Wyrd -- "Cosmic Fate"

This blank rune is a modern addition. It is not known when Wyrd was first introduced, although if you have further insights please let me know. It is similar to the idea of Sanskrit word karma (that we must accept the responsibility of our actions, good or bad). When this rune appears in a reading, something unexpected is going to come to you. Whether it is positive or negative depends on what you warrant by your past behavior.

Wyrd does not always represent something negative or fateful, but it does represent things presently hidden from your view.

Wyrd is complex, and of course will mean different things to different people. Depending on how you percieve fate's role in your life, your interpretation of this rune will vary. Within a runecast, you must reflect on the surrounding runes for Wyrd's true meaning. Even before casting, meditate on Wyrd and what it represents to you; this way when it decides to present itself, you will already have an understanding of its role.

The Rune Poem

Runes date back to the Neolithic Age, and were a part of life for the Germanic tribes. Used for various purposes, such as divination and protection, the advent of Christianity meant the end of any such tool. As late as the seventeenth century in Iceland, a person caught using or even possessing runes could be burned at the stake. Like other pagan symbols, runes could be re-interpreted into the Christian dogma. The Rune Poem, written down around A.D. 750 (but probably much older) by an unknown poet, is a fascinating meditation on each rune, albiet in a different context than we are used to using them (although it still retains much pagan flavor). However, I believe that a new perspective on these ancient symbols can only broaden and deepen our understanding of them.

Verse on "Wyrd"

No verse in the poem exsists for Wyrd. This again leads us to understand that Wyrd was put into use much later than the other rune symbols.