Mannaz

NameProto-GermanicOld EnglishOld Norse
*mannazman[n]maðr
'man, human'
ShapeElder FutharkFuthorcYounger Futhark
Unicode
U+16D7
U+16D8
U+16D9
Transliterationm
Transcriptionm
IPA[m]
Position in
rune-row
2014
Two early forms of the /m/ rune of the Younger Futhark.

Mannaz is the conventional name of the /m/ rune of the Elder Futhark. It is derived from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic (or Common Germanic) word for 'man', *mannaz.

The Younger Futhark equivalent is maðr ('man'). It took up the shape of the algiz rune , replacing Elder Futhark .

As its sound value and form in the Elder Futhark indicate, it is derived from the letter for /m/, 𐌌, in the Old Italic alphabets, ultimately from the Greek letter mu (uppercase Μ, lowercase μ).

Rune poems

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The rune is recorded in all three rune poems, in the Norwegian and Icelandic poems as maðr, and in the Anglo-Saxon poem as man.

Rune poem[1] English translation

Norwegian:

Maðr er moldar auki;
mikil er græip á hauki.

Man is an augmentation of the soil;
great is the claw of the hawk.

Icelandic:

Maðr er manns gaman
ok moldar auki
ok skipa skreytir.

Man is the joy of man
and augmentation of the soil
and adorner of ships.

Old English (Anglo-Saxon):

Man bẏþ on mẏrgþe his magan leof:
sceal þeah anra gehƿẏlc oðrum sƿican,
forðum drẏhten ƿẏle dome sine
þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.

The joyous man is dear to his kinsmen;
yet every man is doomed to fail his fellow,
since the Lord by his decree
will commit the vile carrion to the earth.

Modern usage

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For the 'man' rune of the Armanen Futharkh as the 'life' rune in Germanic mysticism, see Lebensrune.

References

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  1. ^ Original poems and translation from the Rune Poem Page Archived 1999-05-01 at the Wayback Machine ("Ragnar's Ragweed Forge").

See also

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