The Rune Poems: A Reawakened Tradition
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The word rune literally means a “secret” or “mystery.” But how does one begin to unravel the mystery of the runes? One good place to start is the traditional rune poems, which are provided here in concise yet elegant—not to mention heavily annotated—translations: the Old English Rune Poem, the Old Norwegian Rune Rhyme, and the Old Icelandic Rune Poem, as well as the lesser known Abecedarium Nordmannicum and the Early Modern Swedish Rune Poem. These oddly compelling verses are a storehouse of gnomic wisdom and early Germanic cultural lore, and their purpose was surely more than just an aid for committing the runic alphabets to memory—as many modern scholars would have us believe. In his introduction, English poet P.D. Brown suggests that the poems were instead tools “to make the mind more generally agile, more adept at making connections, thinking ‘laterally’ and more imaginatively” about what the runes in fact are.
This is also the purpose of the twenty modern rune poems included in this volume, which have been composed over the past four decades by members of the Rune-Gild, an international order that includes scholars and storytellers, poets and artists, musicians and magicians. Like the rune poems of old, these modern compositions encapsulate years—and in many cases, decades—of close study and intense reflection. Traditional and innovative at the same time, and expressed in a myriad of styles, these new poems demonstrate that the runes are much more than an object of idle antiquarian curiosity. They are living mysteries whose depths—like the roots of the World Tree Yggdrasil—will never be fully fathomed.
P. D. Brown is an English poet, storyteller, and accomplished runestone carver. In the 1980s he started to rework traditional ghost stories, myths, legends, and the ancient history of Britain as tales for oral recitation to live audiences. More recently, his work has incorporated a keen observational delight in the natural wonders of the northern British countryside. He has performed on both sides of the Atlantic and has released five albums of narrative poems and stories, often with musical accompaniment: Fire & Ice, The Battle of the Trees, Three Tales of the Island of Britain, At Saga’s Stream, and Sword-Song and Swan Maidens. He is the author of a collection of stories, The Hidden Door, and two books of poetry: Dark Fruit of an Ash and A Crown of Runes.
Michael Moynihan is an author, translator, and editor. He holds a PhD in Germanic Philology with the dissertation “From Householder to War-Lord to Heavenly Hero: Naming God in the Early Continental Germanic Languages”(2017). His past work includes Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground (2003), written in collaboration with Didrik Søderlind, which is the basis for the 2018 motion picture Lords of Chaos directed by Jonas Åkerlund; and American Grotesque: The Life and Art of William Mortensen (2014), which he co-edited with Larry Lytle. He is also one of the editors of the book-format journal TYR: Myth—Culture—Tradition, established in 2002.
ASIN : B09SXJF8YG
Publisher : Independently published (February 20, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 280 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8410339742
Item Weight : 15.5 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.64 x 9 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book valuable, a scholarly masterpiece, and excellent for those interested in historical rune poems. They appreciate the proper treatment of historic relevance and say it gives them a better understanding and insight into the runes. Readers also praise the great visuals by Rudzinski, saying they’re beautifully executed drawings with enormous detail.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Karen M. Carlson –
Something Old, Something New
This book is a combination of historical and modern rune poems.The first part is a new, scholarly translation of the historical rune poems. It includes not only the frequently translated Old English, Old Norwegian, and Old Icelandic rune poems and the brief Abecedarium Nordmannicum, but also the Early Modern Swedish Rune Poem. The last is generally not included in collections of the historical rune poems, and makes this compendium especially valuable. The translations are by Germanic philologist Dr. Michael Moynihan. He has managed to render the medieval poems accurately while also turning them into good English poetry, thus giving the reader a real feel for their sense. The poems are given in the original languages as well as modern English translation, and each is accompanied by an introduction and scholarly notes.The second part of the book is devoted to modern work, all by highly talented people, many of whom have dedicated decades to the study of runes and/or related esoterica as well as other artistic and/or scholarly pursuits. Most are in modern English. A few are in other modern languages, and are given in the original and translated into English, all but one by their authors. The exception is the poem in German, which was translated by Dr. Moynihan. Here he has deviated more from the original text than he does with the medieval poems, keeping the general sense of the German while creating a parallel piece of polished English poetry. There is also a modern poem written in Old Saxon by Dr. Scott Shell, who also provides its modern English translation. This is a dedicated scholarâs work to reimagine what might have been composed over a thousand years ago.In addition to the literary work, there is a visual rune poem â a collection of 24 beautifully executed drawings (actually wood burnings) with enormous detail, in which the viewer can find layers of meaning.This is not a beginnerâs book on runes. It is an excellent collection for those interested in the historical rune poems, and especially for those who aspire to use the runes for inspiration. It well shows how the runic tradition can be reawakened and used in our own time.
Mathew Collins –
I couldn’t be more excited to own a copy of this book
I will come back to update this later, as I’ve just obtained my copy. However, I can already tell you from reading the tiny bit that I have, well let’s put it this way. If you like Vikings, runes, magic, or poetry, you should definitely pick this copy up. The artwork alone is well worth the purchase, an image you will want to gaze upon as often as possible. Spoiler alert: there is even a little more artwork inside. If ever Harry Potter was a real thing, this book would belong in Hogwarts. For anyone with some semblance of imagination, prepare yourself to be whisked away by absolutely spell-binding poetry. Each one I have read so far gets me giddy as a schoolgirl, whirring my innermost imaginations to life, as if I had never read a rune poem before. Yet, there is the proper treatment of historic relevance attached to the book also, which would suit anyone who has a tending toward the traditional side of things. A timeless relic to be eternally cherished. I haven’t had time to properly sit down and read through the entirety of its contents, but I can’t help myself from constantly sneaking a random read here and there.
Sharon ALLGEIER –
New insight to old poems
Reading these amazing “updates and fresh perspectives” on the rune poems by The Rune Gild has given me a better understanding and insight to the runes.
Hunter Yoder –
No bottom to The depth of rune poems
A good book to read everyday. The contemporary ones stand up very well besides what we have from the past. A scholarly masterpiece by Brown and Moynihan. Great visuals by Rudzinski.
Lothar Tuppan –
Beautiful, Informative, Excellent
This book is a welcome addition to the libraries of anyone interested in the historical rune-poems, anyone interested in how the old poetic forms can inspire through the ages, or anyone who would like to learn more about the various Germanic poetic styles.In the first part, the opening essay by P.D. Brown is a fantastic primer on the historical styles and their cultural context and the translations and annotations by Michael Moynihan are detailed and excellent. This should be of great interest for both scholars and lay fans of the historical rune-poems.The second part is not only instructive (in providing examples of how modern rune-poems in various styles can be composed) but also inspiring in showing how a tradition can be kept alive while also still fully understanding the historical foundations it stands upon.
Toby Chappell –
The essence of a living tradition
This is a treasure trove of scholarly info (the new translations and commentary of the older poems) blended with a variety of fascinating new looks at runelore through the newer poems. It’s not enough to rely solely on extant poems — if you actually work with the ideas behind the original rune poems and other elements of rune lore, you will build new associations and understanding of those ideas. For the runes to be part of a *living* tradition, new expressions of the Mysteries they embody must be created — building on what has come before but reflecting the ever-evolving understanding of ones who work within that tradition. This is a fantastic collection, fronted with stunning artwork, and concluding with significant contributions to what the runes can be.
RNT and CAT –
Definitive
Scholarly, imaginative, definitive.
Julian Wilde –
I enjoyed the book. Half of it comprises of fairly standard renditions/translations of the various rune poems and the other half is modern verse based on the traditional material. These new poems are generally insightful and enjoyable. So be aware of what you’re buying but still recommended.