The Norwegian Rune Poem
Sixteen terse two-line stanzas, each pairing a statement about the rune name with an apparently unrelated proverb. The second line is usually there for the rhyme, not the meaning.
- Language
- Old Norse
- Alphabet described
- Younger Futhark
- Date
- Probably 13th century
- Stanzas
- 16
- Manuscript
- The medieval original is lost; the text is known from 17th-century copies, principally those of Ole Worm.
About the text below
The full text
Fé vældr frænda róge; føðesk ulfr í skóge.
Wealth causes strife among kinsmen; the wolf is reared in the forest.
Úr er af illu jarne; opt løypr ræinn á hjarne.
Dross comes from bad iron; the reindeer often runs over the frozen crust.
The Norwegian poem takes úr as "slag, dross"; the Icelandic poem takes the same rune name as "drizzle". The Old English cognate ur is "aurochs". All three readings are old.
- 3ᚦÞursDictionary entry →
Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu; kátr værðr fár af illu.
The giant causes the sickness of women; few are made cheerful by misfortune.
- 4ᚬÓssDictionary entry →
Óss er flæstra færða fǫr; en skalpr er sværða.
The river-mouth is the way of most journeys; but the scabbard is that of swords.
Here óss means "river-mouth", not "god": the Norwegian poem has taken the homophone. The Icelandic poem, by contrast, keeps the god, and its kennings identify him as Óðinn.
- 5ᚱRæiðDictionary entry →
Ræið kveða rossom væsta; Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.
Riding is said to be worst for horses; Reginn forged the finest sword.
- 6ᚴKaunDictionary entry →
Kaun er barna bǫlvan; bǫl gørver nán fǫlvan.
A sore is the curse of children; affliction makes a corpse pale.
- 7ᚼHagallDictionary entry →
Hagall er kaldastr korna; Kristr skóp hæimenn forna.
Hail is the coldest of grains; Christ shaped the world of old.
A plain reminder that the rune poems are Christian-era texts, not pagan survivals.
- 8ᚾNauðrDictionary entry →
Nauðr gerer næppa koste; nøktan kælr í froste.
Need leaves little choice; the naked freeze in the frost.
Ís kǫllum brú bræiða; blindan þarf at læiða.
Ice we call a broad bridge; the blind man needs to be led.
- 10ᛅÁrDictionary entry →
Ár er gumna góðe; get ek at ǫrr var Fróðe.
A good year is a boon to people; I reckon Fróði was generous.
- 11ᛋSólDictionary entry →
Sól er landa ljóme; lúti ek helgum dóme.
The sun is the light of the lands; I bow to the holy judgement.
- 12ᛏTýrDictionary entry →
Týr er æinendr ása; opt værðr smiðr blása.
Týr is the one-handed one among the Æsir; the smith often has to blow.
- 13ᛒBjarkanDictionary entry →
Bjarkan er laufgrønstr líma; Loki bar flærða tíma.
The birch is the greenest-leaved of branches; Loki brought the fortune of deceit.
- 14ᛘMaðrDictionary entry →
Maðr er moldar auki; mikil er græip á hauki.
Man is an increase of the dust; great is the grip of the hawk.
- 15ᛚLǫgrDictionary entry →
Lǫgr er, fællr ór fjalle foss; en gull ero nosser.
Water is what falls from a mountain as a waterfall; but ornaments are made of gold.
- 16ᛦÝrDictionary entry →
Ýr er vetrgrønstr viða; vænt er, er brennr, at sviða.
The yew is the greenest of woods in winter; when it burns, there is apt to be singeing.