The Aettir in Three Acts
Setting a Runic Stage
Community is an essential and fascinating part of our lives. It fulfills a variety of needs—family, work, spiritual, social, and recreational—while also encouraging us to adapt and support the needs of others. In the practice of divination, runes possess a built-in structure that helps guide us when we reach out to them for advice.
When I originally wrote this article for The Cartomancer Magazine in 2021, the issue’s theme was community and its connection to divinatory practices. I believe that working together and building communities we can trust, associate with, and learn from is vital in our spiritual paths. In a world dominated by religions that often ignore or denigrate alternative practices—such as Heathenry, Druidry, Wicca, Animism, and others—it becomes even more important to cooperate with one another, even when our individual paths differ.
In my personal practice, I associate the idea of community with the god Heimdall, a connection I find reflected in the rune Mannaz. Heimdall is my “go-to” when it comes to runes, and I believe he provides a meaningful way to connect with them. While Odin hung on the World Tree in a deep meditative journey and gained the wisdom of the runes, Heimdall is said to have taught them to humans.
To create an article to meet the theme of that issue, I began to explore how the Elder Futhark runes themselves form communities—groups that can provide deeper insight in divination, magic, and everyday spiritual work. These rune communities are arranged into three groupings of eight letters, known as aettir (or aetts; singular aett), a word meaning family, tribe, or clan.
A bit of background on Heimdall and the runes: in the Lay of Rig (Rigsthula or Rigsmal), we learn of Heimdall’s journey in the guise of Rig, during which he visits three couples. Each visit results in the birth of a son, and from these sons come families (aettir) with unique skills and attributes, contributing to the greater human community. Heimdall teaches the runes to his son Jarl, whose own son Konr also learns rune-craft and other magical arts.
The communities we build in life reflect different facets of our personalities and interests. How someone sees us in one role—whether at work, in social settings, or in spiritual practice—may not fully define us. For example, the way we act with coworkers or clients is often different from how we behave while relaxing with friends, engaging in hobbies, or attending spiritual gatherings. This isn’t deception—it’s an expression of how our traits naturally shift in different settings.
Divinatory systems, too, often contain internal communities. Tarot, for instance, has at least six major groups: the major arcana, each of the four suits (wands, pentacles, cups, and swords), and the court cards. Each group contributes a piece to the overall narrative. Similarly, the Elder Futhark runes are grouped into three distinct aettir, which add layers of meaning to any divinatory reading.
The 24 Elder Futhark runes are divided into three groups of eight. One of the earliest known examples of this structure appears on the Vadstena bracteate—a thin piece of metal jewelry discovered in Vadstena, Sweden, in 1774, and dated to around 500 CE (beginning of the Vendel period). This artifact shows an inscription followed by the three rune aettir, each separated by two dots.
The initial inscription, tuwatuwa, remains mysterious—possibly magical or an offering—but its exact meaning is unknown. Beyond this, the rune aettir appear in sequence, as they do in other surviving inscriptions. While runes were primarily used as a writing system, there is evidence of magical usage in the Eddas and other lore. If the division into aettir had a formal magical or instructional purpose, it remains unclear—at least based on what I’ve found.
As you spend more time with the runes and meditate on them, you’ll begin to notice patterns and relationships between them, both within and across the aettir. In Norse Witch, Connla Freyjason describes the aettir as families or clans, drawing parallels to ancient communities. He writes, “This becomes important when one considers the initiatory implications of 'traveling' through the runes from aett to aett.”
As a rune student, when you journey through the aettir, the interconnections become more apparent. Many modern authors and practitioners identify each aett with a specific theme or archetype. A common approach is to name them after the first rune in each group: Freyr’s (or Freya’s) Aett, Hagal’s Aett (often associated with Heimdall), and Tyr’s Aett. These associations provide a useful lens for understanding how runes within each aett relate to one another or to the associated deity.
In my experience with the runes, I associate the aetts as:
These themes reflect my own connection with the runes. Your experiences, spiritual practices, and divine relationships may lead you to similar or completely different interpretations.
When the nature of the aettir begins to reveal itself to you, your readings and magical workings deepen. Rather than relying solely on keywords or simple spreads, you may start to notice if a particular aett dominates a reading, offering insight into the life area most in focus. If an aett is associated with a specific deity in your practice, that deity’s traits may further enhance the interpretation.
Viewing the aettir this way is much like understanding the suits in tarot. Some rune practitioners may dismiss this as “inauthentic,” but I encourage everyone to pursue the practices that resonate best with them. Allow others to develop their own relationships with the runes and how they interact with the Web of Wyrd.
The aettir provide a stage on which the individual runes perform. While each rune is meaningful on its own, their interaction in a reading can weave a more expansive web of insight and understanding.
Exploring the aettir can be a journey full of “a-ha” moments—some subtle, others profound. Just like in our everyday communities, each rune community brings unique perspectives. I invite you to share how the aettir reveal themselves to you in the comments.
* Updated and modified from the original version published in The Cartomancer Sept-Nov 2021
I love your association of the runes. It’s a very simple, clear cut interpretation. Well done!