Ar-Kan Rune-Lag

Ar-Kan Rune-Lag

Friday 19 October 2018

The Ar-Kan Runic System

I have noticed that when studying the rune-workers who used the Armanen Runes, which were formulated by the Armanen Master - Guido von List - there have been changes made which show rune-shapes that do not fit the original 'Mother-Rune' - the Hagal-Rune which becomes the 'Hag-All' or 'All-Hag'. Obviously, although being such a small change in shape, this does not fit the original, nor the original work of von List. Many Armanen Initiates followed the Listian ideas, and added their own ideas, which is fine, but changing the rune-shapes or rune-names distorts the original work. This we have to avoid within the Ar-Kan Runes, something that I am going to work on now. We already have 33 rune-staves which are standard, but which will need small changes, and we have alternatives for some of the runes which makes things clearer. These alternatives are used to aid the process of finding the meanings, but are not there to replace a certain rune-stave. This also goes for the rune-sounds, although I have as yet not fully worked on these, but this will be done so that we have a standard set of rune-sounds, even if we have to have a specific set used for gealdor, since when sounding runes two syllables always seems to work better than one. 

We are in the early stages of developing the Ar-Kan Runes and to do so without having distortion enter this system in the future there has to be a standard set of runes and sounds from which to work with. No, this does not mean we enforce a rigid code onto anyone who uses them for there has to be some flexibility, what it does mean is that we wish to avoid distortion and changes that would unbalance the system altogether. We need a standard to work with, one that others may use and develop new ideas. 

Feoh - Ur - Thorn - Os - Rad - Ken - Gyfu - Wyn

Haegl - Nyd - Is - Ger - Eoh - Peorth - Eolhs - Sig-el

Tir - Beorc - Eh - Man - Lagu - Ing - Daeg - Edhel

Ac - AEsc - Yr - Ior - Ear - Cweorth - Calc - Stan 

Gar

These are the Old English rune-names which have suited us so far, and we shall use these, and the rune-staves that go with them, as the basic names for the 33 runes. For gealdor we shall devise root-sounds that stem from our own Proto-Germanic Roots. There are certain runes that need clarifying -

Ken - this is spelled with a 'K' so as to ensure it is pronounced with a hard sound, whereas 'C' can be hard or soft. 

Ger - this would have been a 'soft' sound for 'G' and more like 'year'.

Eolhs - the Old English Runes have Eolhs-Secg, the second word meaning 'to cut' but since we have the Elhaz form in the Elder Futhark I feel it best suited to use this form.

Sig-el - this I have split into two sounds 'Sig' and 'El'; the alternative Sowilo would be used for 'soul' or 'soul-travel' and also for the Sun.


The first three AEttir have staves similar to the Elder Futhark with only minor changes made -

Os - this stave replaces the Ansuz-Rune, the latter rune-stave becoming the AEsc-Rune in the Fourth AEttir. 






This rune, in many ancient works, forms the basis of a 'Royal Stance' holding a Rod of Authority and a Ring of Power. Since the Roots *os and *as can both refer to a 'pillar' and seem to be interchangeable they refer to 'kingship' and the 'Prince of Asgard' (Woden). Ansuz refers to the 'Ancestral God' - Woden. We shall cover the AEsc-Rune later.

Haegl - This has two cross-staves rather than the one in the Elder Futhark.




Ger - This is a different stave altogether than in the Elder Futhark as shown below -





Daeg - This is similar to the Elder Futhark Dagaz but with the outer staves longer. Unfortunately, I could find no rune-shape for this one but will upload one as soon as I can find one.

The Fourth AEttir.

These staves are uniquely English so we need to deal with these individually, there are eight runes plus the Gar-Rune which forms the Sacred Centre or Spear of Woden.

Ac - 








AEsc -




Yr -



Ior -






Ear - 


Unfortunately, one again I could not find a rune-stave for this one that shows the one we use; this is the CWEORTH-RUNE as we use it, and the Ear-Rune has two 'hands' (short staves) on the ends of the 'arms'. See the copy of the manuscript at the end of this part for the true shape we use.

Calc -



Stan - 





Gar - 







Old English Rune-Poem


What should be noticed about the OE Rune-Poem is that they are written on parchment with ink, and thus rounded off which was not the way the original runes were written. The following should also be noted -

Ken - the arm faces downwards, and because this and another Old English Runic Manuscript both use it we shall use this one as standard with the other variations being there to use where necessary. 

Haegl - This is an interesting one since there are three different shapes that are used here; we use the double cross-stave version in the Rune-Row, but the Elder Futhark version can be used as well as the Younger Futhark version, which is the 'Snowflake' pattern. 

Peorth - We use the Elder Futhark version and not the one here.

Daeg-Edhel - Here the Edhel-Daeg formation is used in the Rune-Row. The Daeg-Rune can be seen here in the version we shall use.

Ear/Cweorth - You can see the difference in the manuscript, where the Ear-Rune has two 'hands'. 

Stan - We shall use the version shown in the manuscript.

Gar - The arms are straight and not curved as in the written manuscript.

Note - By the phrase 'Rune-Row' this refers to the Ar-Kan Rune-Row which is the basic form for this system. Variations can, and will, be used for formula, visualisation and meditation. 






The above is another runic manuscript bearing English Runes; there are points to notice here since these differ slightly to the other manuscript -

Peorth is the Elder Futhark version which suggests that we would be right in using this one.

Yr - This is an interesting one since the version written here is the Ur-Glyphic Yr-Rune. This contains a 'mountain' (Sacred Mountain) and a Tree within, and when the 'trunk' of the tree is removed it makes an 'Ang-Rune' which was, according to a Rune-Magician I knew some years ago - the 'Royal Lines of Anglia'. This version would be the same really, since the 'Tree' has a trunk (Wolsunga) and two branches (Wulfinga & Heardingas). 

There are only 29 runes here and the last four runes are absent: this could suggest they were added, and no doubt some scholars would follow this line. However, since the 33-Runes are Northumbrian, and more precise Anglo-Frisian used in Frisia too, it may well be that the Frisian Runes contained further mysteries - The Mysteries of the Graal. The last five runes are not in the same order.

On the bottom left seems to be a very unclear rune looking like a version of the Gar-Rune; if this is so then it does not have an X-cross but what looks like the Northumbrian version with the 'arms' straightened. Since Guido von List saw the Gibo (Gyfu) Rune as hiding the true symbol - the Swastika - we seem here to have a similar case but where a Sunwise-Widdershins Fylfot is drawn into the same symbol. A movement in two directions is suggested.


What needs to be emphasised here is that the Ar-Kan Runes must have some form of standard, some basic form to work from, and a form that is unique and suited to our work. This is not a rune-row of the past, it is a rune-row of the present - for the future. This is not a rune-row that the individual can alter to suit his own needs, this is suited to the needs of Woden's Folk and Folkish Wodenism. We hope others will take it up seriously, and maybe find new mysteries for these symbols, but we have to steer clear of distorting the original teachings. The individual can use different versions for his/her own use, but these are the standard stave and the standard sounds that form the core of this. Alternative staves, and alternative sounds will be used, such as in gealdor, but we need something to base this on. 

There is another important point here, and that is the order of the runes and the rune-shapes are suited to the work of the Ar-Kan Rune-Lag and are it is essential that the right ones are used. Take for example the Ear-Cweorth Runes, where Ear is 'Earth-Grave' meaning The Way of the Ancestors, and Cweorth is Fire-Twirl meaning The Way of the Gods. The former implies reincarnation into the tribe/clan, whereas the latter infers the Warrior-Hero going to Valhalla where he continues his training in order to be reborn again at will in order to continue the Eternal Struggle against the Forces of Darkness and Chaos. The 'binding' on the arms of Ear symbolises the 'binding' to Earth', whereas through the Ritual Fire the Soul of the Warrior-Hero is released and he goes the Way of the Gods - to Valhalla. 

This is actually borne out when we compare the Cweorth-Rune with the Ogham Quert, the latter being the 'Apple Tree'. The 'Island of Apples', of course, is Avalon (A-Val-On) which is where 'King Arthur' (the Archetypal 'Once and Future King') is taken on death. Avalon is the same as Valhalla (Val-Halla) and the apples are not only symbols of regeneration, but also symbols of Immortality or The Way of the Gods. This has been incorporated into this unique runic system which is why it is so important to have a standard to stop future distortion. 



The Stan Rune (Alternative)


It was my intention to use this particular rune-stave for Stan, but it came to mind that this one has a particular meaning hidden within the stave - Stone of Ing. We shall thus use this version as Stan - Stone of Ing referring to the Sacred Stone at Steyning. An Odinist suggested that the Stan-Rune refers to the White Horse Stone, and this should not be ruled out, but this version would thus refer to the Holy White Stone of Ing, thus linking the two versions and the two stones. Again, we can see how these particular rune-staves fit exactly with the work being done within the Ar-Kan Rune-Lag. 

In saying this it must be remembered that the Ar-Kan Rune-Lag is the basis of the Woden Folk-Religion and it forms the Mystery Teachings of the WF-R, so it is unique to us. Why do we need something unique? Because we are the only Wotanist, Odinist or Wodenist organisation or movement to recognise the new Age of Ing as the 'Age of Heroes' that heralds the coming of Wid-Ar, the Last Avatar and Resurrection of Woden. Others before have recognised this coming, but we differ in seeing this happening here in England, and we fully recognise the need for a new Aryan Archetype in the figure of the Warrior-Hero - Wid-Ar. And we are unique in seeing Woden as the most Ancient Wolf-God that has actually come down to us through one of our own Folk-Heroes - Robin Hood. 




We should remember that the 33-Runes compare to the Human Spinal Column and the 24 vertebrae, 5 fused in the Sacrum, and 4 fused in the coccyx. It is noticeable that the second manuscript, leaving out the last 4 runes, thus leaves out the Four Hallows and the Graal Runes - the coccyx or 'tail' of the Rune-Row. This 'tail' may represent the sleeping Fire-Serpent which, when awoken, moves upwards along the Spinal Column (Serpent-Pillar) to the Third Eye which is then awoken. 

The Gar-Rune comes at the very bottom of the row, and in itself could represent the Fire-Serpent - 'Gift of Ingwe'. Moving upwards along the column the Feoh-Rune would be at the top of the spinal column; there the 'snake' must move over the head (as in the Sutton Hoo Mask) until it reaches the Third Eye. Thus, the Gar-Rune could also represent the Third Eye, being The First & The Last or The Beginning & The End. The Gar-Rune is outside the Four AEttir. 

The 33-Runes are also most important because -

  • There are nine extra runes - the Sacred Number 9.
  • The runes Ac-AEsc-Yr-Ior-Ear compare to the Sacrum; the runes Cweorth-Calc-Stan-Gar compare to the Coccyx - 5 + 4 = The Sacred Number 9.

Sacrum & Coccyx


This is a 'spade' shape. 'spearhead' shape, or a 'triangular' shape according to different views. The area has 'occult' significance but the exact meaning seems not to have been stated. Since the 33 runes go from the top to the bottom this fits with the idea that the World Tree is inverted or upside down. The Spear of Woden points downwards








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