The Elder is just one of several groups of related symbol systems that take the name Futhark from their first six characters. This is a convention of modern scholars and translators. Their earliest incarnation predated the Norse peoples use of a written language. Though the shapes of many of the runes do suggest the influence of other early alphabets, such as the Northern Italic, unlike letters the runes at this time carried no phonetic value and were not used as an alphabet. They were sacred symbols believed to be of divine origin. It was only relatively late in their history that they were used as simple letters.

Our Rune jewelry and casting sets are reminders of that pivotal point in Man's history when he began to create abstract symbols to convey his ideas and to influence his world. The Runes are a bridge between the days of animal images painted on the walls of caves to invoke the power of those same creatures or call them to the hunter's spear and the letters of the written word that we use today for prayer, poetry, and shopping lists.

Runes were originally used as simple markings, magical symbols, and divinatory tools. They were believed to have the power to foresee the future, attract the favor of the gods, bring good luck, prevent misfortune, and ward off malevolent forces.

According to Norse mythology Odin, chief of the gods, willingly suffered many ordeals in order to acquire the first set of Runes. He hoped to use this hard won device as a means to glimpse the destiny of the gods thereby learning how to prevent Ragnorok - the death of the gods and destruction of the world.

Our Runes celebrate our connection to the past. They honor the rich cultural heritage preserved in the many colorful stories and legends of the stormy tempered gods who reside in Valhalla on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

We at The Enchanted Glyph hope our Rune jewelry and Casting Sets will inspire you to further investigation of the historical, mythological, and magical significance of the Runes. They carry our wish for your continued health and happiness.

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