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Product Description
Historical facts about the runes in plain English. This book looks at what we really know about them and how we know it. There is also a discussion of the popular authors of esoteric runology, and a chapter exposing the myths and misconceptions about runes perpetuated in many popular rune manuals. The Primer will provide you with a basic factual foundation of rune knowledge, and enable you to sort the useful gems from the rubbish in your future investigations.
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Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Divination > Runes
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This little gem of a book measures 13cm x 10cm with 8 Chapters but contains therein, a wealth of useful information about the fuŞark runes that is aimed at the rune novice. It contrasts strongly against many other popular New Ageist themed rune works but in doing so, "The Rune Primer" is different because it dares to directly challenge the many false and deliberately created myths surrounding the very fabric and nature of the runes. Written by an intelligent heathen author and attested with researched information, the author voices his opinions in an objective fashion as he attempts to put the record straight on so much of the misinformation existing out there today on these enigmatic symbols.
If you are caught up in the confusing dogma surrounding the runes or have no idea just why so much postmodernist nonsense came about on ancient runes and runic matters, than this book is certainly a very good starting place to separate the wheat from the chaff. A lot of misinformed ideas are given about the fuŞark runes from various sources and those who propagate such nonsense are clearly identified. This newer edition contains 175 pages of printed material, that's 90 more pages than the author's original submission "Runic Primer".
Furthermore the author benchmarks 1970s as a transitional period when the runes found a renewed interest, a sort of postmodernist renaissance of all things considered magical and in particular divinatory tools, the runes falling into this category. Key figures cited by the author in this chronology of runic contributors stemming from the 70s are JRR Tolkien, Michael Howard, Ralph Blum and off course Edred Thorsson is known as Dr. Stephen Edred Flowers. Freya Aswynn and Kveldulf Gundarsson are also discussed. I knew both of them during the early 90s, Kveldulf briefly on two occasions and at a reconstructed Seidr session I took part in with him and therefore can verify that the author's subjective observations of these two Ring of Troth characters are indeed very accurate!
This revised edition has Three Rune Poems and the Runatal, original text and new translation with notes, the Gothic Alphabet plus useful websites and a more books for further studies list. In conclusion, allow me to quote a passage from stanza 27 of Voluspo also known as The Wise-Woman's Prophecy. Here the WÖlwa turns from her memories of the past to a statement of some of Othin's own secrets in his eternal search for knowledge (stanzas 27-29)
I know of the horn of Heimdall, hidden
Under the high-reaching holy tree;
On it there pours from Valfather's pledge
A mighty stream: would you know yet more?
Read this book and you will! A boon to any new student of runes and it does what it says on the title, "A Down-to-Earth Guide to the Runes".
My heartfelt congratulations therefore goes out to Sweyn Plowright and I highly recommend this book to all those who search for truth devoid of the glossy New Ageism so prevalent runes today!
If you are caught up in the confusing dogma surrounding the runes or have no idea just why so much postmodernist nonsense came about on ancient runes and runic matters, than this book is certainly a very good starting place to separate the wheat from the chaff. A lot of misinformed ideas are given about the fuŞark runes from various sources and those who propagate such nonsense are clearly identified. This newer edition contains 175 pages of printed material, that's 90 more pages than the author's original submission "Runic Primer".
Furthermore the author benchmarks 1970s as a transitional period when the runes found a renewed interest, a sort of postmodernist renaissance of all things considered magical and in particular divinatory tools, the runes falling into this category. Key figures cited by the author in this chronology of runic contributors stemming from the 70s are JRR Tolkien, Michael Howard, Ralph Blum and off course Edred Thorsson is known as Dr. Stephen Edred Flowers. Freya Aswynn and Kveldulf Gundarsson are also discussed. I knew both of them during the early 90s, Kveldulf briefly on two occasions and at a reconstructed Seidr session I took part in with him and therefore can verify that the author's subjective observations of these two Ring of Troth characters are indeed very accurate!
This revised edition has Three Rune Poems and the Runatal, original text and new translation with notes, the Gothic Alphabet plus useful websites and a more books for further studies list. In conclusion, allow me to quote a passage from stanza 27 of Voluspo also known as The Wise-Woman's Prophecy. Here the WÖlwa turns from her memories of the past to a statement of some of Othin's own secrets in his eternal search for knowledge (stanzas 27-29)
I know of the horn of Heimdall, hidden
Under the high-reaching holy tree;
On it there pours from Valfather's pledge
A mighty stream: would you know yet more?
Read this book and you will! A boon to any new student of runes and it does what it says on the title, "A Down-to-Earth Guide to the Runes".
My heartfelt congratulations therefore goes out to Sweyn Plowright and I highly recommend this book to all those who search for truth devoid of the glossy New Ageism so prevalent runes today!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is perhaps the best book anyone who is interested in the subject could buy as a starting point for further study. It sets the record straight about some of the fantasist nonsense that has abounded in most publications about the runes. It further sets you on your guard against accepting all that you subsequently hear and read.
The book is not overly long. There is no useless padding here. in fact you can read it in a few hours. However you can actually feel that you have learned something when you have finished.
My only criticism is the part of the book's `Myth Busting ` section in which author deals with the Metagenetic theory of Steve McNallen. In justifying his (the author's) stance against the `Folkish' elements of Asatru the author states that `' Although all of my known ancestors were fair blue eyed northern Europeans, each generation further back I find double the number of ancestors (2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparent, etc). You do not have to go too far back before the number of ancestors is so huge that some are certain to have been from different regions of the world''. This statement implies that the amount of individual ancestors as individual people doubles every generation. By that calculation each person would have 30 generations back a total greater than 10 billion individual ancestors (approximately 3.3 billion more than the current world population). This thinking is obviously wrong. Modern populations and peoples have sprung from relatively few people and if you believe the theory of some geneticists most 'Europeans' are descended from only seven males who lived around 40,000 years ago.
Putting aside that fault (that in essence comes from the need to make statements to suit modern multi-cultural sensibilities) I wish this was the first book on the subject I had read.
The book is not overly long. There is no useless padding here. in fact you can read it in a few hours. However you can actually feel that you have learned something when you have finished.
My only criticism is the part of the book's `Myth Busting ` section in which author deals with the Metagenetic theory of Steve McNallen. In justifying his (the author's) stance against the `Folkish' elements of Asatru the author states that `' Although all of my known ancestors were fair blue eyed northern Europeans, each generation further back I find double the number of ancestors (2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparent, etc). You do not have to go too far back before the number of ancestors is so huge that some are certain to have been from different regions of the world''. This statement implies that the amount of individual ancestors as individual people doubles every generation. By that calculation each person would have 30 generations back a total greater than 10 billion individual ancestors (approximately 3.3 billion more than the current world population). This thinking is obviously wrong. Modern populations and peoples have sprung from relatively few people and if you believe the theory of some geneticists most 'Europeans' are descended from only seven males who lived around 40,000 years ago.
Putting aside that fault (that in essence comes from the need to make statements to suit modern multi-cultural sensibilities) I wish this was the first book on the subject I had read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is exactly what it promises itself to be; a down-to-Earth, no-nonsense approach to the runes. This book is a starting point intended to allow the student of the runes to make up their own mind and continue their studies in their own direction. The author makes no unsubstatiated claims and always states when there is no clear evidence or conflicting evidence. The chapters devoted to the pros and cons of several other prominent authors on the subject and the chapter on 'myth-busting' were particularly helpful in deciding my next point of study.
In my opinion this book is more than worth the money and is well deserving of five stars.
In my opinion this book is more than worth the money and is well deserving of five stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Best beginners book on Runes
This is by far the best book to buy if you are starting out studying the runes (or have become lost in the deluge of New Age confussion). Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2009 by J. Weber
An Indispensable Introduction to the Runes
This excellent book, written by an author with long and extensive experience of esoteric runology, gives exactly what it promises: a sound, no-nonsense introduction to the Nordic... Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2009 by Christopher A. Smith
Great purchase
Good book and a great addition to the bookcase! very readable and accesible, a lovely book in the Author's no nonsense well researched presentation.
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by T. Smith
Primer Info
The edition reviewed above was the pocket version of this book (the same, just smaller in format).
This book was written after many requests for an easy to read... Read more
This book was written after many requests for an easy to read... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2007 by S. Plowright
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