Origins of the 24 Birth Runes

Origins of the 24 Birth Runes

The Elder Futhark consists of 24 runes used in Germanic inscriptions from ~2nd to 8th century CE.

The idea of linking each rune to a “birth period” (day/month or half-month) or to an hour of the day is a modern esoteric system. For example, several sources state: “the set of runes is composed of 24 symbols … dividing the 12 months of the year for them, we see that each rune governs half a month.”

In brief:

The runes were originally letters and magical symbols in early Germanic cultures; the mythic story says that the god Odin hung on the world‐tree and gained the runes, giving them cosmic significance.

The “24 birth runes” concept uses the full 24‐rune Elder Futhark, and assigns each rune (1) a personality/meaning, (2) a half‐month date‐span during the year (the “solar rune” or “birth-date rune”), and (3) an hour segment of the day (the “birth-hour rune”).

Sources present tables mapping date-ranges and hours to runes.

It is important to emphasise that while runes were used historically for writing, magic and divination, the specific table of 24 runes = 24 time‐periods (dates + hours) appears to be a later or “revival” invention. Indeed many practitioners note that the “birth rune” model is a modern adaptation.

So this article treats the modern system: its concept, use, and meaning. If you’re exploring runic “astrology” or “birth runes,” this gives you the framework—though one should keep the historical caveat in mind.

1. List of the 24 Runes & Their Meanings

Below is a list of the 24 runes in the Elder Futhark order (commonly used in the birth‐rune system) with a brief core meaning for each (drawn from modern runic meaning sources).

# Rune (Name) Core Meaning

1 Fehu (ᚠ) Wealth, prosperity, beginnings, material/energetic abundance.

2 Uruz (ᚢ) Strength, health, primal power, vitality.

3 Thurisaz (ᚦ) Challenge, protection, conflict, threshold.

4 Ansuz (ᚨ) Divine wisdom, communication, insight.

5 Raidho (ᚱ) Journey, movement, change, path/destiny.

6 Kenaz (ᚲ) Creativity, illumination, transformation, fire of change.

7 Gebo (ᚷ) Gift, generosity, balanced exchange, partnership.

8 Wunjo (ᚹ) Joy, harmony, well-being, fulfilment.

9 Hagalaz (ᚺ) Disruption, transformation through crisis, hail of change.

10 Nauthiz (ᚾ) Need, constraint, necessity, endurance, inner work.

11 Isa (ᛁ) Stillness, clarity, ice-time, introspection, pause.

12 Jera (ᛃ) Harvest, natural cycle, reward of effort, time effect.

13 Eihwaz (ᛇ) Endurance, defence, connection between worlds, transformation.

14 Perthro (ᛈ) Mystery, fate, the hidden, chance/lot, potential.

15 Algiz (ᛉ) Protection, higher self-link, defence, sanctuary.

16 Sowilo (ᛋ) Sun, success, vitality, radiant energy, guidance.

17 Tiwaz (ᛏ) Justice, honour, sacrifice, warrior’s path, striving.

18 Berkano (ᛒ) Growth, birth, fertility, new beginnings, nurturing.

19 Ehwaz (ᛖ) Movement, trust, partnership (horse/rider imagery), transition.

20 Mannaz (ᛗ) Humanity, self in society, inter-connections, collective.

21 Laguz (ᛚ) Water, flow, intuition, emotion, subconscious navigation.

22 Ingwaz / Inguz (ᛜ) Inner seed, fertility, rest before action, completion of phase.

23 Dagaz (ᛞ) Day, awakening, breakthrough, transformation, clarity.

24 Othala (ᛟ) Heritage, home, legacy, ancestral property, inheritance.

These meanings are drawn from modern runic‐interpretation sources and vary by tradition. The birth‐rune system uses these as archetypes associated with individuals.

2. List of Date Ranges and Corresponding Runes

Here are the commonly cited half‐month date-spans for each rune (in the “solar rune” or birth‐date rune system). Note that different sources may vary slightly by a day or two.

Rune Date range

Fehu June 29 – July 13

Uruz July 14 – July 28

Thurisaz July 29 – August 12

Ansuz August 13 – August 28

Raidho August 29 – September 12

Kenaz September 13 – September 27

Gebo September 28 – October 12

Wunjo October 13 – October 27

Hagalaz October 28 – November 12

Nauthiz November 13 – November 27

Isa November 28 – December 12

Jera December 13 – December 27

Eihwaz December 28 – January 12

Perthro January 13 – January 27

Algiz January 28 – February 12

Sowilo February 13 – February 26

Tiwaz February 27 – March 13

Berkano March 14 – March 29

Ehwaz March 30 – April 13

Mannaz April 14 – April 28

Laguz April 29 – May 13

Ingwaz May 14 – May 28

Dagaz May 29 – June 13

Othala June 14 – June 28

This gives each rune roughly a 15-day (half‐month) span. Use this to find your “birth date rune”.

3. List of Hours and Corresponding Runes (Birth-Hour Rune)

According to the system, each hour (often a 60-minute span) of the 24-hour day is assigned a rune. Here is a common table used in modern sources.

Time span Rune

23:30 – 00:29 Jera

00:30 – 01:29 Eihwaz

01:30 – 02:29 Perthro

02:30 – 03:29 Algiz

03:30 – 04:29 Sowilo

04:30 – 05:29 Tiwaz

05:30 – 06:29 Berkano

06:30 – 07:29 Ehwaz

07:30 – 08:29 Mannaz

08:30 – 09:29 Laguz

09:30 – 10:29 Ingwaz

10:30 – 11:29 Dagaz

11:30 – 12:29 Othala

12:30 – 13:29 Fehu

13:30 – 14:29 Uruz

14:30 – 15:29 Thurisaz

15:30 – 16:29 Ansuz

16:30 – 17:29 Raidho

17:30 – 18:29 Kenaz

18:30 – 19:29 Gebo

19:30 – 20:29 Wunjo

20:30 – 21:29 Hagalaz

21:30 – 22:29 Nauthiz

22:30 – 23:29 Isa

Some sources use slightly different minute bounds or local time adjustments, but this is the widely referenced schema.

How to Use the System

Identify your birth date rune: find which half-month your birthday falls into using Table 2.

Identify your birth hour rune: find the time span covering your time of birth in Table 3.

Reflect on their meanings (Table 1): your date rune gives a core archetype or theme of your being; your hour rune gives a flavor of how you project or act in the world (akin to sun sign + rising sign in modern astrology).

Combine them: for example if your date rune is Kenaz and your hour rune is Mannaz, one might interpret “illumination/creative transformation (Kenaz) + human-collective/interconnection (Mannaz)” as part of your symbolic self‐map.

Use them as guides, not deterministic fate: the modern sources emphasize that these are tools of reflection rather than rigid prediction.

Some Notes & Caveats

Many scholars and practitioners note that the “birth rune” system is a modern adaptation (neopagan, mystical).

The runes themselves have rich historical usage (writing, magical inscriptions, amulets) but how exactly each rune was “interpreted” historically is debated and often fragmentary.

Time zones, local time, and calendar shifts (Julian → Gregorian) may call for adjustment if one tries to use the hour‐mapping in a historical context.

Some imitation systems may shift the date‐ranges by a day or two, or use local seasonal/regional variation.

The meanings in Table 1 are modern, interpretive, and vary by author/tradition. Use them as a starting point, not as canonical dogma.