First Use of Rune Magic
by the The Witch In The Woods.
Also see this video by Norse Magic and Beliefs:
THE STORY OF EGIL SKALLAGRIMSSON (Egil's Saga)
(May 17, 2024) The first evidence of runes being used in magic is found in Egil's Saga (written ~1150 CE about events 200 years earlier ) so rune magic is not Druid but is more of a Christian occult practice used shortly after knowledge of the real use of runes for writing Akkadian was mostly lost. Akkadian itself would have been seen as some mysterious ancient magical language.
The story of Egil seems to have originated as a story about a clan's coming to Iceland after being outlawed by King Harald of Norway. It came to focus on one clan member who, when young, was a spoiled brat with a quick temper named Egil. Because of his rashness he had lots of adventures and went on many raids which were no doubt exaggerated in the retelling. He ended up for a while in the service of King Athelstan of England where he became a successful field commander. His remaining life was full of more adventures and quarrels over property. This story became popular (like King Arthur stories but more historical) and thus it became a framework for various other extensions (probably not really historical) related to the main story.
Dates of Events Mentioned in the Saga (All Dates are CE)
- 850. Birth of Harold Fairhair.
- 860. Harold Fairhair comes to the throne.
- 870. He becomes sole king of Norway.
- 870 (circa). Thorolf, being about twenty-four years old, goes to Harold. [xvii]
- 872. Battle of Hafrsfirth.
- 877. Death of Thorolf.
- 878. Skallagrim emigrates to Iceland.
- 886 (circa). Thorolf Skallagrimson born.
- 898-901 (circa). Egil born.
- 898-902. Bjorn's abduction of Thora, marriage, visit to Iceland.
- 903. Feast at Yngvar's. Thorolf and Bjorn go to Norway.
- 904-14. Thorof's freebootings. Among these is put Eric's expedition to Bjarmaland, but this probably was in 918.
- 906. Bjorn's second marriage.
- 906-15. Egil's childhood and boyhood in Iceland.
- 914. Thorolf returns to Iceland.
- 915. Thorolf goes to Norway with Egil; twelve years pass before Egil returns.
- 916-23. Freebootings of Thorolf and Egil.
- 923. Thorolf marries Asgerdr. Slaying of Bard.
- 924. Fight with Eyvind Skreyja. Thorolf and Egil go to England.
- 925. Battle of Vinheath, where Thorolf falls.
- 926. Egil goes to Norway. Marries Asgerdr next winter.
- 927. Returns to Iceland; is there several years, during which probably his oldest daughter is born.
- 933. He goes to Norway. Harold Fairhair dies. Egil has a suit with Bergonund; returns to Iceland. Skallagrim dies this winter.
- 935. Hacon now king in Norway. Eric is in Northumberland. Egil wrecked there. Höfudlausn. Egil with Athelstan.
- 937. He goes to Norway; fights with Atli; returns to Iceland.
- 938-50. Egil is in Iceland. He has five children in all.
- 940. Death of king Athelstan.
- 950 (circa). Eric falls in battle. Arinbjorn is back in Norway; Egil goes to him. [xviii]
- 951. They harry eastwards; Arinbjorn then joins Eric's sons. Egil next winter goes to Vermaland.
- 952-60. Marriages of Egil's step-daughter and daughters.
- 960. Bodvar's drowning. Sona-torrek.
- 961. Hacon's death.
- 962. Epic poem on Arinbjorn.
- 967 (circa). Thorstein's marriage.
- 973 (circa). Asgerdr dies. Egil retires to Mossfell. Thorstein lives at Borg.
- 975-8. Dispute between Thorstein and Steinar.
- 975. Earl Hacon becomes king. In his 'early days' Egil is past eighty.
- 983-8. Egil's death.
- 1000. Grim and Thorstein are baptized.
- 1143. Skapti priest. Egil's bones found.
Reference
Green, Rev. W.W. (1893) An Icelandic Family History of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries, Translated from the Icelandic. LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
Online at: https://sacred-texts.com/neu/egil/egil00.htm
Many modern Nordic Pagans use individual runes as magical correspondences despite no historical evidence for such use. This practice is not the same as writing out spells for which runes, like modern letters, were used.
Protective Rune Spells
(May 217, 2024) Here Egil writes a rune spell on a horn cup to test whether its contents were poisoness:
(Chapter 44) Bard bade him drink and stop that jeering. Egil drained every cup that came to him, drinking for Aulvir likewise. Then Bard went to the queen and told her there was a man there who put shame on them, for, howsoever much he drank, he still said he was thirsty. The queen and Bard then mixed the drink with poison, and bare it in. Bard consecrated the cup, then gave it to the ale-maid. She carried it to Egil, and bade him drink. Egil then drew his knife and pricked the palm of his hand. He took the horn, scratched runes thereon, and smeared blood in them. He sang:
- Write we runes around the horn,
- Redden all the spell with blood;
- Wise words choose I for the cup
- Wrought from branching horn of beast.
- Drink we then, as drink we will,
- Draught that cheerful bearer brings,
- Learn that health abides in ale,
- Holy ale that Bard hath bless'd.'
The horn burst asunder in the midst, and the drink was spilt on the straw below.
Reference
Green, Rev. W.W. (1893) An Icelandic Family History of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries, Translated from the Icelandic. LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
Many modern Nordic Pagans use individual runes as magical correspondences despite no historical evidence for such use. This practice is not the same as writing out spells for which runes, like modern letters, were used.
Healing Rune Spells
(May 17, 2024) This section of the text shows the power which rune spells were thought to hold. In this story someone wrote some runes not fully understanding what they said. Egil comes along and discovers them and he then proceeds to destroy them in a ritual manner. He then writes his own runic spell and effects a cure.
(Chapter 75) ... Egil saw that a woman lay sick on the daïs at the ends of the hall. He asked who was that woman in such sad case. Thorfinn said she was named Helga, and was his daughter; she had long been ill; her complaint was a pining sickness; she got no sleep at night, and was as one possessed.
'Has anything,' asked Egil, 'been tried for her ailment?''Runes have been graven,' said Thorfinn; 'a landowner's son hard by did this; and she is since much worse than before. But can you, Egil, do anything for such ailments?'Egil said: 'Maybe no harm will be done by my taking it in hand.'
And when Egil had finished his meal, he went where the woman lay and spoke with her. Then he bade them lift her from her place and lay clean clothes under her, and they did so. Next he searched the bed in which she had lain, and there he found a piece of whalebone whereon were runes. Egil read them, then cut the runes and scraped them off into the fire. He burned the whole piece of whalebone, and had the bed-clothes that she had used hung out to air. Then Egil sang:
- Runes none should grave ever
- Who knows not to read them;
- Of dark spell full many
- The meaning may miss.
- Ten spell-words writ wrongly
- On whale-bone were graven:
- Whence to leek-tending maiden,
- Long sorrow and pain.'
Egil then graved runes, and laid them under the bolster of the bed where the woman lay. She seemed as if she waked out of sleep, and said she now felt well, but she was weak. But her father and mother were overjoyed.
Reference
Green, Rev. W.W. (1893) An Icelandic Family History of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries, Translated from the Icelandic. LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
Bosa Saga of Herrauda - This Has Been Falsely Claimed To Be Early Evidence of Runes in Magic
1666 Edition of Bosa's Saga
This seems to be the earliest print edition of this text. It is now at the National and University Library of Iceland and was translated into Swedish by Olof Verelius (1618-1682)
Online at: https://archive.org/details/HerraudsochBosas000051054v0BosaReyk/page/n1/mode/2up?view=theater
Page Prior to the "Rune" Page
This page shows the original text on the left and that text's Swedish translation on the right.
Bósa saga ok Herrauds or Saga of Bósi and Herraud is a legendary saga, relating the fantastic adventures of the two companions Herraud (Old Norse Herrauðr) and Bósi. It is first attested in three manuscripts from the 15th century, AM 343 a 4to, AM 577 4to, and AM 586 4to.
A rather poor English translation can be found at: https://sacred-texts.com/neu/onp/onp15.htm#fr_11
The Page With the Supposed Runes
The claimed "runes" are actually listed as Latin derived letters at the top of the page: R.H.I.Q.M.M.D.D.D.D.D.M.M.S.S.S.S.S.S. C.
Consequently, these can't be used as evidence that these were actual spell runes.