Mannaz
Pronunciation: mawn-nawz
Literal Meaning: Human, Mankind
Other Names: Mann, Maðr, Madr
Phonetic Value: M
Rune Poems
Anglo Saxon Mann byþ on myrgþe his magan leof: sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican, forðum drihten wyle dome sine þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.
Mann of mirth is to his kinsmen dear, though they each shall betray the other when the drighten in his judgement commits his poor flesh to the earth.
 
Norwegian Maðr er moldar auki; mikil er græip á hauki.
Maðr is an augmentation of the dust; great is the claw of the hawk.
 
Icelandic Maðr er manns gaman ok moldar auki ok skipa skreytir. homo mildingr.
Maðr is the delight of man and augmentation of the earth and adorner of ships.


This is the rune of human experience. It represents everything it is to be mortal, the joys of kinship, the sorrow of betrayal, achievements of life and the sleep of death.

It is not the Lebensrune, or life rune. This idea was devloped as Nazi propaganda. Ironically it was applied to the Younger Futhark Maðr that replaced the traditional Elder Futhark Mannaz. This Younger Futhark character looks exactly like the Elder Futhark Algiz, even though both meant mankind. So the idea was not even origionally assoiated with this specific phonetic symbol.

←Back

Rune Lore

Next→