Magin Rose

Perthro is one of the most enigmatic of runes, it’s meaning is unknown and can only be inferred from the Old English Rune Poem which refers to it as ‘ever play and laughter’ where warriors sit in the beer-hall together.  The most common meanings assigned are the ‘lot cup’ or ‘gaming piece’ – both referring to games of chance which were taken very seriously by the Germanic peoples as they were believed to reveal the extent of a person’s ‘luck’ (or hamingja).  A warrior with luck on his side in the gaming hall was likely to have good fortune on the battle-field too and would be highly prized by his war band.

The idea of a cup, or container, as well as the connection with fate, tie this rune in with the concept of Wyrd – the flow of individual and collective fate.  The three Norns (fates) tend to the waters beneath the World Tree which periodically overflow, causing cataclysmic events across the world; but the waters are also life-giving and the Norns wet the bark of the World Tree to preserve it.  This rune comes immediately after Eihwaz, the rune of the World Tree which endures eternally; Perthro is the force which flows back and forth through the tree – it is the adventure of life itself.

There are a series of rivers, and more than one well beneath Yggdrasil, and the mysteries of Perthro expand beyond that of ‘Fate’.  For example, the Well of Mimir gives access to collective memory and ‘second sight’ while the Well Hvergelmir is the source of the eleven rivers through which the elements themselves are formed.  Work with Perthro can help you perceive the deeper mysteries of life, and align your actions with the flow of energy both within and external to you.

Freya Aswynn proposes an intriguing theory that ‘warriors in the beer-hall’ is a mistake and that the original Old English rune poem actually referred to ‘woman in the birthing-hall’.  Perthro certainly has a deep connection to the mysteries of birthing and this reading fits with the concept of Perthro as Wyrd, new souls being born from the Well and bringing joy to their families.  For myself, I have found this rune very effective in workings designed to help women and their unborn babies through the process of labour.

Traditional meaning:  Unknown. Educated guesses have included: gaming piece, lot cup, beer, song, sex, Wyrd and an apple tree

Pronunciation: per-throw

Number: 14

Gods: Frigg, Nerthus, Mimir

Colour: Green, black, silver

Elements:  As the rune of Wyrd, the appropriate element for Perthro is water.

Hour: 01:30-02:30

Half month: January 13th-January 28th

Plants: Pear, elm, aspen, apple, aconite

Body: Female genitalia and breasts, the process of birth

Animal: Unknown

Mineral: Aquamarine

Aroma: Yarrow, nutmeg

Object of power: Distaff, cauldron

Journeys with the Elder Futhark – The Second Aett

Perthro is the sixth rune in the Second Aett (second family) of the Elder Futhark.  I have developed a series of recorded journeys to help you experience the energies of the runes in an accessible way.  There are three downloads available for purchase covering the first, second and third Aetts.  Each download comes with a PDF guide explaining what to do and giving the rune correspondences; a track to open sacred space and a track to close it; and eight rune journeys.   Take a journey to encounter the rune Perthro for yourself, the guided meditation provides an accessible way for you to encounter the rune.  Journeys with the Elder Futhark – The Second Aett costs £9.00, you will be sent the download autmoatically by DigitalDelivery following payment by Paypal.

• Oswald the Runemaker’s summary analysis of Perthro
• Magin’s discussion of the half-month of Perthro 2010-11

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