Here's another view of the final five, from Jordsvin, who's a fan/student of rune researchers Thor and Audrey Sheil.
He says there's not five extra, but nine:
The Sheils feel that the runes in their fullest sense are those of the Elder Futhark, and that the later additions are best viewed as magickal sigils or at most as auxiliary runes. The meaning of these symbols are as follows:
The first addition is Ac, which has the value of “A”, and means Oak Tree. Its verse in the Old English Rune Poem describes how the Oak is a blessing for humans, a source of food for pigs, and a good timber for ships. The Oak was sacred to Thorr and Odin. Ac is a strengthening rune, especially in difficult situations. It helps one to withstand tests gracefully. It has ramifications for feeding and raising livestock and for workings involving boats and sailors. It may protect against lightening.
Aesc (AE) means Ash Tree. Yggdrasil is often seen as an ash tree, although others see it as a yew. Ash is a tall, beloved tree, as its verse describes. It helps you stand your ground against outside pressure and hostility and weather opposition with resolution.
Yr (Y) means saddle. It might also mean a yew bow, but those meanings are covered pretty well by Eihwaz, so saddle seems more likely. It ties in with journeying and the passage of time, and the ability to travel freely where one wishes. It helps one get through the day and get through troubles.
Ear (EA) means Earth or Grave. It has to do with digging and burying things. Holes of any sort, tombs, caverns, and pipelines can be described by it as well. It has to do with things returning to Earth.
Ior (IO) means some sort of amphibian. I've also seen it as Iar (IA). Many see it as a beaver, and the description provided in the Old English Rune Poem matches beaver behavior well. Ior denotes the ability to adapt oneself to a new and rather different environment or situation. An adaptable, chameleon-type person can be indicated. Such and individual changes faces from situation to situation. It may have to do with commuting (working one place and living in another). It ties in with Dagaz in the idea of the daytime human world and the shadow realm of less corporeal wights.
The last four runes do not have extant verses, and were used mostly in Northumbria, in Northeast England.
Calc (a K sound) means Cup, Pitcher, or Beaker. It may also indicate a basin or tub. It is a supply of water. As a cup contains water, so Calc indicates containing something and keeping it from spreading. It provides a proper field of expression for what it holds. It keeps things within controllable bounds.
Gar (a harder G sound than that represented by Gebo/Gyfu) means Spear. The Sheils see it as a stylized, squared-off Sunwheel. Runes had no straight lines at all until folks began to write them on parchment instead of carving them on wood. It is a defensive rune operating on all planes, and in effect says “stop.” Gar also stabilizes.
Cweord (QU/KW) is probably a misspelling of “Cweorn,” a quern or hand-mill. It represents a change of small dimensions, limited in size, content, and importance. It refers to small amounts, brevity, short duration, and short-term effects. An impending change of small importance and brief duration, often less than twelve hours is indicated. Think of a little hand mill, which is quicker than a trip on foot carrying a sack of grain to the water mill, but grinds only relatively small amounts of grain!
Stan (ST) means Stone. It can mean both weight and standstill. In England, a “stone” is fourteen pounds. Stones don’t change very fast. While Isa blocks, Stan indicates total stasis and inertia coming from within. It can be an unchangeable, immovable foundation. It can refer to “dead weight.” This rune is a rune of the status quo and is literally a hard rune!
Meditation on these nine later addition to the runes, a fourth aett, as it were, may yield further insights. These brief descriptions are meant to encourage those who are interested to begin their own investigations.
I really want to know what Gar actually looks like. |
Ac
Æsc
Yr
Ior
Ear
