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Ansuz
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Elder Futhark
Anglo Saxon |
Pronunciation: awn-sooze
Literal Meaning: Estuary, a metaphor for discourse
Other Names: Óss, Ós, Ansur
Phonetic Value: A, later O
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| Rune Poems |
| Anglo Saxon |
Ós byþ ordfruma ælere spræce, wisdomes wraþu ond witena frofur and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht. |
| Ós is the point of origin of all speech, wisdom's support and the wise man's help and for every noble joy and hope. |
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| Norwegian |
Óss er flæstra færða fo,r; en skalpr er sværða. |
| Óss is the way of most journeys; but a scabbard of swords. |
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| Icelandic |
Óss er algingautr ok ásgarðs jöfurr, ok valhallar vísi. Jupiter oddviti. |
| Óss is order and Ásgard's giant, the wisdom of Valhalla. Jupiter’s head. |
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Ansuz is often parsed as the rune of wisdom, but is more correctly translated as discourse. It was believed to bestow cunning and verbal skill upon the wearer.
When this rune was adopted by the Anglo Saxons its shape was altered, and the phonetic value became the equivalent to O.
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A word on translation:
The reference to Jupiter may seem out of place. But to put this into historical context when this poem was written Rome had long since fallen and the Renaissance began. Much of the Roman mythology was romanticized and incorporated into the vernacular of the educated. Jupiter was the ruling god of the Roman pantheon, and associated with ethics and order. So in this instance the term fits within the context and time period as "source of order".
The Icelandic Rune Poem was translated differently than the common English translation of:
“Óss is the aged Gautr and prince of Ásgarðr and lord of Vallhalla.”
Most transcriptions of this poem include the word algingautr, and parse the word it to mean “the aged Gautr”. Gautr means great and is an epithet for Oden. However, “old Gautr” would be Aldagautr, neither word fits the context of the line. In addition Jöfurr is regularly mistranslated as "prince” which in Icelandic is prins. Jöfurr it is an early version of the word Jötnar, or Frost Giant, “not prince”.
I suspect algingautr in the Icelandic poem is a phonetic corruption of the word innangarðr which translates as “within the enclosure”. This is refrence to all that is lawful and socially appropriate.
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