Are the runes in themselves magical?

[Sarapham]

More off topic ranting..

 

Some years ago i heard or read somewhere that Thor and Tyr might be the same god, any new info on this?

 

 

Well the germanic and norse gods can be a bit of a mess as there are not many reliable sources. Regarding Tyr I think that Tyr more likely evolved into Odin.

 

Tyr/Tiwaz seemed the main god in germanic faith and the god of war. In later sources however Tiwaz disappears more and and more in favor of Odin as the lord of war and the lord gods overall and Odin takes over many of the attributes normally associated with Tiwaz. Tiwaz is only later resurrected as Tyr within icelandic texts where he becomes a secondary god of war after Odin and in a way more a god of pure combat and seen as very elderly.

 

What does add to the confusion of this is that Thor seems to have been the most revered god all over Scandinavia at least and therefore becomes "the main god" which was previously attributed to Tiwaz, which where the idea you have heard may have come from.

[Grey Mage]

Generally speaking it is thought that the Cult of Tyr was, at one point, the pre-imminent warrior cult of scandinavia, but at some point was replaced by the cult of Odin, and at that time assumed head of the pantheon.... much like origionally the Vanir, in example Frey and Freya, were origionally not part of the religion at all, but absorbed into it.... wich is shown metaphorically in the eddas *or great sagas*.

 

In any case, that Wyrm you occaissionally see is most likely either 1) someones odd imagination or 2) Jormungundr, the world serpent. Much like a fenrisian Kraken he is thought to be so large as to girdle the entire earth, and will die, and kill, thor in an epic battle at the end of the age.

 

Seriously though, theres no reason for him to be present in most runes.... Id reccommend the following sight as one of the best runic resources Ive come accross, if for nothing other than that their information is readily confirmed:

http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/

[Sarapham]

Seriously though, theres no reason for him to be present in most runes....

 

 

Very true as the idea of Jormungandr is a later construct and an amalgamation of different myths so it was not something common in Germanic myth.

 

However if you want to use it as a theme there is at least some relation to myth. :)

[Token]

Are there other symbols connecterd to the asabelief, other the the thors hammer? I might use a thorshammer as a chapter sign, perhaps with a moon in the background, to connect it somewhat to the space wolves. What other signs could be apropriate?

[Sarapham]

Are there other symbols connecterd to the asabelief, other the the thors hammer? I might use a thorshammer as a chapter sign, perhaps with a moon in the background, to connect it somewhat to the space wolves. What other signs could be apropriate?

 

I would suggest using runes in some combination as it is the most related to the mythology and still works within 40K lore.

[CainTheHunter]

Jormungundr, is actually a quite an odd symbol, it's almost an archetype (at least according to Carl Jung), since it represents the idea of Oroboros, which is common to many religions around the word. It is the Wyrm, the Serpent, the Dragon, and it is dwelling in some place now long forgotten...

[Wolfeslad]

Back to the topic :P the power is in the priest, not the runes, the runes just act as a focus point for his power :P

[Grey Mage]

Are there other symbols connecterd to the asabelief, other the the thors hammer? I might use a thorshammer as a chapter sign, perhaps with a moon in the background, to connect it somewhat to the space wolves. What other signs could be apropriate?

Vaulknots, also known as "odin knots" are a common one, they appear to be made of several upside down triangles intertwined. Theres also the 8 legged horse, sleiphnir, odins spear, ravens, the off-set ladder *pole in the middle, one ofset rung on each side kinda like a cross*, bores heads, hounds heads, dragonheads, fishheads.... winged maidens- the valkyries origionally rode giant winged wolves, later were described as having feathered swan cloaks that let them fly, wich in turn became such legends as the swan princess. Crossed Skis or a drawn bow for Ullr, the god of archery, or his GF Skadi, the frost giantess who invented snow-shoing.

 

The term youll probly want to look up for these kinds of things is "asatru symbols", asatru being probly the best representation of old norse mythology as a religion.