Fe (rune)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fe rune ᚠ represents the f-sound. It is the first letter of the Futhark alphabet. Its name means "(mobile) wealth", cognate to English fee with an original meaning "sheep" or "cattle" (German Vieh, Sanskrit pashu). The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *fehu, loaned into Latin as feudum (see Feudalism).
The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v 𐌅 , like Greek Digamma Ϝ and Latin F ultimately from Phoenician wāw .
The name is recorded in all three rune poems:
- ᚠ Fé vældr frænda róge;
- føðesk ulfr í skóge.
- Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen;
- the wolf lives in the forest.
- ᚠ Fé er frænda róg
- ok flæðar viti
- ok grafseiðs gata
- aurum fylkir.
- Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen
- and fire of the sea
- and path of the serpent.
- ᚠ Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;
- sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
- gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
- Wealth is a comfort to all men;
- yet must every man bestow it freely,
- if he wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord.
The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is 𐍆 f, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.
Rune alphabet | see also: Rune poems · Runestones · Runology · Runic divination · Runes in popular culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elder Fuþark: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚨ | ᚱ | ᚲ | ᚷ | ᚹ | ᚺ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛃ | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛊ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛜ | ᛞ | ᛟ | ||||||
Anglo-Saxon Fuþorc: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚩ | ᚱ | ᚳ | ᚷ | ᚹ | ᚻ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛄ | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛋ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛝ | ᛞ | ᛟ | ᚪ | ᚫ | ᚣ | ᛠ | ||
Younger Fuþark: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚬ | ᚱ | ᚴ | ᚼ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛅ | ᛋ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛘ | ᛚ | ᛦ | ||||||||||||||
transliteration: | f | u | þ | a | r | k | g | w | h | n | i | j | a | ï | p | z | s | t | b | e | m | l | ŋ | d | o | R | a | æ | y | ea |