Rune Study Group: Perthro

Umbrae

Perthro:
"perth-row" (P: Lot cup, vagina.) Looks like an angular letter C (or a dice-cup on its side).

The lot cup. The embodiment of the 3-Norns. Fellowship, joy, good luck.
Secret to be revealed. Sudden monetary gain. It's from the lot cup, that the dice are rolled (from the vagina comes, birth). But nothing occurs if you don't roll the dice. So, roll the dice. If you do not play, there is no luck. Great men create their own luck...Through action. The time is right. Recovery of health.

It is said that the Teutonic/Norse peoples loved to gamble for whatever the stakes may be/have been. We think of the Norsemen going forth to battle to die, while laughing, for it was ‘luck’ and ‘fate’, which prevailed.

This is the rune of divination (casting lots, casting runes). The concept of Urdhr-Verdhandi-Skuld (that which has become-that which is-that which is to be coming [the Three Norns]) is seen as a web that precludes accidental or happenstance events. The act of casting the runes is to attempt to reach an awareness of the workings of Urdhr (Anglo-Saxon version Wyrd from which we obtain the word weird).

The Teutonic/Norse peoples did not see time as linear progression of past present future as we now see it. Rather, the past is close and alive, the present is simply a fleeting illusion based on that which has become. The past present future exists not as a three fold Roman concept, but as a two-fold concept.

“That which is”, is everything that has ever happened, and “That which is becoming”. This is not to be viewed as a linear concept.

Understanding time concepts is critical in the understanding and use of Runes.

Pertains to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina.

As a Merkstave; addiction, stagnation, loneliness…do not loan money.

As a person; a Musician or Entertainer
 

Kiama

Damn, you beat me to it! I had written out domthing for this Rue, but I took to long away from Aeclectic, and missed my chance... But what you wrotews far better Umbrae!

If it's okay with you, I'll post what I wrote anyway, just in case it could add smething to what you have aleady written. :D

Peorth (Also known as Perthro. I pronounce it as pay-orth although Umbrae probably says it differently!) :D

This Rune has long been debated... There are so many theories as to what it represents, and nobody is quite sure which one is right! Some say this Rune is a Dice Cup turned on its side, and thus it signifies Fate, Luck, Gambling... The dice have been rolled out of teh cup, but you cannot tell which number will be shown. This definition also means it can represent secrecy and the Unknown...

Other theories include that of the Womb: The Cup-like shape of this Rune has been said to be a representation of the Womb, and using this definition we can say that it represents secrecy, the unknown, but also initiation. The dark caves which are used so often in initiation ceremonies from all around the worl represent the womb of the mother, the return to that cocoon, and a realisation of where we come from... The same is said to be true of Peorth.

Still other theories simply say that this Rune means deep mystery due to its non-identifiable-ness! Given this deifnition one could say that it represents something hidden that will come to light, and hidden forces working in your favour. This does actually correspond quite well with the idea of the Womb...

There is one more theory about this Rune, but I have forgotten it and my little sister has yet again borrowed the book that it was written in, and I can't find it... *Sigh* Hopefully Umbrae can shed light on some other theories for this Rune.

Whicever theory you o by, most of them agree that this Rune represents mystery, hidden knowledge, and things suddenly coming to light. Just as the dice falls from the cup and the baby from the womb, secrets and realisations fall from the lips and mind... It can also represent a good time to gamble, and a good time to focus more on spiritual things.

Kiama
 

Alissa

This rune is stalking me...

Perthro has been my daily rune draw about every other day for the past 2 weeks. It is positively *stalking* me.

From Umbrae's description, I recognize several of the qualities that pertain to what's happening for me right now. Examining that which was, as well as that which is becoming, all around me in the current time. And the ever-present is the fleeting moment of all that stands between what lies behind us and what lies before us. The intersection, the cross roads. So be here now.

The Divine feminine force, the Lot cup. Roll the dice. See how it plays out this time around. You can't win if you don't play.

From Kiama's description, I recognize my own recent studies on Kali, dark feminine Divine power and quoth Kiama, "secrets and realisations fall from the lips and mind... It can also represent a good time to gamble, and a good time to focus more on spiritual things."

Indeed~!

I am hardly surprised any more when I pull Perthro from my bag (yet again) in the mornings. It does makes me laugh though.

Runes are interesting, aren't they???
 

einhverfr

Perthro Analysis

This rune has been hotly contested as to its meaning. The problems involved in reconstructing the knowledge about this rune include: 1) Insufficient linguistic evidence, and 2) the fact that it is only in one of the Elder Futhark derivatives that survived long enough to have survivng rune poems written down. There is no Mod. Eng. word that traces its roots back to the OE Peorth (and hence to the Proto-Germanic *perthro).

I am not inclined to accept Freya Aswynn's argument that the relevant section of the OERP should be reread to mean something like womb and birth, as I think that this is fairly difficult to argue that several words in one stanza (and one stanza only) are corrupted and need to be reinterpreted. However, such reinterpretation seems unnecessary anyway in that the same conclusions can be reached more simply by looking at available lore concerning lots.

If we are to accept the general interpretation that Perthro reprepresents the lot box used in gambling, then this would connect Peorth (and hence Perthro) with two other important concepts: luck and fate. Luck was seen to be an active concept in Norse thought, and probably among the Anglo-Saxons too. The idea that one could be a "lucky" person or an "unlucky" person was well accepted. Therefore the idea was that luck could affect the world around oneself.

THe second concept to look at is the concept of fate. The Norse would have divided this into two areas: Orlog and Urdh. (Orlaw and Wyrd in OE, Wyrd becomes Weird in Mod. Eng.). Orlog means "primal law" and I suspect refered to general constraints that a given person would have in terms of the world's reaction to actions that the given person might perform. Urdh/Wyrd means something like "That which has turned" or more loosely translated "Past Action." It is probably a cognate or at least parallel concept to the Hindu concept of Karma (which literally means Action) but generally lacks the sort of judgemental qualities that the concept of Karma has picked up. Urdh/Wyrd could be inherited from one's ancestors, for example and could be mitigated by action before it would set in. Urdh/Wyrd can be thought of as the weight of all past action on the present situation.

Urdh as one of the Norns is also closely related to the concept of luck. Voluspa tells of the coming of the Norns, and how they made laws and chose lots for the humans.

If one thinks of Wyrd a process of manifestation of potential based on past actions, then one can think of this rune as an opening rune, or a rune of manifestation. It could represent the womb and the tomb, the well, a rune of opening doors within the self, or of peering into hidden aspects of this world. But much of this is tentative. This is one rune where we don't really have a lot of lore to reference directly.
 

Ace of Stars

Wow -- it's been 10 years since anyone posted here.

I have an assignment of writing daily inspiring messages for the runes, and am finding this one the trickiest (not surprising, considering the non-consensus on its meaning, I guess).
Anyway, this is what I've come up with. I am going for the overlapping meanings of fate/luck and birth after reading Paxson and Gerrard, and using my own intuition. Feedback welcome.


"Today is a day to think about your inheritance, your lot in life, what you were born with. Think about all that your family has given you, the good and the bad, the physical and personality characteristics, beliefs and attitudes, tangible gifts, shared experiences. How have these things shaped you? Is there any area where you are holding on to resentment, or a wish that things could have been different? The things that happened in the past cannot be changed; however, the stories and meaning we give to these things can. Sometimes, simply by bringing awareness to our "fate," we can make a small shift and change the future."
 

magpie9

Are you talking about your family orlog?
 

Ace of Stars

Yes, orlog.

I understand this rune is complex -- I will get to know it better.