Horns of Gallehus

The Runic-Horn

The first thing that we notice are that the runes are of the Common Germanic Futhark, and since most scholars agree that these runes were the work of English Tribes living in this area these are the runes used by the English at that time and in that area. However, as we shall see on the other horn, the rune-postures show at least one rune that is not in the CGF but which can be found in the Anglo-Frisian Rune-Row. 

In this upper section of the Runic-Horn we find two horned figures, one bears a spear and a noose, the other a scythe and a short staff. There are also two warriors, one on each side, each bearing a sword and a shield. The horned figures seem to suggest a hunting scene and a harvest scene. The stag may be the object of the hunting scene. It should be noted that the dotted figures are spiritual animals which is most likely why they are shown as dotted and not as the normal figures. This hunt, as we shall see, was possibly more of a Ritual Hunt designed to give blot (blood) to the gods before an undertaking by the tribe. 

I am going to suggest that the figure with the Spear and the Noose is that of Woden - Spear-God and God of the Hanged. The figure with the Scythe and the Staff is that of Ingwe who shows here the characteristics found on certain renderings of the constellation of Bootes, and Ingwe is a Wanir-God of the Harvest (Sheaf-Ing). These two here represent a version of the Divine Twins. The stag in the centre is symbolic of the High-God - the King - and also of the god Tiw or Irmin, and this shows the divinity of the twin-figures. The two wolves (dogs) can also represent the Wolves of Woden, but also the two wolves found below Bootes in the northern skies. The 'otherworldly' animals above may be swine or boar, associated with Ingwe-Frey. 

Above the warrior on the left is a eight-pointed star which is a symbol used of Venus (Freya) as the Morning Star. Above the figure on the right is a twelve-pointed star which to me suggests the Sun. We have here symbols of Venus which heralds the dawn and the rising sun in the morning - the time associated with the Divine Twins in this particular role. The fish on the far right suggests the sea, and the Rising Sun which appears to come out of the sea at dawn. 

The Twin-Warriors on each side may well be the incarnations of the Twin-Gods as Hengest and Horsa. This is the Dawn-Time of a new world era and a New Order, and Ingwe is also (through the Wanir) associated with the Morning Star (Venus) and thus the Dawn Time. In a sense this is, like Cerdic & Cynric, also an aspect of the Divine Twins, the Father-Son aspect of this Divine Mystery. 

The second panel is much easier to figure out since the three-headed figure holding an axe and a goat is most likely Thunor, the Thunder-God. As I have shown under the Thorn-Rune in the Runic Meanings section, Thunor is named Third which is probably why he is here shown with three heads. Next to him is his age-old enemy the Serpent of Evil which is shown here with three 'tails' (rather than the usual three heads). This, as I have shown before, is linked to the Aryan Cattle-Raid Myth. 

On the third panel we see to the left twin-warriors making a form of 'cross'; it would seem obvious to equate these two with the Divine Twins. There is also a horsman, a stag, a serpent that seems to be swallowing (or perhaps giving out) a small figure, a 'centaur' and a twin-headed 'dog' or maybe wolf. The last figure may be twin-horses or even twin-wolves, both of which suggest the Divine Twins again. 

Here we have another figure holding a 'scythe', with a horse to his right, held by its reins. To the right are (again) two wolves (dogs), which again suggests the Wolf-Twins. The figure with the scythe thus suggests Ingwe or Ing. What should be noted about this figure, that of the Divine Twins and the twin horned figures is that they are all shown in the Ear-Rune/Cweorth-Rune posture. 

The bottom panel shows a 'dancing' figure on the left, a figure holding a bowed piece of wood behind his back, a bowman, and what looks like a bear-skin with some form of helmet above it. The latter suggests the Berserker or Bear-Sark and this seems to suggest some form of cultic ritual - again linked to the Germanic Mannerbunde. This will become clearer as we go on. This 'bear-skin' figure has a shape similar to the Anglo-Saxon Ken-Rune with a stave across it, making a cross over the inverted v-shape. This is the same as the marking on the Stone of Ing. 

Throughout this horn we find symbols of otherworldly-fishes which suggest the sea and also the sea-voyage by the war-bands. We have also the Berserker symbolism which is definitely associated with the Mannerbunde and the Heri or war-band that led the tribe in the battles they undertook. We also have a number of horses and horse-gods which seems strange in view of the fact we are told that the English did not use the horse at the much later Battle of Hastings - a reason why the Normans were said to have beaten them. It seems rather obvious here that the horse was certainly an animal of the war-band, and since the Saxons were likely Sakae (Scythians) in origin these were horse-tribes as is well known in history. 

We should also note that we have symbolic stags and serpents throughout the figures on these horns. Both the Stag and the Snake can be found in symbolism associated with an Erminsul in Dorset which the Xtian priests condemned the worship of at the time. Thus the Stag and Snake seem to have been associated with Irmin. 

The Posture-Horn

As I am going to show here this horn confirms my view that the horns were used as ritual horns (rather obvious) but I feel that these are connected to the Cultic Warrior Brotherhoods known as the Mannerbunde. We shall go through this horn, which I shall call the Posture-Horn, from top to bottom -

The top section contains eight figures in the Peorth-Rune shape, two figures in the Cweorth-Rune shape, and two figures in the Gyfu-Rune shape. The Peorth-Rune is significant because it is a posture that seems to be used when playing Taefl Board which is an ancient board game. There is a very comprehensive work by Kris Kershaw called 'The One-Eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-) Germanic Mannerbunde' which mentions a game from India associated with dice and with a dice called The Dog. If we look at the top row of this section we see two figures in this Peorth-posture, facing each other, with a dog between them in the same position. This is repeated in the next row but the figure on the left is holding what may be a side-on board-game, and the dog is on a lead held by the other figure. 

I don't see any point in mentioning parts that I am not worthy of making any sense of as yet, so I'll just go through the bits that I can see some sense in. In the second row a female holds a drinking-horn; this suggests to me that this forms part of a ritual - perhaps a form of Symbel and the horn-bearer is the Walkyrie of Veleda who bears the horn during this ritual drinking - as part of the Cultic Brotherhood known in the Germanic world as the Mannerbunde. 

On the next section we do have confirmation of what I am saying, since the figures here all seem to connect to this type of Cultic Brotherhood. On the left is a centaur and Kris Kershaw mentions the Gandharva which are centaur-creatures associated with the vratya which were Cultic Brotherhoods. Centaurs are the educators of Achilles in Greek Mythology. 

IN the same section  there are two wolf-headed figures (Ulfhednar), one who bears a club (Woden) and the other an axe (Thunor). The club was always symbolic of the Leader of the War-Band or Leader of the Mannerbunde. To the right of these are the Divine Twins again, in the same pose as on the other horn we have dealt with. At the bottom of this piece are twin coiled serpents in the form of dotted lines, showing they are 'otherworldly' beings, and again we could see them as the Divine Twins but this time in serpent form, like we get on the Caduceus of Mercury. Somewhere at the back of my mind I have an image of two Serpent-Twins that represent the North and South Poles. The Serpent-Current hinted at by the coiling dotted serpents may be forces working between the two poles. The 'ghostly' figure coming up from the energies at the bottom may represent an Ancestral Spirit since the Cultic Warrior aimed to become the Ancestors in their struggle to uphold Cosmic Order - this being the true role of the Mannerbunde. 

The next section shows what seems to be a dog and a wolf, and again a figure in the Ear-Rune/Cweorth-Rune position, but this time holding the club and the axe - joining the roles of the two gods together into one. The dog is the tame and domesticated wolf, whereas the wolf is the dog of the wild. Since the horns are deemed to have been the work of Angles from this area of what became Denmark then they were well aware of an axe-god, who the Frisians named Forseti. These seem to be very ancient symbols We can find the 'Club-God' here in England as the Herne Giant (Cerne Abbas Giant). 

On the next section we have serpents and otherworldly-serpents, together with another twin coiled serpents. In the centre are two figures holding a Taefl-Board under which is another dog-headed figure in the Peorth-Rune position. This seems to be part of the Cultic-Warrior Rites where a game-board with dice is used. The game-board seems to have been originally a ritual-game that involved the Cosmic Battle between Light and Darkness. 

In the next part we have two fleur-de-lys, one on each side of the section, two dogs or wolves facing a stylised head with stylised hair and beard, possibly representing Woden as the Leader of the War-Band - Woden Herian. The fleur-de-lys could represent kingship and aristocracy since this was symbolic of kingship amongst the Franks. The bottom section seems to show two dice which confirms the dice-throwing game which could have been Taefl. 

The two 'dice' at the bottom, one upright and the other turned over, seem to me to suggest what I have already said about the battle between Light and Darkness, which is fought both here on earth and also in the heavens. If this is so then it suggests that whoever created these horns knew full well the Wyrd that underlay their use - that of the undertaking of a Divine Mission to continue this Cosmic Struggle in another land - a land that would become known as England. This section also has twin-dogs joined together as one, one of these composite figures each side of the twin-dice. Again, this suggests the Divine Twins but this time as Wolf-Twins, and their importance in such a mission. It should be noted that in East Anglia - ruled by the Wuffingas/Wulfingas - Romulus and Remus were minted on certain coins and bracteates, and the Wuffingas claimed descent not only from Woden but from Cesar - Caesar. This hints that maybe the 'Sons of the Wolf' were claiming kinship to Romulus and Remus who were suckled by the Wolf. I have shown in an article in our magazines some years ago how the legend of Merovee, founder of the Merovingian Franks, shows remarkable resemblances to that of Romulus and Remus. I really think that we should give more credit to our forebears who kept full knowledge of their ancestry, lost today to all but what is left of a degenerate aristocracy and royalty. 

The whole theme of the two horns seems to centre around -

1. The Mannerbunde - these were an age-set associated with the razzia or 'raid' which was a war-band known as the heri and which were often led by the Divine Twins which led to the foundation of a new tribe and new homeland. 

2. The Divine Twins - these were the leaders of a war-band, as with Romulus and Remus and Hengest and Horsa, as well as Cerdic and Cynric, and other famous versions of this god-pairing. It is noteworthy that the Twin-Warriors carry swords since the Sword of Hengest was the symbolic weapon of the Wyrd of their Divine Mission, passed to Hengest from AEtla the Hun - Battle-Flame of the White Dragon. This was later known as Sigisbrand when it was wielded by Cerdic and Cynric, and is the Flaming Sword that will be wielded by the Coming Avatar. 

3. The two war-gods and Mannerbunde-Gods Woden & Thunor, also paired as Woden and Ingwe. In Old English Lore we also have Wudga and Hama who are yet another version of the Divine Twins. The pairing of Woden and Ingwe could well symbolise the fusion of the Asen and Wanen, since Ingwe is of the Wanen and Woden of the Asen. This could also be seen as the fusion of Irmin (High God of the Arya-Saxon) and Ingwe (High God of the Wanen). 

From all of this I am going to suggest that these ritual horns were created by the English (Angles) as Ritual Horns used to hold blot before a war-band left the homeland on a razzia - a 'raid' - that would take the young aethlinga-warriors over the seas to these islands under the guidance of the Divine Twins who are always associated with this type of Folk-Wandering. The English Tribes were led by Hengest and Horsa, the Horse Twins, and we know that these horns have numerous horses shown on them. Their mission was to aid their fellow Germanic Kinfolk already here in England against the growing power of the Forces of the Jotun. 

This also represents a fusion of the Engel and Saxon Nations into the English Nation, and the 'twinning' of Woden and Ingwe represents this fusion. We should also remember that Ingwe was the Lord of the Elves and the most ancient name of England was Albion which can not only mean White Island but also Isle of the Elves. The Engel-Saxon were returning to their ancient homeland! Albion is the Seventh Sword of Wayland which is today being reforged by the Initiates of Woden. 

The horns and the rituals that were performed with them would have been a magical act of protection (Divine Twins) for the warriors undertaking the mission, and also ensuring the victory of the war-band and their Divine Mission. The veleda shown with the drinking-horn would have foretold that victory and magically aided its success through the blot. 

The Taefl-Board Game would have served the purpose of foretelling the coming conflict between the Forces of Light (Gods through Man) and the Forces of Darkness (Jotun through the Anti-Man). This would be a Ritual Game played out on the 'grid' (Earth) just as the coming conflict was to be here in England. This was to become a reality with the razzia of Hengest and Horsa, then the movement of further Germanic Tribes into Britain, until finally the English Folk-Nation was created by King AEthelstan ('Noble Stone') wielding the Spear of Destiny which was the Spear of Woden.