Runes For Beginners

Runes are symbols and/or alphabets that date back to ancient Germanic history, specifically Norse mythology. Let us start this book with the legendary story behind the origins of runes and runic alphabets.



According to Norse mythology, everything in this world starts with a gigantic ash tree called Yggdrasil (Tree of Life) situated at the center of the universe. This ash is a sacred tree that contains all nine Norse realms. The realms are spread across this tree, including its branches, roots, trunk, etc.Underneath the Yggdrasil lies the Well of Fate, a bottomless pool. The Norns (three female spirits) reside here and are responsible for watering the roots of the Tree of Life with the water from the Well of Fate. The Norns were three sisters named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.