanic words. The deeper meanings come from the later medieval rune poems.

Try the runes yourself

Rune Translator

Write your name, or any sentence, in runes.

Draw a rune

Pull a rune and read what it means for you.

Birth Rune Calculator

Find the rune of your birth half-month.

Bind Rune Maker

Combine runes into a single sigil.

Three futharks

The Elder Futhark isn't the only runic alphabet. The Vikings themselves mostly wrote in a shorter one.

AlphabetRunesPeriodRegion
Elder Futhark24 runesc. 150–800 ADAcross Germanic Europe
Younger Futhark16 runesc. 800–1100 AD (the Viking Age)Scandinavia
Anglo-Saxon Futhorc26–33 runesc. 400–1100 ADEngland and Frisia

The name futhark comes from the first six runes: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ.

Write in any of the three →

How runes were really used

Most surviving runes are ordinary writing: names on memorial stones, makers' marks, owners' tags on combs and tools, even short messages on wooden sticks found in Bergen. Some inscriptions are clearly charms or protective formulas, like the repeated rune sequences on amulets and bracteates.

Rune casting as most people practise it today is largely a modern tradition, built in the 20th century on the rune names and the medieval rune poems. That doesn't make it less meaningful. It just means a good rune reading starts from what the names actually meant, which is what this guide gives you.

Frequently asked questions

How many runes are there?

The Elder Futhark has 24 runes. The Younger Futhark of the Viking Age has 16, and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc has between 26 and 33.

What are the three aettir?

The 24 Elder Futhark runes are split into three groups of eight, called aettir (families): Freyr's aett, Heimdall's aett and Tyr's aett, named after the first rune of each row in later tradition.

Which rune means protection?

Algiz ᛉ is the rune most linked to protection today. Its name means elk, and its shape is often read as a raised hand or antlers.

Did the Vikings use the Elder Futhark?

Mostly not. By the Viking Age, Scandinavians wrote with the 16-rune Younger Futhark. The Elder Futhark is older, and is the alphabet most used for rune meanings today.

Can I write English in runes?

Yes. Runes are an alphabet, so any language can be written letter by letter. The Rune Translator does it for you.

Where do rune meanings come from?

From the rune names themselves, and from three medieval rune poems (Old English, Old Norwegian and Old Icelandic) that give a short verse for each rune.

Is it okay to get a rune tattoo?

Yes, as long as you check the rune and its meaning first. Our rune tattoo guide covers the ones to know.

Wear the runes

Custom bind rune digital print by Runestone Norway, a personalised Elder Futhark design
Digital Product

Custom Bind Rune – Personalised Digital Print

$8.00
Silver custom rune necklace — engraved bar pendant by Runestone Norway
Accessories

Rune Necklace – Personalized Viking Bar Pendant

$55.00
Viking mug with a dragon-prow longship and a name in Elder Futhark runes on a black ceramic mug, by Runestone Norway
Mug

Viking Mug – Dragon-Prow Longship with Your Name in Elder Futhark Runes

$41.00
Man in a forest green Huginn and Muninn custom name tank top with ravens, runic name and Viking shield, Runestone Norway
Tank Top

Huginn and Muninn Custom Name Tank Top – Your Name in Elder Futhark Runes

$44.00
Yggdrasil custom rune name mug in black ceramic with a name in Elder Futhark runes above the Tree of Life, by Runestone Norway
Mug

Tree of Life Mug – Yggdrasil with Your Name in Elder Futhark Runes

$41.00
Close-up of the Algiz protection rune label on a Norse soy candle in amber glass — Runestone Norway
Home Decor

Norse Candle – Algiz Protection Rune

$52.00
Lifestyle close-up of gold strength bindrune embroidered Norse crewneck sweatshirt
Sweatshirt

Viking Sweater – Strength Bindrune

$85.00
Black Norse crewneck sweatshirt with golden love bindrune embroidery by Runestone Norway
Sweatshirt

Viking Sweater – Love Bindrune

$85.00
Shop all rune designs →
Your name in runes →

Related reading

ᚠ · ᚱᚢᚾᛖ · ᚲᛁᚱᚲᛚᛖ

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