Rune 15 of 24 · Hagal's aett
Algiz
“elk (uncertain); protection” · sound: z (later r)
Can be drawn reversed when reversals are on.
Historical evidence
The name is a debated reconstruction, often given as 'elk'. The Old English poem (eolhx) describes elk-sedge, a marsh grass that cuts whoever grasps it. In the Younger Futhark the shape, turned over, became ýr, named for the yew.
The name Algiz is a modern reconstruction of the Proto-Germanic name; the Elder Futhark’s own names are not recorded.
In the rune poems
Original
Eolh-secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne
wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,
blode breneð beorna gehwylcne
ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeþ.English
Elk-sedge most often has its home in the fen; it grows in the water and wounds grimly, burning with blood any man who makes a grab at it.
Original
Ýr er vetrgrønstr viða;
vænt er, er brennr, at sviða.English
The yew is the greenest of woods in winter; when it burns, it is sure to crackle.
The Norwegian rhyme pairs each rune with a second line that rhymes with the first and often has no obvious connection to it.
Original
Ýr er bendr bogi
ok brotgjarnt járn
ok fífu fárbauti
arcus ynglingr.English
Yew is a bent bow and brittle iron and the arrow’s giant [uncertain]. Bow [Latin arcus]. Descendant of Yngvi.
Each Icelandic stanza ends with two words: a Latin gloss of the rune’s name and a poetic word for a king or chieftain that alliterates with the rune. Both are translated as they stand.
Original texts as printed in Bruce Dickins, Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples, Cambridge University Press, 1915. Public domain. The English translations are Scryway’s own, made line by line from these texts; square brackets mark uncertain or added words. No published translation is reproduced.
Modern interpretation
From 20th-century and later divinatory practice, written for Scryway. Not a historical meaning.
Keywords: protection, awareness, sanctuary
Upright
Protection and vigilance: a guardian presence, or the instinct to stay alert. Reach for help, and offer it.
Reversed
Feeling exposed, or ignoring a warning. Defences down at the wrong time.