Rune of the Month

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

I will add hear that although ger is sometimes translated as year, others will translate is as harvest, or even 'the season'. Note too its position, after those three runes of conflict.

[Heka]

Sure, I just got lazy when participation waned off. You wanna have a go at the last couple before I pull a new one?

Nah just start fresh. I dont have the mind power atm to go back through old threads and catch up, I just wanna move forward.

[Jembru]

Re: Rune of the Month

You runey types no doubt already knew this, but I only just learnt (QI), that the symbol for Bluetooth is derived from runes! That was quite interesting.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

You runey types no doubt already knew this, but I only just learnt (QI), that the symbol for Bluetooth is derived from runes! That was quite interesting.

I didn't know what bluetooth was, Jem Had to google it first... thought it was a type of pirate!

[Heka]

I didn't know what bluetooth was, Jem Had to google it first... thought it was a type of pirate!

Bahaha Mrs. P.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

Heads up - my new book, 'Working with the Anglo-Saxon Runes' is due out soon. I've had the printed proof now and it's over 400 pages! Over the moon about it.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Rune of the Month

Okay I found my box with the runes that we haven't done yet, so here we go with the next one...

Berkana.png Berkana

Elder Futhark: *Berkana (sometimes *Berkano), Proto Germanic, meaning 'birch'
Younger Futhark: Bjarkan, Old Norse meaning 'birch'
Anglo Saxon Futhorc: Beorc, Old English, meaning 'birch'

Phonetic value: 'b'

Pronunciation:
For the Proto Germanic *Berkana, pronunciation is fairly straight forward if you remember the basic vowel sounds. Remember that the 'e' sound is more like the 'ey' in 'hey'. In Proto Germanic 'r' always has a slight trill, and the 'a' is just like any ending 'a' in English. So we have 'beyrr-KAH-nah'.

The Old Norse Bjarkan is also nice and easy. The 'a's are the long 'a' like in 'father' but are not accented so no crazy twists, and remember that 'j' is a 'y' sound. So 'BYAR-kan'

In Old English Beorc can be tricky... just because Old English is tricky and the diphthongs (two vowels together) need to be pronounced distinctly. The 'b' is just a 'b'. The 'eo' sound is where it gets hard, because both the vowels are pronounced separately, but connected (I really hate Old English diphthongs!)... the 'e' is short like in 'bet' but is extended through into the next vowel. The 'o' is halfway between an 'o' and a 'u' sound... so you end up with a sort of 'ee-ur' kind of sound. 'R' is lightly trilled and the 'c' is hard 'k' sound. So Beorc becomes 'Be-urrk'.

Now you all reply and add your insights...

[Heka]

Okay I found my box with the runes that we haven't done yet, so here we go with the next one...

<img src="http://www.paganforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5083"/> Berkana

Elder Futhark: *Berkana (sometimes *Berkano), Proto Germanic, meaning 'birch'
Younger Futhark: Bjarkan, Old Norse meaning 'birch'
Anglo Saxon Futhorc: Beorc, Old English, meaning 'birch'

Phonetic value: 'b'

Pronunciation:
For the Proto Germanic *Berkana, pronunciation is fairly straight forward if you remember the basic vowel sounds. Remember that the 'e' sound is more like the 'ey' in 'hey'. In Proto Germanic 'r' always has a slight trill, and the 'a' is just like any ending 'a' in English. So we have 'beyrr-KAH-nah'.

The Old Norse Bjarkan is also nice and easy. The 'a's are the long 'a' like in 'father' but are not accented so no crazy twists, and remember that 'j' is a 'y' sound. So 'BYAR-kan'

In Old English Beorc can be tricky... just because Old English is tricky and the diphthongs (two vowels together) need to be pronounced distinctly. The 'b' is just a 'b'. The 'eo' sound is where it gets hard, because both the vowels are pronounced separately, but connected (I really hate Old English diphthongs!)... the 'e' is short like in 'bet' but is extended through into the next vowel. The 'o' is halfway between an 'o' and a 'u' sound... so you end up with a sort of 'ee-ur' kind of sound. 'R' is lightly trilled and the 'c' is hard 'k' sound. So Beorc becomes 'Be-urrk'.

Now you all reply and add your insights...

Ooooo ooo ooo!!! I carved a triple Berkana on my self as part of a fertility thing lol... no it didn't work... 😑

[Rae'ya]

Re: Rune of the Month

Ooooo ooo ooo!!! I carved a triple Berkana on my self as part of a fertility thing lol... no it didn't work... 

Chuck an Ingwaz in there with Berkana, plus or minus a Wunjo. And carry some ruby in zoisite (or carve the bindrune on the stone and then carry it).

I've used Berkana as part of a fertility charm, but I mostly use it as part of the protection charms for my niece and nephew and my fur/feather babies... to me Berkana is a protective and nurturing runespirit, who is particularly fond of mothers, carers and children. It speaks of a calm, sheltering, nurturing but firm protection... shielding the vulnerable and lending strength to those who shield their own. But not a sort of combat protective like Algiz... more like the watchful eye that heads off danger, stops unthinking acts and calmly manages the environment to ensure no one comes to harm.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

Not all translators of the AS rune poem translate Beorc as birch. Dickens (1915) opts for poplar instead. Personally I think there's no problem with birch and that is how I would translated it.
Looking at the AS rune poem, this is a rune of cleansing (hence its use in punishment - which was, in ancient times, often regarded as a cleansing matter). Although it is often regarded as a rune of fertility is can also denote offspring without a blood tie, which meant it could be interpreted as the relationship within certain groups as well.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Rune of the Month

Heads up - my new book, 'Working with the Anglo-Saxon Runes' is due out soon. I've had the printed proof now and it's over 400 pages! Over the moon about it.

Congratulations! How many books is this altogether?

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

Congratulations! How many books is this altogether?

Thank you! About twelve I think.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Rune of the Month

Thank you! About twelve I think.

Twelve!

I don't think I've even had twelve thoughts, myself!

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Rune of the Month

LOL! Thanks!

[Rick]

Re: Rune of the Month

This is what the Runatal section of the Poetic Edda says about berkana:

That thirteenth I know if thane’s son I shall
Wet with sacred mead:
Ne’er will he fall, though hot be the fray,
Nor sink down, wounded by steel.
Havamal 158:1-4