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Hagalaz
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Elder Futhark
Anglo Saxon |
Pronunciation: ha-gaw-laws
Literal Meaning: Hail
Other Names: Hagall, Haegl
Phonetic Value: H
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| Rune Poems |
| Anglo Saxon |
Hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte, wealcaþ hit windes scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan. |
| Hægl is the whitest corn it whirls from the heaven's sky, showers of wind toss it, then it becomes water. |
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| Norwegian |
Hagall er kaldastr korna; Kristr skóp hæimenn forna. |
| Hagall is the coldest of grain; Christ created the world of old. |
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| Icelandic |
Hagall er kaldakorn ok krapadrífa ok snáka sótt. grando hildingr. |
| Hagall is the cold grain and shower of sleet and sickness of serpents. |
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This is a rune of transformation and change, usually violent or dramatic. It also represents ordeals, trials, and sudden loss.
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A word on translation:
The word corna, or corn, in the Anglo Saxon Rune Poem does not specifically refer to the New World maize. It is an older term for any hard grain that was correct taxonomy when Europeans first encountered maize. Today most grains are specifically identified with a separate terms, and the word corn is used almost exclusively for maize.
The inclusion of the reference to Jesus in the Norwegian Rune Poem is a reminder that the poem was written in the 12th century, well after the Christianization of Europe, and was very likely transcribed by Christian monks.
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