Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle

by Paul Rhys Mountfort

A comprehensive and practical guide to the ancient oracle based on the runic alphabet of the Norse

• Reveals the symbolism and divinatory significance of the 24 rune "staves"

• Provides clear instructions on how to craft your own rune stones

• Explains the role of runes in the Norse wisdom tradition and its influence on such works as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

Nordic runes are a potent and profoundly transformative magic system that gives contemporary readers access to the ancient wisdom tradition of Northern European cultures. The runes have deep resonances within the pagan Norse world of gods and goddesses, giants, dwarves, warriors, and wizards, which have greatly influenced the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, among others. Norse tradition attributes the discovery of the runes to the "All-Father" Odin--a god of inspiration and secret wisdom and the mythical prototype for runecasters, who established the pattern for gaining his knowledge.

Nordic Runes addresses three major Runelore, the history of this 2000-year-old Norse oracle; Runestaves, the meaning of the individual runes of the Elder Futhark alphabet and their powerful mythological, magical, and practical lessons for daily life; and Runecasting, a comprehensive guide to the oracular application of the ancient runes, including their crafting, divination, and self-development. As Nordic Runes shows, the runes do more than simply reflect the path of fate; they help develop and enhance intuition. By learning to cast and interpret the runes, the user becomes receptive to the energy currents in material reality and empowered in the arts of its transformation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, Spirituality, Witchcraft, Divination, Paganism, Magick

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Paul Rhys Mountfort is a writer, researcher, and workshop leader specializing in oracles and the Celtic and Norse traditions. He is the author of Ogam: The Celtic Oracle of the Trees. Active in the contemporary pagan community, he lives with his partner and son on Waiheke Island, in the Hauraki Gulf of Auckland, New Zealand.

Reviews

[F.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book refreshingly serious and illuminating. The author delves into the wisdom tradition of the Norse runes in a historical, mythological and soulful way, as a vast, sophisticated tapestry of archetypal patterns mirrored in ancient Northern European thought. No New Age dust bunnies, here. Thoughtful, comprehensive and highly recommended.

[Brother Nero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on the runes I've ever read. The book gives a detailed description of the meaning of each rune based on Norse mythology as well as other traditional sources. I highly recommend It to anyone who is new to the runes. This book is an excellent balance of historical information and practical advice on how to use and interpret the runes. By the time you finish reading this book, you will feel much more comfortable with the runes and should be able to start working with them with some degree of confidence.

[Sheri Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book if you want to learn about runes, cast runes, and use runes magickally. I found this text to be exceptionally informative and gives background information about the runes as well as how to use them. The blending of this gives a perfect overall insight into runes and should be your go-to book when using this divinatory tool. Excellent.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, it's probably worth mentioning that I'm a complete beginner at this topic so this review is a reflection of that.

I found this to be very informative and there was a lot of helpful information in it, and my favorite section was probably the first section that discussed runelore and the mythological origins of the runestaves. The interpretation section gave me the impression that the author was more interested in discussing Northern mythologies than the runes themselves as the interpretations of the runes were shorter than the sections on the myths & legends that these interpretations came from (and he did this for every single rune.) I also think the runecasting section should have come before the interpretations, but I do appreciate that the end of the book has an index that gives the page numbers for each rune.

No doubt the author is knowledgeable, and I found the information accessible and thorough, though perhaps a bit meandering. This book may have put me right back on the fence about whether or not runecasting is something I'm interested in experimenting with myself, but that isn't a fault of how it's written at all and might even be considered a strength. I am also still interested in picking up Mountfort's books on Ogam after reading this, so.

[Mike van Holsteijn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Verwachtte een wetenschappelijk boek over Noorse runen, kreeg een vaag boek over waarzeggerij.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing resource! It’s so thorough and brilliantly written. I really enjoyed reading this!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the low bar on literary divination materials, I did not go into this with high expectations. Those expectations were, thankfully, quashed.

The practical aspect of the book is quite slim. The valuable part is the long and in depth primer on Norse Mythology, the runes and their place within the greater picture of Germanic culture. While Mountfort draws primarily on Scandinavian sources, he also examines each rune from Anglo Saxon perspectives, offering a diverse multi-directional take on what is so frequently reduced to a cheap rune set with a low effort pamphlet.

Read the whole thing. Seriously. It might seem unrelated, it might not be the 30 second tutorial you wanted, but you will come out of this book undoubtedly richer than you went in if you spend the extra time on the lore.

[TLuzceki A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate all the modern interpretations and applications, as well as the separation of mundane vs. psychological and spiritual interpretations of the runes. Other contemporary rune workers that I've read are all from the 60s and 70s, so this was a really refreshing twist! There was a bit less emphasis on magical workings, and more of a dive into history and other facets of the runes. There were also multiple explanations of runes and their intersection with white supremacy, which is something that I look for specifically. If an author doesn't immediately bring up germanic nationalism and its modern implications (there are maaaaaaany), then I don't really feel comfortable reading on.

[Lia P · Rating 3 out of 5]

First impressions, I absolutely like that it has lots of resources and even a list of other related books and notes. I like that it is detailed but not compacted all in one paragraph, very digestible to read. The author is more of a omnist which is prominent on the book and as well Germanic influences. It is a good note that some of the key meanings of the runes might not be the same or worded differently. But there is some out of pocket info and sentences that just don’t sit right. There is a lot of contradictions in the book itself. As well that the book has a essay format. At the end it is a battle between what you value of enjoyment vs information, you will either hate the book or not.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have a bunch of books on Runes like I do Tarot deliberately.. but I’m still book-ish lol. If you’re only going to get a book or two on Runes this is the one!! What makes it so good is that included are opinions from other scholarly sources, the author’s own feelings thus far about each Rune, and some guidance to get started casting for yourself. I’ve been extremely comforted by this book when I’ve been looking at what’s in front of me so if I can pay it forward to others on this path by letting you know this one is solid, I will.

[Luana Augusta Nebuloni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante excursus sul significato delle rune, sulla loro origine e anche sui metodi di lettura. Questo è il primo libro che leggo sull'argomento, quindi può essere che l'autore si sia preso qualche libertà d'interpretazione che io ignoro ma, sulle sue considerazioni, sono in linea di massima d'accordo. Quindi mi sento di consigliarlo a chi è interessato a scoprire le rune, anche da principiante.

[Jordean Cushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way Paul made sure this book was accurate and easy to understand. There is a lot of history and runelore included and I loved that the myths and legends behind the runes were included. The last part of the book gave so many different ways to interpret runes and ways to cast; along with examples of situations and readings that people had. 10/10 highly recommend especially for beginners.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful reference book, it goes into each Rune in great detail and then at the end (really the last quarter if not less of the book!) the author goes into how you can interpret different Rune Castings - to me this would work well with a companion book detailing how to cast and use this book for the information on the runes themselves.

[Marek Kędzierski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book would have lots of things about fortune-telling and "magic" that I'd have to skip. But it turns out the author kept a good distance from that stuff. The book is really smart and well-written. I mainly wanted to learn more about what runes mean, and that's mostly what the book is about.

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Interesting and clear explanations of old Germanic and Norse mythology, as well as the runes themselves. Useful and fun for meditation & introspection. Really well written and accessible book.

[James Arseno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read and much more appropriate for the neophute than Thorsson's "Futhark". Paul Rhys find a smooth, well delivered way to introduce us to the runes and correlated concepts, with great ease. A good choice for starters and intermediates.

[AL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me appreciate runes with more of a historical context than mere divination and self-help. The format of the text is a bit piecemeal and convoluted but the information is edited with a keen eye and deep knowledge. Has led to other sources and that is always of value.

[Taylor Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful beginner's guide to the runes. Not only did it provide in depth description and interpretation of runes and their murkstave, but gave easy to understand guidance for casting and interpreting spreads. My readings thus far have been insightful.

[Miranda Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great information, and an easy read.

[Nicole Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and very informative. Goes in-depth not only about rune meanings and how to use them but also the history and mythology of the craft.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great introduction to the runes. I really liked that he reviews and discusses other books on the runes and his opinions on them.

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wealth of information written in understandable language. Perfect for a beginner like me.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and easy to understand for beginners

[Matas Ramanauskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book if you want to learn about meanings of all runes (even myths that speak or use them). Also this book alone is enough to start casting runes on your own. It describes how to make them, spreads and everything else you need to know to get started.

[Lisa Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book, i use it to work with my runes. I cant say this is the best rune book yet because i have not read other books about runes. But so far so good.

[Tory Kolbjørnsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great analysis of the runes themselves but the divination portion didn’t resonate for me

[Cbphoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ll-researched and fair. He gives reasons for his opinions when they differ from others’. Lots of other resources listed in the back. I enjoyed his historic coverage of the origins of rune craft.

[Lisa Eirene · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, not a lot of new information.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book on understanding and using the runes- and I have read a lot! I especially liked the use of 'scenes' to depict the meaning of each rune, which makes them much easier to learn. Recommended for anyone interested in the runes

[Bequi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite rune book. It's nicely laid out with a lot of interesting and useful information. I've had my copy for about 10 years and it is well worn and dog-eared.