What are runes?
(Wikipedia)
The word rune means hidden or mysterious.
What are runes and what can you do with them?
The Runic script (Runes for short) is the oldest known script used by the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Iceland from the second or third century.
It consists of letters composed of mostly straight and angular lines that can easily be scratched into, for example, stone or wood.
There are many different versions of runes that you will come across when you read more about the runes. This is largely due to the history, travel and adaptation of the runes through different societies and cultures as they traveled across Europe.
History tells us that the runes have moved through merchants, travelers and warriors. A person can encounter and learn the runes of one society and then bring that knowledge in their travels to a new society.
Since each society can have different phonetic sounds in their vocabulary, the runes would take on new sounds, shapes, and meanings. For the most part, you'll find that the meanings and sounds didn't change that much. Similarities can be found between many sets. Traditionally, the use of runes has been linked to mysticism.
The runes teach you to see the coherence of life and of yourself, they teach you to make contact with your subconscious, so that this may come more into your consciousness and you can transform into a new movement. One cannot exist without the other.
The runic script may have been derived from the Latin alphabet. It originally comprised 24 characters with a magical meaning attached to it. There are different types of rune scripts. each period and each region has its own rune series.
Various runic inscriptions have been found in the Netherlands, especially in Friesland. These inscriptions are often very short, with only a name or a word.
Runes have been used since the second century to heal humans and animals, influence the weather and gain protection.
They were also engraved on swords to empower the warlord and worn on amu-lets to attract love, prosperity, and good luck. Runes used to be literally thrown at those to ask for advice.
They are the bridge between the consciousness and the subconscious of the questioner.
Another custom is to sing the names or sounds of the runes, this is called GALDR. By singing the sounds of the runes one can invoke magical powers.
According to Wikipedia: Galdr was the term for magic chants in the pre-Christian primordial Nordic culture of Celts and Germans until the Middle Ages. They usually involved certain rituals.
Galdr was used by both women and men and they sang it in falsetto (it is a way of singing where high notes are reached, head voice). The volvas were priestesses who could bring out Galdrs.
VÖLVA DE VIKINGHEKS OF SEERESS
A Völva, or as pronounced in Old Norse a Vǫlva (in Danish a "Vølve"), is what we would call a Seeress in English. You could compare it to someone who practiced shamanism or witchcraft. So a Völva is a Scandinavian version of a shaman or witch who practiced magic. The Völva in the Viking era were the predecessors of the medieval witches, so you could say they were witches before it got cool. A Völva is not something that only dates back to the Viking age, a Völva is in fact very old and their roots go back more than 2,000 - 3,000 years.
WHAT IS A VÖLVA?
A Völva was a Viking-era woman who practiced magic, known as Seidr (in ancient Norse seiðr), the word Seidr literally means "to bind". A Völva often had a very special role in society and often had close ties with the leaders of her clan. You could call a Völva / Vǫlva a spiritual leader or healer in Nordic society. A man could also practice seidr, and he would be known as a Seer, but that was very rare.
Video of Völva the Viking Witch or Seeress - Nordic Culture
https://skjalden.com/volva-the-viking-witch-or-seeress
Völva or volva, wolwa (also vala or veleta and sometimes equated with Spákona) is a term from the prehistoric culture of Celts and Germans and referred to a shamanic visionary in pagan society from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. She is often referred to in Nordic mythology. The seer was usually called veleta by the Celts or Gauls.
As a seer, the völva (veleta) was a shamanka who sang songs in a trance, cast spells and predicted the fate of those present. It could explain both the past and the future.
The völva was considered fjölkunnig (popular, 'skilled in much'), [1] which means that, in addition to possessing other knowledge and skills, she was powerful in the arts of seiðr and spá as well as those of galdr.
Such visionaries / priestesses are first described in Roman accounts of the Cimbri. It states that they were engaged in the sacrifice of prisoners of war.
Julius Caesar mentions in his De Bello Gallico that Germanic visionaries chose the moment for battle and Tacitus also refers to such influential women and in particular to Veleda. Furthermore, Gothic priestesses are mentioned by Jordanes and the Lombard historian Paulus Diaconus. Archaeological excavations confirm that these were prominent women of high esteem.