The Rune Series: ANSUZ (God)
The Runes of this series belong to the Elder Futhark, one of the oldest alphabets in recorded history. Each Rune has endless interpretations and deep meanings; while their origin and/or intent is lost to history, most interpretations come from the ‘Rune Poems’, possibly written around the 8th century. This series will explore the Runes through a personal journey and interpretation of them, alongside knowledge collected from written works, such as ‘The Book of Runes’ (R.Blum, 1982), and the intricately crafted website ‘Runesecrets.com’ by Tyrael, to whom I give thanks. Another useful source is ‘RuneLore’ (Edred Thorsson, 1988).
Greetings Dear Reader,
Welcome back to the Rune Series where we explore the ancient Runes through a psychological, practical, spiritual and philosophical lens.
You can check out the rest of this series below:
Before we begin I’d like to state that I write and offer this article in tribute to Odin, the Allfather, the Wise One. A sacrifice of time and skill in the name of knowledge.
Rune Series 4/24
First Row (Aett): Ansuz
Meaning: ‘Odin’, ‘Breath’
Associated English letter: A
The fourth Rune is known as the Rune of Odin, king of the Aesir and primary God of the Norse pantheon. Ansuz is the culmination of the journey explored in the three previous runes. Thor has defeated the forces of the unconscious and order has been established alongside the dominion of the Gods.
Óðinn, the Allfather
The mythological story of the Runes is intrinsically linked to the story of Odin himself, especially the fascinating tale of their discovery. The Runes are Odin’s gift to mankind. According to the Hávamál (‘Words of the High One’ — a collection of old Norse poems), Odin tells the story of his self-sacrifice, hanging from the branches of the cosmic tree Yggdrassil:
“I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights,
wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,
myself to myself,
on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run.
No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn,
downwards I peered; I took up the runes, screaming I took them,
then I fell back from there.”
Odin pierced himself with his own spear and hung from the sacred tree for nine nights, until he eventually looked down towards the roots of the tree and glimpsed the Runes. It is said that Yggdrasil has three main roots, each leading to a different realm; one leads to Ginnungagap, the eternal cosmic void we’ve already looked at with the previous Runes. It is implied that the Runes originate in this void and are thus older than Creation itself (this will be further elaborated on with PERTHRO).
Odin is often portrayed as a seeker of knowledge and a wise God. Unlike Thor, who is content to bash the forces of the void with his hammer, Odin understands the power of knowledge and the self-sacrifice required to obtain it. In another famous story, he gives his eye in tribute to an ancient being known as Mimir, in exchange for a drink from his magical Well of knowledge. Odin paid the price for enhanced perception.
How to use ANSUZ
Consider the power of words.
“God is the origin of all language
wisdom’s foundation and wise man’s comfort
and to every hero blessing and hope.”(Rune Poem of Ansuz, translated by S.Pollington, 2008)
Based on the flickers of knowledge that have reached us across the centuries, we can make the assumption that the Runes are a mix of words and magick . The word ‘rune’ may indeed, point to the words for ‘letter’ and ‘mystery/secret’. Their mythological importance is clear from the story of Odin’s sacrifice — that the leader of the Aesir had to go through such torment to obtain them, is indicative of a power beyond that of the Gods. However, let’s remember another power that is so prevalent in our everyday life that we easily forget about it: the power of words.
Words define reality. Everything we see in our world is limited and defined by language. Our minds use language to identify and contextualise all phenomena of life, giving meaning to all things. But words can also easily become our prison. Powered by belief, we use words to either free or trap ourselves.
Consider the words you use to describe yourself on a daily basis. What words do you use to describe emotions (Energy-in-Motion)? For example, you feel a pressure or weight in the pit of your stomach and the mind labels it as ‘anxiety’. Suddenly, anxiety now has a whole narrative to back up its existence and bring out the meaning of its presence. And now you’re anxious. Now, I realise I am greatly simplifying this concept and there can certainly be more to anxiety than just a word, but I’d like to invite you to pay attention to the language your mind uses automatically when it speaks about the world and your place in it.
Consider the word ‘Spell’ as in ‘magic spell’ — to Spell is to create a Word. Odin is the God of Magic and Words. Through the knowledge of the Runes, he is king of all other Gods and, in some way, he is king over orderly reality that has been built over the chaotic, unpredictable forces of the unconscious. He establishes order through the power of words. Ansuz reveals that power, reminding you to take charge of your own reality, your own mind.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
Even in the Bible, it is said, God is Logos (Word) because God is the original Word that defines Creation. As the Biblical God is, among many other things, an anthropomorphic representation of the linear orderly Mind, it can be seen that Mind creates both Heaven and Hell, and mankind is given the choice of which to inhabit. You will find many more such references across other mythologies, such as in the Bhagavad Gita (‘The Song/Word of God’). Look for the importance of Divine Word across all religions and you will likely find it.
Conclusion
Odin is a fascinating character who only becomes more fascinating the more one explores all the realms of his dominion: knowledge, magick, poetry, war, etc. In addition, I recommend the Reader to explore this page over at Runesecrets, for a more in-depth look at the meaning of Ansuz through the concept of communication, breath, poetry and ancestral power.
Our journey continues, quite literally, with the next Rune.
Blessings.
