Runecasting with the Giantess

Ansuz is the name of the A-rune of the Elder Futhark, likely from the Neo-Etruscan letter A and the Phonecian "aleph." The futharks are unusual among world alphabets, in that the first letter is not the A-sound; in this case, A is the fourth letter. Ansuz, "deity," is the Proto-Germanic form of the word Æsir, the gods, or the land-gods as opposed to the sea-gods the Vanir present. In the Norwegian rune-poem, this letter is called "óss" (Old English "Ós," mouth) or sometimes "áss," the singular form of Æsir (fem. ásynja, pl. ásynjur).

This is the rune of Óðinn's mouth, the font of poetry, the source of runic lore, the mouth of the river upon which adventures are borne. Note the name "aldingautr" in the Icelandic language rune-poem: "aldi" old/aged + "Gautr," one of Óðinn's many names, carrying many meanings. It links Óðinn to the North Germanic Geats of Sweden, "man from Gautland," and it's also connected to the Proto-Germanic verb "to pour," just as Óðinn dispenses wisdom—indeed, think back to the story of when he stole the Mead of Poetry from the giant Suttungr, how Óðinn swallowed it all down to spit it back out when he fled to Asgard.

As usual, the rune-poems don't entirely agree with each other: to the Old Norwegian, Ansuz represents an estuary, a body of water enclosed by land, fed by several rivers. Most journeys begin with an estuary, surely as the sword is at home in a scabbard. The Icelandic version underscores Óðinn as god, ruler of Asgard and Valhalla. The Old English version simply extols the gift of speech and how well it may potentially be used. The Latin source is somewhat darker, hearkening to Óðinn's original formation from "the furious god of death," not that he was angry but that death is implacable. He is described as "ruler of the halls of the underworld," perhaps hearkening to the time when Óðinn was first aware of Loki, in a mysterious and vague underground realm. They knew of each other, though they may not have known who each other were, exactly, and this was well before they swore by blood to be considered brothers. The "Asgarthiae rex" line, king of Asgard, coupled with "Jupiter oddviti," Jupiter the chief, solidifies Óðinn's role as the All-Father.

Ansuz is invoked when eloquent speech is needed or magic is to be pronounced. Ansuz heralds messages coming to us, prophetic knowledge, and the rare spark of inspiration. “I am Ansuz, the mouth of the Æsir, messenger of the divine. Through me flows Odin’s breath and the living word. I guide poets, priests, and wanderers toward the wellspring of sacred speech.” In divination, Ansuz is useful to bear in mind as you open yourself to your own intuition, to the influence nature can bring to you, to moments of synchronicity, and to the messages in your own dreams. This is where we connect to the sacred, moving beyond what is printed in books and the dictates of our authorities, humbly opening ourselves to nature itself, sensing the rhythm and pulse of the living world to learn our place in it and connect with all living things. And amid this chaos, Ansuz brings clarity of thought, showing us the power of the words we use and how best to arrange them to foster connection with others. This is one of the runes of inspiration, opening yourself to messages from multiple sources, making connections and organizing them, and realizing something elusive once it all comes together. This rune represents a letter and a sound that usually fronts other alphabets, the resounding vowel with which God spoke Himself into being in many different faiths. In accounts like Sigrdrífumál, Óðinn was invoked through the rune Ansuz. Valkyries and vǫlvas alike used Ansuz in their runic spells to represent him and the Æsir.

It should be obvious, now, that Ansuz is used to commune with the divine, whether to receive the messages from all of Creation or to compose and express our own profound messages and wise counsel. Respect the help or harm that can come from the words we use; speak truly and name things by their true names.

Keywords: Communication, Communion, Truth, Honesty, Eloquence, Deity