Anglo-Saxon Futhorc: 9 Extended Runes Beyond the Elder Futhark

BY NICOLE LAU

Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc is an extended runic alphabet developed in England from the 5th to 11th centuries CE. Building upon the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon runemasters added nine additional runes to reflect the unique sounds, concepts, and spiritual landscape of their culture.

These nine extended runes represent the evolution of runic wisdom as it adapted to new lands, new languages, and new spiritual insights. They carry the essence of Anglo-Saxon culture—its reverence for sacred trees, its relationship with the land, and its unique cosmological understanding.

This guide explores all nine extended runes, their meanings, magical applications, and their place in the broader tradition of runic wisdom.

The Nine Extended Runes

25. Ac (ᚪ) - Oak Tree, Endurance, Sacred Kingship

Pronunciation: AHK
Literal Meaning: Oak tree
Element: Earth
Deity: Thor, Thunor (Anglo-Saxon thunder god)

Ac is the mighty oak—the sacred tree of thunder gods, the king of the forest, the axis mundi of the Anglo-Saxon world. The oak represents strength, endurance, sovereignty, and the connection between earth and sky. Its wood was used for sacred groves, ships, and the halls of kings.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, the oak was associated with Thunor (Thor), whose lightning strikes were said to mark sacred oaks. The tree's deep roots and towering height made it a symbol of stability, protection, and royal authority.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Strength, endurance, stability, protection, sovereignty, sacred authority. You have the strength to weather any storm. Stand firm like the oak.
Reversed: Rigidity, stubbornness, false authority, uprooted foundations. Strength becomes inflexibility, or authority is misused.

Magical Use: Use Ac for protection, building endurance, establishing authority, connecting with sacred masculine energy, or grounding in times of chaos. Carve on oak wood for maximum potency.

26. Aesc (ᚫ) - Ash Tree, Cosmic Axis, Connection

Pronunciation: ASH
Literal Meaning: Ash tree
Element: Air/All elements
Deity: Woden (Odin), the World Tree

Aesc is the ash tree—the World Tree Yggdrasil in Norse cosmology, the cosmic axis connecting all nine worlds. The ash represents connection, communication between realms, shamanic journeying, and the vertical axis of spiritual ascent.

In Anglo-Saxon tradition, the ash was the tree of Woden (Odin), used for spear shafts and magical staves. Its wood was believed to have protective and healing properties, and ash leaves were used in divination.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Connection between worlds, spiritual communication, shamanic journey, healing, protection. The pathways between realms are open.
Reversed: Disconnection, blocked communication, inability to journey, spiritual isolation. The bridge between worlds is broken.

Magical Use: Use Aesc for shamanic journeying, connecting with other realms, spiritual communication, healing work, or creating magical staves. The rune of the World Tree and cosmic connection.

27. Yr (ᚣ) - Yew Bow, Defense, Skill

Pronunciation: EER
Literal Meaning: Yew bow, yew tree
Element: Fire/Earth
Deity: Ullr (god of archery and hunting)

Yr is the yew bow—the weapon of the skilled archer, crafted from the sacred yew tree. While Eihwaz (in the Elder Futhark) represents the yew tree itself, Yr specifically represents the bow made from yew wood, symbolizing skill, precision, defense, and the transformation of natural material into tool.

The yew bow was the most prized weapon in Anglo-Saxon England, requiring years of skill to craft and master. Yr represents the marriage of natural power (the yew) with human skill and intention.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Skill, precision, defense, mastery, transformation of raw material into tool. Your skills are sharp and ready. Aim true.
Reversed: Lack of skill, missed target, broken defense, wasted potential. The bow is unstrung or the arrow misses its mark.

Magical Use: Use Yr for developing skills, precision in magic, defensive work, or transforming raw potential into mastery. Excellent for craftspeople, artists, and warriors.

28. Ior (ᛡ) - Eel, Serpent, Adaptability

Pronunciation: EE-or
Literal Meaning: Eel, serpent
Element: Water
Deity: Water spirits, Nerthus

Ior is the eel—the serpent of the waters, slippery and elusive, able to move between fresh water and salt water, between land and sea. The eel represents adaptability, elusiveness, the ability to navigate between worlds, and the mysteries of transformation.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, the eel was both a food source and a mysterious creature. Its ability to live in multiple environments and its serpentine form connected it to ancient serpent wisdom and water magic.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Adaptability, elusiveness, navigating between worlds, transformation, slipping through obstacles. Be like water—flow around barriers.
Reversed: Slipperiness becomes deception, evasion becomes avoidance, adaptability becomes lack of commitment. Unable to hold form or commit to a path.

Magical Use: Use Ior for adaptability magic, navigating difficult situations, water magic, or working with serpent/dragon energy. The rune of shapeshifters and those who move between worlds.

29. Ear (ᛠ) - Grave, Earth, Transformation Through Death

Pronunciation: EH-ar
Literal Meaning: Grave, earth, dust
Element: Earth
Deity: The ancestors, Hel

Ear is the grave—the earth that receives the dead, the dust to which all flesh returns, the transformation through death and decay. This is one of the most somber runes, representing endings, mortality, ancestral connection, and the wisdom that comes from confronting death.

In the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, Ear is described as 'hateful to every man' because it represents the inevitable end. Yet it also represents the fertile earth, the compost from which new life grows, and the ancestors who dwell in the earth.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Endings, death (literal or metaphorical), transformation through loss, ancestral wisdom, return to earth. Something must die for something new to be born.
Reversed: Fear of death, resistance to endings, clinging to what must be released, disconnection from ancestors. Unable to let go or complete the cycle.

Magical Use: Use Ear for ancestral work, accepting endings, death magic (with respect), composting the old to nourish the new, or deep shadow work. Handle with reverence—this is sacred ground.

30. Cweorth (ᛢ) - Funeral Pyre, Purification, Sacred Fire

Pronunciation: KWEH-orth
Literal Meaning: Funeral pyre, fire
Element: Fire
Deity: Fire spirits, purifying forces

Cweorth is the funeral pyre—the sacred fire that transforms the dead, purifies through burning, and releases the spirit from the body. While Ear represents the grave (earth burial), Cweorth represents cremation (fire burial), the purification through flame.

This rune represents transformation through fire, purification, the release of what no longer serves, and the sacred nature of destruction. The funeral pyre was a ritual act, transforming the physical body into smoke and ash, freeing the spirit.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Purification through fire, transformation through burning away the old, sacred destruction, release, cleansing. Let the fire burn away what must go.
Reversed: Destructive fire without purpose, burning bridges, purification that goes too far, loss through carelessness. Fire out of control.

Magical Use: Use Cweorth for purification rituals, burning away the old, releasing attachments, or transforming through sacred fire. Write what you wish to release and burn it with intention.

31. Calc (ᛣ) - Chalice, Cup, Offering

Pronunciation: KAHLK
Literal Meaning: Chalice, cup
Element: Water
Deity: The gods (as recipients of offerings)

Calc is the chalice—the sacred cup used for offerings, the vessel that holds mead or wine for ritual, the container of blessing. It represents offering, hospitality, sacred exchange, and the vessel that receives and gives.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, the ritual cup was central to ceremonies—the mead hall, the blessing cup, the offering to the gods. Calc represents the sacred act of giving and receiving, the hospitality that binds community, and the vessel that holds divine blessing.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Offering, hospitality, sacred exchange, blessing, receptivity, the cup that gives and receives. Make offerings and receive blessings in return.
Reversed: Broken vessel, offerings rejected, hospitality violated, inability to receive. The cup is empty or cracked.

Magical Use: Use Calc for offering rituals, hospitality magic, blessing work, or cultivating receptivity. Fill a cup with mead or wine and offer it to the gods or ancestors.

32. Stan (ᛥ) - Stone, Foundation, Permanence

Pronunciation: STAHN
Literal Meaning: Stone
Element: Earth
Deity: Earth spirits, the land itself

Stan is the stone—the foundation, the permanent, the enduring. Stone represents stability, permanence, the bones of the earth, and the monuments that outlast generations. In a landscape marked by standing stones and stone circles, Stan represents the eternal and the sacred.

Anglo-Saxon England was dotted with ancient stone monuments—henges, standing stones, burial mounds. Stan connects to this deep time, the permanence of stone, and the wisdom of the land itself.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Foundation, permanence, stability, endurance, the eternal. Build on solid ground. What you create will last.
Reversed: Crumbling foundation, false permanence, rigidity, being stuck. The stone becomes a burden or the foundation cracks.

Magical Use: Use Stan for grounding, building lasting foundations, connecting with the land, or creating permanence. Carve on stone for spells meant to endure.

33. Gar (ᚸ) - Spear, Completion, Cosmic Order

Pronunciation: GAR
Literal Meaning: Spear
Element: All elements
Deity: Woden (Odin), cosmic order

Gar is the spear—specifically Woden's spear Gungnir, which never misses its mark. This is the final rune of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, representing completion, cosmic order, the point at the center, and the axis around which all things turn.

Gar is unique—it has no reversed position and represents the totality, the completion of the runic journey. It is the spear that pierces through all illusion, the axis mundi, the still point at the center of the turning wheel.

Divinatory Meaning:
Upright: Completion, totality, cosmic order, the center point, perfect aim, divine will. The journey is complete. All things are in their right place.
Note: Gar has no reversed position. It always represents completion and cosmic order, the end that is also the beginning.

Magical Use: Use Gar for completion rituals, aligning with cosmic order, perfect aim in magic, or connecting with the center point of all things. The rune of mastery and totality.

Working with the Extended Runes

Integrating Elder Futhark and Futhorc

The nine extended runes don't replace the Elder Futhark—they complement it. You can:

• Use all 33 runes together for a complete Anglo-Saxon system
• Use only the 24 Elder Futhark for traditional Norse work
• Use the 9 extended runes for specifically Anglo-Saxon or British magical work

The Sacred Trees

Notice that three of the extended runes are trees (Ac, Aesc, Yr), reflecting the Anglo-Saxon reverence for sacred groves. These can be used together for:

• Tree magic: Working with the spirits of oak, ash, and yew
• Druidic connections: Bridging Norse and Celtic traditions
• Land-based magic: Connecting with the British landscape

Death and Transformation

Two runes (Ear and Cweorth) deal specifically with death—one through earth burial, one through fire. Together they represent:

• Complete transformation: Both earth and fire paths
• Ancestral work: Honoring the dead through both traditions
• Shadow work: Confronting mortality and endings

Correspondences Table: Extended Runes

Rune	Name	Element	Core Meaning
ᚪ	Ac	Earth	Oak, endurance, sovereignty
ᚫ	Aesc	Air/All	Ash, cosmic axis, connection
ᚣ	Yr	Fire/Earth	Yew bow, skill, defense
ᛡ	Ior	Water	Eel, adaptability, elusiveness
ᛠ	Ear	Earth	Grave, endings, ancestors
ᛢ	Cweorth	Fire	Funeral pyre, purification
ᛣ	Calc	Water	Chalice, offering, hospitality
ᛥ	Stan	Earth	Stone, foundation, permanence
ᚸ	Gar	All	Spear, completion, cosmic order

The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem

The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (circa 8th-10th century) is our primary source for understanding these runes. Each rune is described in a short verse that reveals its meaning and significance. For example:

Ac (Oak):
'The oak is on earth, dear to men,
firm in its standing, though fought by many.'

Ear (Grave):
'The grave is hateful to every man,
when the flesh begins to cool.'

These verses provide insight into how the Anglo-Saxons understood and worked with these runes.

Practical Applications

Creating an Anglo-Saxon Rune Set

To create a complete 33-rune set:

1. Materials: Use British wood (oak, ash, yew) or British stone
2. Carve: All 24 Elder Futhark runes plus the 9 extended runes
3. Consecrate: In a sacred grove or at a standing stone if possible
4. Dedicate: To Woden and the spirits of the British land

Land-Based Magic

The extended runes are particularly powerful for connecting with the British landscape:

• Ac, Aesc, Yr: Work with sacred trees in British forests
• Stan: Connect with standing stones and ancient monuments
• Ear: Honor ancestors buried in British soil
• Ior: Work with British rivers and waterways

Completion Ritual with Gar

Use Gar to complete any magical working:

1. Perform your ritual or spell
2. Draw or visualize Gar at the center
3. Speak: 'By Gar, the spear of Woden, this work is complete and sealed'
4. Know that cosmic order supports your work

Further Study

Primary Sources:

• The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem - 8th-10th century manuscript
• The Old English Rune Poem - Descriptions of each rune

Modern Interpretations:

• The Rune Primer by Sweyn Plowright - Anglo-Saxon focus
• Anglo-Saxon Rune Lore by Tony Linsell
• Rudiments of Runelore by Stephen Pollington

Conclusion: The Complete Futhorc

The nine extended runes of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc represent the evolution and adaptation of runic wisdom to new lands and new spiritual insights. They honor the sacred trees of Britain, the mysteries of death and transformation, and the cosmic order that underlies all things.

Together with the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, they form a complete system of 33 runes—a sacred number representing mastery and completion. Whether you work with all 33 or focus on the traditional 24, these runes are living wisdom, waiting to teach those who approach them with respect and dedication.

May the wisdom of the Futhorc guide your path. May Woden's spear never miss its mark.