Discover the ancient symbols that have endured for two thousand years - and learn to work with them today.
The runes are one of the oldest symbolic systems in the Western world. Carved into weapons, grave markers, and wooden sticks by Viking Age merchants, they were used for everything from protective magic to love letters to legal inscriptions - and are still in active use today by practitioners who find in them a direct and reliable tool for self-knowledge and spiritual practice.
The Magic of Norse Runes is a complete guide to the Elder Futhark, written for readers who want more than a symbol dictionary. Erik Hansen traces the runes from their origins in the second century CE through the full arc of Viking Age history and into the present, grounding every aspect of the practice in the tradition that gave it meaning.
Inside: • The history of the runic alphabets, from the Elder Futhark to the Dalecarlian runes • Norse mythology as the living framework behind the symbols • Detailed explorations of all twenty-four runes, with upright and reversed meanings • The traditions of runic magic (galdr) and Norse shamanism (seidr) • Practical guidance on divination methods and daily rune practice • A tour of the greatest runic inscriptions in existence • An honest account of the runes' modern revival and contemporary practice
This is a serious, readable guide to a tradition that rewards patient engagement - written by someone who has been inside it for years and knows where the depth is.
Whether you are drawn to the runes by curiosity, by heritage, or by something you can't quite name, this is the place to start.
