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Friday, March 15, 2013

Rune Masters I:


Johannes Bureus



Johannes Thomae Bureus Agrivillensis (Johan Bure) (1568–1652) was a Swedish antiquarian, polymath and mystic. He was royal librarian, tutor, and adviser of King Gustavus Adolphus ofSweden. Bureus was born in 1568 in Åkerby near the famous city of Uppsala (where the largest and last of the pagan temples has been) in Sweden as a son of a Lutheran parish priest.
Bureus combined his runic and esoteric interests in his own runic system, which he called the "Adalruna". He was interested in the Rosicrucian manifestos. Contemporary mystics such as Jakob Böhme have studied his works.
In 1611 he published the first ABC book in the Swedish language, Svenska ABC boken medh runorusing the runic alphabet and latin script. He also wrote a genealogy of Bure family, partly using runestones as sources.

Olaus Rudbeck



Olaus Rudbeck (also known as Olof Rudbeck the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, and occasionally with the surname Latinized as Olaus Rudbeckius) (September 13, 1630 – December 12, 1702) was a Swedish scientist and writer, professor of medicine at Uppsala University and for several periods rector magnificus of the same university. He was born in Västerås, the son of Bishop Johannes Rudbeckius, who was personal chaplain to King Gustavus Adolphus, and the father of botanist Olof Rudbeck the Younger. Rudbeck is primarily known for his contributions in two fields: human anatomy and linguistics, but he was also accomplished in many other fields including music and botany. (He established the first botanical garden in Sweden at Uppsala, called Rudbeck's Garden, but which was renamed a hundred years later for his son's student, the botanist Carolus Linnaeus.)

Human anatomy
Rudbeck was one of the pioneers in the study of lymphatic vessels. According to his supporters in Sweden, he was the first to discover the lymphatic system and is documented as having shown his findings at the court of Queen Christina of Sweden in the Spring of 1652. However, he did not publish anything about it until the fall of 1653, after Thomas Bartholin, a Danish scientist, had published a description of a similar discovery of his own. (For other early discoverers of the lymphatic system, seeGasparo Aselli and Jean Pecquet).
Rudbeck's research led to the Queen's support of his career. To facilitate his studies of human anatomy, he had a cupola built on top ofGustavianum, a university edifice, and in it was built an arena-like Theatrum anatomicum, where dissection could be carried out in front of students. The cupola still remains and is a landmark in Uppsala. The "Gustavianum" stands in front of the cathedral, and is still part of the university.

Historical linguistics
Between 1679-1702, Rudbeck dedicated himself to contributions in historical-linguistics patriotism, writing a 3,000-page treatise in four volumes called Atlantica (Atland eller Manheim in Swedish) where he purported to prove that Sweden was Atlantis, the cradle of civilization, and Swedish theoriginal language of Adam from which Latin and Hebrew had evolved. His work was criticized by several Scandinavian authors, including the Danish professor Ludvig Holberg, and the Swedish author and physician Andreas Kempe, both of whom wrote satires based on Rudbeck's writings. His work was later used by Denis Diderot in the article "Etymologie" in Encyclopédie as a cautionary example of deceptive linking of etymology with mythical history.

David King, in his biography of Rudbeck, notes that he developed a system for measuring the age of old monuments and graves by the thickness of the humus accumulated over them - which, though many of his conclusions were erroneous, anticipated the methods of modern archaeology and was far in advance of most historians and antiquarians of his time.

Despite the criticism targeting his linguistic theories and despite the priority dispute with Bartholin, Rudbeck remained a national icon in Sweden for many years. His son, Olof Rudbeck the Younger, continued his linguistic work and also became involved in providing an "intellectual reason" for power during a period when Sweden aspired to a position as one of the great powers of Europe. Rudbeck the Younger added speculations about the relationship between Sami and Hebrew languages to his father's long list of fantastical linguistic relationships. A nephew of Olaus the Elder, Petter Rudebeck, also wrote antiquarian books going even further, purporting to locate the scene of the Trojan War and ancient city of Troy in southern Sweden.
The above-mentioned David King noted that, while specific conclusions of father and son Rudbeck about the relationships of various languages to each other were disproven, they anticipated the later systematic study of Indo-European Languages, and the scientific proof that languages distant from each other geographically and historically are indeed related.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

TEIWAZ


TEIWAZ

27th of February - 14th of March



Alternative Names
Tiwaz, Tir, Tyr, Teiws, Tiw.
Key Phrase
‘Now is the time to make use of
the skills and wisdom you have acquired.’
Meaning
Tyr (Warrior God),  the Tyr Rune, fatherhood, the arrow, a spear point.
Viking Rune Equivalent and Meaning
Warrior.  The Norse warrior god Tyr; Victory in battle; A guiding light.
Divinatory Meaning
Initiation
Corresponding Letter
T
Associated Colour
Bright Red
Associated Herb
Sage
Associated Gemstone
Coral
Associated Tree
Oak
Associated Myths and Deities
Sacred to Tyr -  Lord of the Heavens and war-leader, the Fenrris Wolf; Odin’s ordeals.

Manifestation Uses
For strengthening the will; healing a wound and for strength and protection; victory; success;   judgement and matters of law;  decisions or guidance.  Teiwaz can be invoked to heal any curse or ailment that has been wrongly placed upon you.
Relationship Interpretation
Combined strength and authority.  There is work to be done together and it will only be achieved together.
Healing Colour and Qualities
Brown.
Excellent to aid gout and rheumatism in combination with the Isa rune.
Talisman
Worn as a talisman, Teiwaz protects the material surroundings, brings victory, strengthens the will, and helps to heal wounds.

Teiwaz Drawn Upright

Keywords

Order, self-sacrifice, a voluntary sacrifice, stability, lawfulness, justice, courage, honour, morality, duty, discipline, responsibility, glory,  strength, conflict, a wound, leadership and authority, rationality, victory, success in a legal issue, protection, a protective amulet, knowing your personal strengths, steady, reliable, optimism, faith, analysis, the Pole Star, the vault of the Heavens.

TEIWAZ is ‘Order’.

The Teiwaz rune is the first rune of the third Aett. It is the seventeenth rune in total. Teiwaz is the rune of the god Tyr. Tuesday was named after him.  It is a rune of justice and order.
Like the warrior god Tyr, the Teiwaz rune represents inner strength, morality and honour.  In Norse mythology and cosmology, the god Tyr’s sacrifice of his hand to allow the binding of the Ferris Wolf, was a noble one.  Tyr is noted for his sense of duty and ethical responsibilities, in contrast to the pantheon of deities who are not concerned with such. The Teiwaz rune symbolises all qualities associated with the god Tyr, including strength, heroism, duty and responsibility.  It is said that Teiwaz is 'Tyr’s Rune'. Tyr is believed to be one of the oldest of the Norse gods and his position may well have originally superseded that of Odin.
The Teiwaz rune is one of the oldest runes in the Elderfuthark, having remained virtually unchanged from the earliest Bronze-age rock carvings, and it’s meanings and implications remain true.  Teiwaz focuses the attention and forces discipline. Embodied in this rune is the energy of discrimination.  It is one of courage and dedication.

The Teiwaz rune is phallic in shape and contains the embodiment of masculine energy, which resides in both men and women.  The qualities of Teiwaz are often exerted and looked for in men moreso than women, as a way of measuring and judging them.  Teiwaz, the rune, is one of fatherhood and all that it entails.
The arrow of the Teiwaz rune represents going straight to the source, or the heart of things.  It shows hitting the bullseye on the target and shooting straight.
This rune gives one the ability to remain objective and judge in fairness.  It also gives the potential for handling conflicts positively.
The Teiwaz rune symbolises new challenges and initiations into new understandings.  It represents voluntary sacrifice made by someone who understands exactly what they are giving up and why.
When the Teiwaz rune is drawn in a reading, it is telling you that there is a need for fearlessness as your victory is already assured if your heart remains true.  It is also a time to make use of all the skills and wisdom you have learned so far in this lifetime. 
You are warned to protect your faith, as it will be challenged.  Remember, the truth will always be victorious in the end.
If Teiwaz is drawn in a reading, rest assured that justice will prevail.

Norse God: Tyr


Tyr is the ancient god of War and the Lawgiver of the gods. The bravest of the gods, it is Tyr who makes the binding of Fenrir (Myth 7) possible by sacrificing his right hand. At one time he was the leader of the Norse Pantheon, but was supplanted by Odin much later.
Tyr also seems to be a god of justice. His name is derived from Tiw or Tiwaz an Tacticus and other Roman writers have equated this character to Mars, the receiver of human sacrifice. His day is Tuesday.
Tyr was the son of Odin though in Myth 17 he is made out to be the son of the giant Hymir. Like Odin, he has many characteristics of the earlier Germanic gods of battle. Parallels in other mythologies along with archaeological discoveries relating to a one-handed god, suggest that this character is very old and was known in Northern Europe somewhere between one and two thousand years before Snorri Sturluson included it in his Prose Edda. Similarities can be found in the one-handed Naudu in Irish mythology and in Mitra, just god of the day, of Indian mythology.


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Runology


Runology



Runology is the study of the Runic alphabets, Runic inscriptions and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.

History

Runology was initiated by Johannes Bureus (1568-1652) who was very interested in the linguistics of the Geatish language (Götiska språket), i.e. Old Norse. However, he did not look at the runes as just an alphabet but rather something holy or magical.

The study of runes was continued by Olof Rudbeck Sr (1630-1702) and presented in his collection Atlantica. The physicist Anders Celsius (1701-44) further extended the science of runes and travelled around the whole of Sweden to examine the bautastenar (megaliths, today termed runestones). Another early treatise is the 1732 Runologia by Jón Ólafsson of Grunnavík.

The various runic scripts were well understood by the 19th century, when their analysis became an integral part of the Germanic philology and historical linguistics. Wilhelm Grimm published his Ueber deutsche Runen in 1821, where among other things he discussed the "Marcomannic runes" (chapter 18, pp. 149-159). In 1828 he published a supplement, titled Zur Literatur der Runen, where he discusses the Abecedarium Nordmannicum.

Sveriges runinskrifter was published from 1900. The dedicated journal Nytt om runer has been published by the "Runic Archives" of the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo from 1985. The Rundata project, aiming at a machine-readable catalogue of runic inscriptions, was initiated in 1993.

*In the net few days we will pay honer to ancestors and great Rune masters by creating the articles about them, at least short ones who introduce them to you! 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Stàdhagaldr


Stàdhagaldr


Stadhagaldr - runic yoga, as it is being called occasionally - was being developed by Friedrich Bernhard Marby, during the twenties and thirties of the 20th century. Thus being a modern invention, it has no historic roots. Plagiarists developed this technic further in the thirties to fifties (here to mention: Kummer, Gorsleben, Spießberger). They used the fictive Armanen-futhork of List. During the last years Runic gymnastics is being developed further by various authors. 

In accordance to many authors I can confirm that the runic postures are bioenergetic antennas which receive the various energies, symbolized by the runes. Tests with the pendulum during runic gymnastics showed an expansion and charging of the individual aura as well as an extensive radiation. The posture receive cthonic and celestial energies, thus activate and vitalize body and mind. This energy is also necessary to fullfill magical goals. 

Performing runic gymnastic creates an anchor for the runes in the individual aura and body. Then the runes have the possibility to become organic and find realization and earthening within yourself and your surroundings (if you allow this to happen). Just like in the Asanas of yogic traditions, the runic postures (stöður) have more goals, as mentioned by Edred Thorsson:
  • Control of the body
  • Control of thoughts
  • Control of Breath
  • Control of Emotions
  • Anchoring of the Rune
  • Mastering of the Will

    Stadhagaldr can be practiced at any location and time you have in mind. However, obviously there are differences between various times, locations and personal preparations when and how you are practicing runic staðas. Runic yoga are more powerful outside in the fields or forests then in closed rooms. During the morning-dawn it is more intense then at the evening. Naked it is better then with clothes. Another point of importance is the direction in which you are heading during the practice. Oriented within the geomagnetic field heading north or south (in Australia) or heading west or east, using the inductory orientation. Heading NE, SW, SE, NW generates hybrid experiences. When you are practicing outside, the nature often reacts surprisingly! It makes a difference, whether you are bannishing before and afterwards or not. Consult Thorssons writings regarding proper intro rituals. 

I used a small observance for anchoring the runes in my auric field. For twentyfour days I practiced all twentyfour runic postures (breathing each one twelve times), and each day a different rune was dominant and being studied in as much ways as possible. I created a magical space-time, within which I practiced the runic staðas. After that period the contact with the runes was being established. However, selfdiscipline, condition and endurance are required to get through such observances. The best way is to create an individual schedule, which fits your needs. I am measuring the duration of a staða in breaths, during which I sing the galdr. Average durations are between four and eight breaths. Marby suggests to start runic gymnastics with the position of ,which is to be held for fifteen minutes before actually starting to practice other staðas. Until now I don´t know any english translation of Marbys works - so you have to learn german, to read about his discoveries. 

Assume the recommended runic postures and sing the name of the runes in a non-exhaustive way that you can feel your body vibrating - in magic literature it is called vibrating. It could be that you can hear overtones clearer as usual during vibrating. Take this as a good sign. You are visualizing the rune with your inner eye, as its form is being represented by your body and the energies are flowing through your body. Before practicing a rune it is recommended to know everything on the powers of the rune you want to practice. The flow of energy is different for each rune, a field of research for your sensitivity. 
The mudras are effective only after you have anchored the runes in your own aura and body. They can be made silent and unobtrusive. 
The inner centre must be kept up the whole time while moving and visualizing. Otherwise the whole exercise is just moving without knowledge and perhaps dangerous, too. With runic walking you develop an own Tai Chi form with twenty-four important elements, which can be used in unarmed combat, too. 

Phenomenons, occuring during runic yoga:
Cramps, convulsions and spasms are a sign of opening channels. The body regains the ability of free flowing energy. Let them happen, it is healthy.
Tingling and the feeling of pins and needles in the extremities or the body is a sign of flowing energies. If it becomes too much, stop the exercise and ground the energies.
Shaking is perhaps a sign of a beginning seið-trance (see Jan Fries: Seidhways)
Swaying shows that the body is attuning to the energies. Mstr. Amenophis from the Fraternitas Saturni gave the advice to follow the movement and to dance the rune with it.
Warm sweat is sign of cleansing processes and heating of the body.
Cold sweat is a sign of a circulatory disturbance. Stop immediately.
Yawning and belching are mechanisms of removing stagnating Qi. Increased bowel functions serve this ends, too. If these things don´t stop later on, visit a doctor.

After finishing Stadhagaldr, or after each rune, massage the energies first in the ear-lobes and the ear conch, behind the ears, then in the face and the neck and then in the rest of the body. Concentrate the surplus energies in the Dantien or Hara (see Mantak Chias works on Tao Yoga!). 
The shown postures and Mudras are ideas and impulsees of developing your own approach to the runes. Today I use different postures and Mudras. Everything is in constant movement and development. Otherwise it would be not alive. The galdrs are completely free in useage, that means its up to you, whether you sing "f f f f f f f" or "ffffeeeehhuuuu" or something else for the rune fehu (for example). If you have own ones - use them! 

Terms in Stadhagaldr practice:
Stádha – body postures or assanas
Galdr – incantations or mantras
Orindi – breathing techniques (there is 5 techniques: Trell, Karl, Herse, Jarl and Konge)
Hugr – control of emotions
Mund – hand postures or mudras
Haidr – reaching the bliss during practice, control of personal will