33 Runes That Speak Your Language:
The “Œpandi Nam” Heard ‘Round the World!
The American Futharch
Old English Tradition Restored by Eirik Westcoat
Why New Runes? Eirik’s Epiphany:
“I loved the old runic systems for their wondrous fit to their languages: a near-perfect harmony of signs and sounds. Writing inscriptions in those languages meant inscribing the actual sounds of what you said—the true beauty of the runic writing tradition. But you couldn’t do that with modern English: as everyone knows, English spelling is horrible, and using existing futharks for it was scarcely better, inevitably treating the futharks like alphabets.
There had to be a better way! Finally, in early 2023, while naming the sounds of American English for poetic purposes, I had my epiphany—that I could draw on all my experience in runes, linguistics, languages, mythology, esotericism, poetry, and more to restore that perfect fit of signs and sounds in a new futhark expressly for American English. And what’s more, it would be an American futhark of American runes that could Do All The Things, not just writing, and be something of immensely profound beauty! With that, the American Futharch was born.”
Write Exactly Like an Ancient Runemaster!
In the time of the first runemasters of the Elder Futhark, roughly at or prior to the beginning of the Common Era, writing in runes meant the following three steps:
- Select the word to write.
- Identify the individual sounds that make up the word.
- Carve in order the individual runes that correspond directly to those individual sounds.
The emphasis is on sound. There’s no letters involved. And now with the American Futharch, you can follow this three-step process exactly like an ancient runemaster—for the first time in centuries!
Harmony in Communication
With the American Futharch, your runic writing will finally be in harmony with your ritual and magical speech. Communicate with the holy gods, the ancestors, your higher Self, and the objective universe more effectively when your voice and writing accord with such wondrous beauty and simplicity. You and they deserve this!
Are You an American Runer?
An American Runer is a New Breed of Runer:
- Proud of your Country.
- Proud of your American Language.
- Prouder now of both with your American Runes.
It’s your Language.
These are your Runes.
Declare your Independence from English spelling in your Runic Writing and Join the Revolution!
Featuring the American English Rune Poem
A proper futhark simply must have an authentic rune poem composed in a traditional meter in its proper language. Such poems reveal many mysteries and serve as the guiding stars of their futharks.
For the first time in centuries, there’s a new rune poem that meets those easy-to-say but hard-to-fulfill requirements. Meet the American English Rune Poem (AERP).
What?
A Reform of Ancient & Accepted Runes
The American Futharch starts from the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc and updates it for today’s language, blending tradition and linguistics to restore the critical missing piece: the living language link that the ancient runemasters enjoyed—the 1-to-1 correspondence of runes to sounds.
Magic
Magical, not Mundane
Designed for magic, and to be magical. Carve, chant, and galdor with them just like other runes. They’re better for magic because they’re better for writing.
Divination
Rune-Casting Ready
Carve on lots and cast them just like any other runes. Use whatever casting rituals and methods of interpretation you prefer.
Poetry
The Key to Alliteration and Rhyme
Built with poetic integration. With these 33 runes, all possible alliterations and rhymes in American English poetry may be precisely described.
Your Phonics
A Meaning-Filled Guide to American English
Master the mysteries—the runes—of your own speech with the American Futharch as your guide to speech sounds.
Esotericism
The Runes in the Tree
Nine vowels for the nine worlds of Yggdrasil, and 24 consonants for its 24 roadways. But that’s only the beginning.
Write by Sound
Pronunciation, not Spelling
Go by ear. No ugly alphabet hacks or alphabetic spelling conventions. No Latinate lunacies, like the letters Q or X. All the sounds, and only the sounds, needed for American English.
Modern Names
Rune Names for Today
These 33 rune names are from the modern language, including names of our gods in their English forms. Many will be recognizable as descendants of rune names from earlier futharks.
AERP
The American English Rune Poem
Complete with a genuine new rune poem—a guide to rune sounds and meanings, written in the traditional alliterative style by a highly experienced poet—just as a proper futhark should have.
Mythic Command!
Hávamál 144
In the famous Rúnatal, Odin asks us about our rune knowledge: “Do you know how write? Do you know how to read?” For the earliest runemasters, that meant the above three-step process! Fulfill Odin’s imperative with the American Futharch!
Full-Fledged
A Complete Runic System
The first such truly complete runic system in centuries, with All The Things: magic, divination, poetry, esotericism, phonics, writing, rune poem, and the critical living-language link we’ve been missing all this time!
Do All The Things!
It’s Morning in America!
Isn’t it time you had runes that could Do All The Things? That time is here, and it’s a new dawn for the modern runic revival. It’s an exciting time to be an American Runer!
Sacred English: American Runes and Alliterative Poetry
✓ A Nine-Session Online Course
✓ Learn to Read and Write American Futharch Runes with the Traditional Poetic Key
✓ Learn to Write the Native Sacred Poetry of the Runes
✓ Unlock the Keys to the Full Power of Sacred Runic Speech
✓ Learn Directly from the Creator of the American Futharch
✓ The First of Many Courses in the American Futharch
✓ Enrollment for Fall 2024 is Now Closed
Can’t Wait? Try This!
A Sample of the Sacred English Course
Enrollment for Fall 2024 has closed and the first cohort has begun their runic quest! But the turning of the year’s wheel will bring a new semester. Join our mailing list, and you’ll be notified when enrollment re-opens—and while you’re waiting, you’ll get a taste of the course with a FREE video and pdf handout of a sample lesson. The full course will super-charge your learning of the American Futharch and how to write with it. Take your first steps toward mastering the American Futharch.
American Runes and Alliterative Poetry belong together, like peanut butter & jelly, gin & tonic, or bacon & eggs. Find out why, and make your English sacred again with their powers combined!
Resources
I want to use the American Futharch on my computer or mobile device!
Awesome, and we encourage it!
Check out this Computer Resources page for keyboards and more.
I want to spread the Revolution!
Great! Write things in these runes and post them far and wide.
Here’s a printable and freely distributable short introduction page to hand out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why “Futharch” and not futhark?
All the various runic futharks are named for their first six sounds. Sound #6 here is the “ch” in Charcoal, so it’s pronounced “Futh-arch.”
But isn’t the alphabet a guide to English sounds?
No. The alphabet is “the world pulled over your eyes to blind you to the truth” of how your language actually sounds. When you’re ready for “the red pill,” the American Futharch is here.
Why “American” and not “British” or “Universal” English?
The short answer has to do with certain differences in the vowel systems of English. See this page for a longer answer.
Can you say something about the linguistic basis for 33 runes?
Sure. Here’s the page with the discussion. It’s probably not quite as complex as you expected.
Why isn’t Ice a rune name here? And what about other legacy rune names?
For Ice, the short answer is linguistics, that its vowel is two sounds, not one. And a core design principle here is “one sound, one stave.” For a longer answer, which also addresses other legacy rune names, see this page with more details and more of the design principles.
What about various American dialects?
The American Futharch is designed for flexibility with American dialects. See this page for more about dialects.
When and how did this start?
Eirik has been developing the American Futharch since early 2023. His research into the origins of the Elder Futhark inspired this poetically-grounded restoration of the living-language link.
What informs the esoteric approach in this?
Much of this comes out of Eirik’s work in the Rune-Gild, where he is a Master. And quite deliberately, the American Futharch is designed so that one could do all the exercises of the Rune-Gild’s Nine Doors curriculum with it.
Who is this Eirik Westcoat?
See the Created By page for details about Eirik.
I have a question that’s not listed.
After looking over the site, let Eirik know what’s on your mind through the Contact page.
How can I find out more?
Join the Mailing List to stay up to date on course offerings and other surprises.
News, Events, and Happenings
The American Futharch Blog
33
Runes
24
Consonants
9
Vowels
5
Diphthongs
1
American Futharch