Futhorc

*Futhorc runes in apple wood*

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Then I began to quicken and be wise,

and to grow and to prosper;

one word found another word for me,

one deed found another deed for me.

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The runes you must find and the meaningful letter,

a very great letter,

a very powerful letter,

which the mighty sage stained

and the powerful gods made

and the runemaster of the gods carved out.

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Odin for the Æsir, and Dain for the elves,

Dvalin for the dwarfs,

Asvid for the giants,

I myself carved some.

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Do you know how to carve, do you know how to interpret,

do you know how to stain, do you know how to test out,

do you know how to ask, do you know how to sacrifice,

do you know how to dispatch, do you know how to slaughter?

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Better not to pray, than to sacrifice too much,

one gift always calls for another;

better not dispatched than to slaughter too much.

So Thund carved before the history of nations,

where he rose up, when he came back.

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from Sayings of the High One, Poetic Edda, trans. Larrington