The third aett: Tiwaz to Othala

In this lesson: Tiwaz to Othala, with sounds, the rune poems and modern meanings, plus how to write your own name in runes the careful way.

The third aett turns to people: a god of justice, the birch, the horse, the human being, water, a god of fertility, day and the family home. When you finish it you will know all 24 runes, and you will put them to use by writing your own name. Its sounds run t, b, e, m, l, ng, d, o.

The eight runes

1. ᛏ Tiwaz (TEE-wahz), t. Name: the god Tiwaz, later Týr, secure. The Norse poems remember him as the one-handed god. The English poem makes Tir a guiding sign, perhaps a star, that never deceives. Modern: justice, honor, courage.
2. ᛒ Berkano (BER-kah-no), b. Name: birch, secure. A tree beautiful in its branches, putting out new shoots. Modern: growth, new beginnings.
3. ᛖ Ehwaz (EH-wahz), e. Name: horse, secure. A hoof-proud horse is a joy to princes and a comfort to the restless. Modern: partnership, trust.
4. ᛗ Mannaz (MAHN-nahz), m. Name: human being, secure. A person is dear to their kin, yet all return to the earth. Modern: humanity, self, community.
5. ᛚ Laguz (LAH-gooz), l. Name: water, lake, probable. Water seems endless to sailors in a rocking boat. Modern: water, flow, emotion.
6. ᛜ Ingwaz (ING-wahz), ng as in “sing”. Name: the god Ing, probable. The English poem tells of Ing seen among the East Danes, who went away over the waves with his wagon. Modern: fertility, potential.
7. ᛞ Dagaz (DAH-gahz), d. Name: day, secure. Day is the Maker’s light, cheer and hope for rich and poor alike. Modern: daybreak, awakening.
8. ᛟ Othala (OH-thah-lah), o. Name: inherited land, secure. An inherited home is dear when it holds justice and decency. Modern: home, inheritance, heritage.

People, gods and home

Historical Ehwaz, Ingwaz, Dagaz and Othala vanished from the Younger Futhark, so only the English poem speaks of them. The Kylver stone puts Dagaz 23rd and Othala 24th, while some sixth-century bracteates reverse them. Both orders are historical, and most modern books follow Kylver. The modern names for the aettir, such as Tyr’s aett, are later tradition, so I simply call them first, second and third.

Modern Othala and Tiwaz have a misuse history, and Othala is the rune hate groups most often distort with extra strokes at its feet. In its plain historical form it is the o-rune, and the English poem’s picture of a home with justice and decency is a fine answer to any claim that it belongs to one ancestry.

The poems in their own words

Historical The Old English poem, in Dickins’s 1915 translation, gives us the voice behind every rune in the third aett. Tiwaz: “Tiw is a guiding star; well does it keep faith with princes; it is ever on its course over the mists of night and never fails.” The Norwegian poem remembers the god instead: “Tyr is a one-handed god.” Berkano: surprisingly, the Old English stanza seems to describe a poplar: “The poplar bears no fruit; yet without seed it brings forth suckers…

Splendid are its branches and gloriously adorned its lofty crown which reaches to the skies.” The Norwegian has “Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub.” Ehwaz: “The horse is a joy to princes in the presence of warriors… and it is ever a source of comfort to the restless.”

Mannaz: “The joyous man is dear to his kinsmen; yet every man is doomed to fail his fellow, since the Lord by his decree will commit the vile carrion to the earth.”

The Norwegian poem says “Man is an augmentation of the dust.” Laguz: “The ocean seems interminable to men, if they venture on the rolling bark and the waves of the sea terrify them.” Ingwaz: “Ing was first seen by men among the East-Danes, till, followed by his chariot, he departed eastwards over the waves.” Othala: “An estate is very dear to every man, if he can enjoy there in his house whatever is right and proper in constant prosperity.”

And Dagaz: “Day, the glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord; it is beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and poor, and of service to all.”

Two things stand out. Mannaz is not about the self in a modern sense but about human mortality and kinship, which is more sobering and more beautiful. And Othala’s home is dear “if” it holds what is right, a condition that quietly argues against any claim that the rune is about blood or exclusion.

Learning all 24, and keeping them

Now that you have three aettir, review them as a whole. Write the 24 runes in three rows of eight. Say each row aloud as a little chant. Then try “random recall”: shuffle your card set and name each rune as it appears, without looking at a list. Mark any you hesitate over and review them the next day. Most learners know the full row within two or three weeks of short daily practice. A short session every day works better than one long session a week.

Writing in runes

Runes were written by sound, and English spelling is not. “Knight” has no k or gh in runes: write n, i, t. There is no rune for c, q, v or x: use k for hard c, s for soft c, k plus w for q, k plus s for x, and f or w for v. Th is one rune, Thurisaz, and ng is one rune, Ingwaz.

Sh, ch and the j of “jam” have no rune, so choose a combination and keep it consistent. Use one row, write left to right, keep staves the same height, and separate words with a space or two dots. Two careful people may write the same name differently, and both can be right if they can explain their choices.

A worked example

Imagine someone called Kathy. She says her name slowly and hears four sounds: k, a, th, i. She writes ᚲ for k, ᚨ for a, ᚦ for th, which she is pleased to find is a single rune, and ᛁ for the final y sound: ᚲᚨᚦᛁ. Her note says: “No c or y in runes. The y in my name sounds like i, so Isa.” Then she draws all 24 runes from memory, mixes up Ehwaz and Mannaz once and fixes it.

More name examples

Here are a few more names written by sound, to show the choices. Maria: ᛗ m, ᚨ a, ᚱ r, ᛁ i, ᚨ a, giving ᛗᚨᚱᛁᚨ. Johan: the j in the Scandinavian name sounds like y, so Jera; then o, h, a, n: ᛃᛟᚺᚨᚾ. Chris: the ch sounds like k, so Kenaz, then r, i, s: ᚲᚱᛁᛊ. Sophie: the ph sounds like f, so s, o, f, i: ᛊᛟᚠᛁ. In each case, a different writer might make a different choice, for example writing the final sound of Sophie as Ehwaz, and that is fine if you can explain it.

The Icelandic poem on the third aett

Historical Four runes of the third aett appear in the Icelandic rune poem. In Dickins’s 1915 translation:

Tiwaz (týr): “Tyr = god with one hand and leavings of the wolf and prince of temples.” The “leavings of the wolf” recalls the myth in which Tyr lost his hand to the wolf Fenrir.

Berkano (bjarkan): “Birch = leafy twig and little tree and fresh young shrub.” Unlike the puzzling Old English stanza, the Icelandic is clearly about a young birch.

Mannaz (maðr): “Man = delight of man and augmentation of the earth and adorner of ships.” “Augmentation of the earth” echoes the Old English stanza, in which the Lord will one day “commit the vile carrion to the earth”. Both poems remember that people return to the soil.

Laguz (lögr): “Water = eddying stream and broad geysir and land of the fish.” Iceland’s hot springs make a natural appearance here.

Practice variations

Three poems, one rune. Choose Tiwaz, Berkano, Mannaz or Laguz. Copy its stanza from all three poems, Old English, Norwegian and Icelandic, onto one page. Underline the words they share, and circle the details only one poem has. You will see clearly which parts of a modern meaning are widely supported and which rest on a single line.

People and places. The third aett is full of people, gods and home: Tiwaz, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Ingwaz and Othala. For each, write the name of one place in your own life it reminds you of: a workplace, a stable, a family table, a harbor. Linking runes to familiar places makes them easy to recall.

A worked example: Laguz and a decision

Imagine someone draws Laguz while deciding whether to change jobs. She reads the Old English stanza about the terrifying ocean and the Icelandic one about a stream and “land of the fish”. Two very different waters: one frightening, one full of life. She writes that the change feels like the first kind of water but might turn out to be the second. The rune has not decided for her. It has given her two images to think with, and a calmer way to look at the fear.

Questions beginners ask

Should I write my name in Elder or Younger Futhark? For most people, Elder Futhark is easier because it has more vowels. Use the Younger Futhark if you want a Viking Age look, but expect more ambiguity.

Is there an official runic spelling of names? No. There is no authority, only careful choices.

Can I use a runic translator website? Many convert letters, not sounds, and give poor results. Use them only to check your own version.

Myths to drop: Mannaz does not mean the “ego” in any historical source. Othala does not belong to any one ancestry. And Ingwaz is not historically a fertility symbol; that is a modern association built on the god Ing.

Try this

Write your first name in runes by sound. Say it slowly and list each sound you hear, not each letter. Find the closest rune for each sound, noting any choice you had to make. Draw the name left to right, then write two lines explaining your choices. Finally, draw all 24 runes from memory and check them.

Recap

The third aett is t, b, e, m, l, ng, d, o: Tiwaz, Berkano, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Ingwaz, Dagaz, Othala. Four of them survive only in the English poem. Dagaz and Othala swap places in some old rows. Write English in runes by sound, be consistent and check anything permanent twice.

What next

Press “Mark as done” and continue with Making a set and casting runes. Each rune has its own page, for example Tiwaz and Othala.

Further reading: Bruce Dickins, Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples (1915), and Michael P. Barnes, Runes: A Handbook (2012), on spelling and transliteration.

Sources

• Michael P. Barnes, Runes: A Handbook (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2012).
• Bruce Dickins, Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1915).
• R. I. Page, Runes (London: British Museum Press, 1987).

Go deeper: the runes pages on this site

Mark as done