RUNELORE
Elder Futhark Dictionary & Rune Casting
The twenty-four runes — their meanings, history, and the art of casting.
Runelore is Grimoire's Elder Futhark hub: a complete dictionary of the twenty-four runes, a Norn three-rune spread for casting, and a sourced guide for readers new to runic practice. Each rune entry covers its symbol, name, translation, aett, element, keywords, meaning, upright and reversed reads, divinatory guidance, and traditional magical use.
The dictionary is organised by the three aettir — the eight-rune families the row divides into. The reading uses the classical Norn spread, drawing three runes at random against your held question and surfacing them as Urðr (what has been), Verðandi (what is becoming), and Skuld (what may yet come). Cast readings can be saved to your My Craft journal with the moon phase and planetary hour stamped at the moment of the cast.
What's Inside
The Twenty-Four Runes
A complete Elder Futhark dictionary, organised by aett. Each entry: symbol, name, translation, element, keywords, meaning, upright and reversed reads, divinatory guidance, and traditional magical use.
The Three Aettir
Freyr's Aett (creation, prosperity, beginning), Heimdall's Aett (trial, transformation, fate), Tyr's Aett (sovereignty, completion, the mature shape of a life). Each family of eight, read together as a unit.
The Norn Spread
The classical three-rune cast: Urðr (what has been), Verðandi (what is becoming), Skuld (what may yet come). Hold a question, cast, and the three are drawn at random from the full Elder Futhark.
Upright & Reversed
Each rune entry holds both readings side by side — upright as the energy in expected expression, reversed as the rune blocked, internalised, or in shadow. Read with the full range, not a flattened tone.
Sourced Guide
A plain-language introduction for readers new to runic practice — what the runes are, where they come from, how they entered modern divination, and what to do with them. No jargon, no padding.
Saved to Your Grimoire
Save any cast to your My Craft journal with the moon phase, planetary hour, and the optional question you held in mind, recorded at the moment of the draw. Your runic readings build into a long record over time.
The Three Aettir
How is the Elder Futhark organised?
The twenty-four runes divide into three eight-rune families, called aettir. Each aett carries a thematic colour, and reading a rune in light of its aett is one of the oldest interpretive moves runelore offers.
| Aett | Theme | Runes |
|---|---|---|
| Freyr's Aett | Creation, prosperity, and the primal forces that begin things | Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo |
| Heimdall's Aett | Trial, transformation, and the turning of fate | Hagalaz, Naudhiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Perthro, Algiz, Sowilo |
| Tyr's Aett | Sovereignty, completion, and the mature shape of a life | Tiwaz, Berkano, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Ingwaz, Dagaz, Othala |
Connections
How does Runelore connect to the rest of Grimoire?
Runelore sits in Practice as a working divinatory tool. Cast readings save into your My Craft journal with the question, moon phase, and planetary hour stamped at the moment of the draw — your runic readings build a long record over time.
The deeper source texts on runic tradition live in the Bibliotheca, and the Lessons section covers the foundations of runic divination as a discipline. Dreams that surface a rune as a symbol can be linked from your Dream Weaver entries — the runes are language, and language has a way of crossing between sleep and waking.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What is Runelore in Grimoire?
Runelore is Grimoire's Elder Futhark reference and casting tool — a complete dictionary of the twenty-four runes with meanings, history, and divinatory use, a Norn three-rune spread for casting, and a sourced introduction explaining what runes are and how to read them. It sits in the Practice section alongside Tarot and the Spell Builder as part of the working layer of the app.
What is the Elder Futhark?
The Elder Futhark is the oldest and most complete row of the Germanic runic alphabets, in use from roughly the first century CE. It contains twenty-four runes, named for its first six characters — fehu, uruz, thurisaz, ansuz, raidho, kenaz — which give the row its name. Over six thousand surviving runic inscriptions have been catalogued across Scandinavia, the British Isles, and continental Europe: most are everyday inscriptions like names and ownership marks, but a smaller, remarkable minority are charms, blessings, and curses. Runelore is built around this row.
How is the dictionary organised?
By the three aettir — the eight-rune families the Elder Futhark divides into. Freyr's Aett holds the runes of creation, prosperity, and the primal forces that begin things. Heimdall's Aett holds the runes of trial, transformation, and the turning of fate. Tyr's Aett holds the runes of sovereignty, completion, and the mature shape of a life. Tap any rune to open its full entry: symbol, name, translation, aett, element, keywords, meaning, upright and reversed reads, divinatory guidance, and traditional magical use.
What is the Norn three-rune spread?
The Norn spread is the classical three-rune cast: Urðr (what has been), Verðandi (what is becoming), and Skuld (what may yet come). Hold a question clearly in your mind, cast, and the three runes are drawn at random from the full Elder Futhark — each one positioned in the layer it speaks to. The reading is saved to your grimoire if you choose to record it; the question you asked the Norns can be added as an optional note before the cast.
Are the rune meanings reversible?
Yes. Each rune entry includes both an upright and a reversed reading. The upright is the rune in its expected expression — the energy as it is meant to flow. The reversed is the rune blocked, internalised, or expressing in shadow. Reversed runes are read as part of the cast, not flagged as inherently negative; some readers note them differently, others treat them as simply another voice. Grimoire surfaces both so you can read with the full range.
Do I need to know runic before I begin?
No. The Guide section is written specifically for readers with no prior knowledge — what runes are, where they come from, how they entered modern divination, and what to do with them in practice. The Dictionary then gives you the working reference. Many witches start with the Norn spread and read the entries as the runes appear, rather than trying to memorise the row in advance.
How does Runelore connect to the rest of Grimoire?
Cast readings can be saved to your My Craft journal with moon phase and planetary hour stamped at the time of the cast. The Bibliotheca holds the deeper source texts on runic tradition; the Lessons section covers the foundations. And dreams that surface a rune as a symbol can be linked back from your Dream Weaver entries.
What you'll find inside
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