Elder Futhark Runes and Meanings
All 24 runes of the oldest runic alphabet — each with its full meaning, upright and reversed, from Fehu's flowing wealth to Othala's lasting home.
The Elder Futhark is the oldest form of the runic alphabet, used across northern Europe from around 150 AD until it evolved into the Younger Futhark near 800 AD. Its name comes from the sound of its first six runes — F, U, Th, A, R, K — the way our “alphabet” comes from alpha and beta. Each rune worked triple duty: a letter for writing, a word in itself, and a symbol dense enough to be cast for divination. When you read runes today, you are using the symbol layer — 24 compressed ideas that have carried meaning for nearly two thousand years.
The runes below are ordered as the Futhark orders them, in three families of eight called aetts. Click any rune for its complete meaning — upright and reversed, in love and career, its yes/no answer, and the history carved into its shape. Or put them to work directly with a free rune reading.
The Elder Futhark Alphabet at a Glance
| Rune | Name | Sound | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ᚠ | Fehu | F | Cattle, wealth |
| ᚢ | Uruz | U | Aurochs (wild ox) |
| ᚦ | Thurisaz | TH | Giant, thorn |
| ᚨ | Ansuz | A | God (Odin), breath, message |
| ᚱ | Raidho | R | Ride, journey, wheel |
| ᚲ | Kenaz | K | Torch, beacon |
| ᚷ | Gebo | G | Gift, exchange |
| ᚹ | Wunjo | W/V | Joy, bliss |
| ᚺ | Hagalaz | H | Hail |
| ᚾ | Nauthiz | N | Need, necessity |
| ᛁ | Isa | I | Ice |
| ᛃ | Jera | J/Y | Year, harvest |
| ᛇ | Eihwaz | EI | Yew tree |
| ᛈ | Perthro | P | Lot-cup, mystery (contested) |
| ᛉ | Algiz | Z | Elk, protection |
| ᛊ | Sowilo | S | Sun |
| ᛏ | Tiwaz | T | The god Tyr |
| ᛒ | Berkano | B | Birch |
| ᛖ | Ehwaz | E | Horse |
| ᛗ | Mannaz | M | Human, humankind |
| ᛚ | Laguz | L | Water, lake |
| ᛜ | Ingwaz | NG | The god Ing (Freyr) |
| ᛞ | Dagaz | D | Day, dawn |
| ᛟ | Othala | O | Inheritance, ancestral home |
Freyr's Aett
Livelihood — wealth, strength, communication, and joy
1. Fehu · Cattle, wealth
Wealth that flows — abundance earned, kept in motion, and shared.
2. Uruz · Aurochs (wild ox)
Untamed strength — the wild vitality in you that no one gave and no one can take.
3. Thurisaz · Giant, thorn
The thorn — protective force, sharp warning, and the conflict that clears the air.
4. Ansuz · God (Odin), breath, message
The message rune — a word, sign, or insight arriving that changes what you know.
5. Raidho · Ride, journey, wheel
The journey rune — movement in the right direction, at the right rhythm.
6. Kenaz · Torch, beacon
The torch — creative fire, hard-won skill, and the light that reveals what was hidden.
7. Gebo · Gift, exchange
The gift — exchange in balance, partnership, and the bonds that generosity creates.
8. Wunjo · Joy, bliss
Joy after the journey — harmony, belonging, and the happiness that is shared to be real.
Heimdall's Aett
Ordeal — disruption, constraint, patience, and the return of light
9. Hagalaz · Hail
The hailstorm — sudden disruption you cannot control, clearing ground you could not clear yourself.
10. Nauthiz · Need, necessity
The need-fire — constraint, scarcity, and the strength that only friction can start.
11. Isa · Ice
Ice — everything paused, held, and preserved; a stillness to use rather than fight.
12. Jera · Year, harvest
The harvest — cycles completing, effort rewarded, everything arriving in its season.
13. Eihwaz · Yew tree
The yew — the evergreen axis between endings and beginnings; endurance that outlasts everything.
14. Perthro · Lot-cup, mystery (contested)
The lot-cup — fate in motion, secrets not yet revealed, and the dice still in the air.
15. Algiz · Elk, protection
The guardian rune — protection around you, instinct awake, a hand raised toward the divine.
16. Sowilo · Sun
The sun — victory, unstoppable vitality, and light that navigates you home.
Tyr's Aett
The human world — justice, growth, partnership, and legacy
17. Tiwaz · The god Tyr
The warrior’s arrow — justice, courage, and the willingness to pay for what is right.
18. Berkano · Birch
The birch — birth, gentle growth, and everything that flourishes when tended.
19. Ehwaz · Horse
The horse — trust between two beings moving as one; partnership that carries you further than legs.
20. Mannaz · Human, humankind
The human rune — yourself among others; community, cooperation, and the mirror other people hold.
21. Laguz · Water, lake
Water — intuition, the emotional deep, and the wisdom of moving with the current.
22. Ingwaz · The god Ing (Freyr)
The seed — energy stored and gestating; completion building quietly before its sudden release.
23. Dagaz · Day, dawn
The dawn — breakthrough, awakening, and the moment night becomes day.
24. Othala · Inheritance, ancestral home
The homestead — inheritance in every sense: home, roots, and what is truly yours to keep and pass on.
Upright and Reversed: How Rune Meanings Change
Fifteen of the 24 runes change meaning when they land inverted — read merkstave(“dark stick”), their energy shifts from flowing to blocked. Fehu upright is wealth arriving; reversed, wealth draining. Algiz upright is protection active; reversed, the guard down. A reversed rune is a diagnosis rather than a curse: it points at where energy is stuck so you can free it.
The remaining nine runes — Gebo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Sowilo, Ingwaz, and Dagaz — are symmetrical and read with their full meaning whichever way they fall. Every rune page above covers both orientations in detail.
See the Runes Answer Your Question
Reading about runes is one thing — watching three of them land on your own situation is another. Cast a free three-rune reading: past, present, and future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Elder Futhark runes?
The Elder Futhark is the oldest runic alphabet: 24 characters used by Germanic and Norse peoples from roughly 150 to 800 AD, named after the sound of its first six runes (F, U, Th, A, R, K). Each rune is a letter, a word, and a symbol at once — Fehu means the F-sound, cattle, and wealth.
What are the three aetts?
The 24 runes divide into three families of eight called aetts. Freyr's aett (runes 1-8) governs livelihood: wealth, strength, communication, and joy. Heimdall's aett (runes 9-16) governs ordeal: disruption, constraint, patience, and the return of light. Tyr's aett (runes 17-24) governs the human world: justice, growth, partnership, and legacy.
Which runes cannot be reversed?
Nine runes are visually symmetrical and read the same whichever way they land: Gebo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Sowilo, Ingwaz, and Dagaz. The other fifteen take on a blocked or shadowed meaning (called merkstave) when drawn reversed.
What is the luckiest rune?
Sowilo, the sun rune, is traditionally the most purely positive rune in the Futhark — victory, vitality, and light on the path. Wunjo (joy), Dagaz (breakthrough), and Fehu (wealth) are close behind. But rune workers note that “lucky” depends on the question: Isa (stillness) is a blessing when you need patience.
Get Weekly Tarot Guidance
One card to guide your week — tarot wisdom in your inbox every Sunday.