Ingawz

Ingwaz, otherwise known as Ing, Inguz, Yngvi, Iggws. I pronounce it ing-gwaaz

This Rune has long been associated with Norse fertility Gods, usually Ing (No surprise there!) and Frey, the Goddess Freya's sister. Frey and Freya are the 'black sheep' among the Gods mentioned in recorded myths, as they are of the Vanir, but live amongst the Aesir. The Vanir are fertility Gods basically, whilst the Aesir are war Gods. If my memory serves me correctly, the reason Frey and his sister came to live with the Aesir was as a show of mutual friendship and alliance between the Aesir and Vanir. Anyway, mythology lesson over...

This Rune is said to visually represent two bodies interlocked in a sexual embrace. There are 3 different ways of drawing this Rune that I know of however, but all 3 still bear significant resemblence to the sexual embrace. The most common I know of is what looks like two Kenaz's, one the right way round, the other not, kinda interlocked, to form what looks like one 'X' upon the other 'X'. The second form is simply this same symbol, but without the overlaps, thus giving you the symbol of a diamond. The third symbol is the same, but with only one side of overlaps taken away...

Due to this sexual connotation, and the link with fertility Gods, this Rune is known to represent the orgasm, fertility, fruition of plans, and birth. It is an extremely fortuitous Rune to get in a reading, as it signifies that if you have been in some kind of difficulty, that is now drawing to a close, and spiritually it says that you will soon reach a state of balance and inner quiet. It can also show the birth of new ideas, projects, adventures, so this Rune not only embodies completion (The orgasm) but also the beginning (The birth of the child implanted in the womb due to the orgasm). Basically, to interpret this Rune, use the sex-orgasm-birth analogy, and you can't go far wrong.

I do not see this Rune as having a Merkstave position, but Umbrae probably does, as we read Merkstaves differently. (Over to you Umbrae! )

Kiama

It's part of my (real-world) last name, so I carry good luck with me wherever I go ... btw, could Ing/Yngvi be related to the Celtic Aengus? The names certainly sound familiar, and IIRC, Angus was a god of youth, love and fertility, right? The Celtic and Germanic gods are certainly somehow related - think of Brigit/Frigg, Lugh/Loki, Gwydion/Wodan, Danu/Idunn, etc.

From my notebook

Pronounced (in typical left-coast Yank fashion) Ing-waz.

Widdershins (moving (east) against the sun.

The appearance of being constrained, isolated, separated.

Rest; listen to self. Gestation. Rest prior to/or new obvious growth period.

Root growth portion of the organic cycle (If you garden, you will notice that the upper portion of a plant only shows growth a couple of weeks at a time. Then it stops. It appears to do nothing. The roots are growing unseen. This is the essence of Ingwaz. In sex, a seed is fertilized, and most of the gestation is unseen.

Ingwaz is the rune by which power is stored.

As a merkstave, it represents production, toil, labor, work, and movement without change.

As a person, it represents a farmer or cleric.

Ingwaz was one of the primary third-function dieties of the Germanic peoples. Among the Norse he was called Fro Ing, Freyr, Frodhi, and a number of other names. Most of the concept of hidden growth comes from the idea that the shape is like that of a seed and perhaps a pictogram for one. Perhapse, but that is not what I am going to post about. Indeed, the silent potential fits along with the ordering of Ingwaz->Dagaz->Othila (as shown on most of the Futhark stones, though sometimes Dagaz and Othila are reversed).

Freyr is known for a number of actions. He was a member of the Vanir who was sent to the Aesir as a hostage following the First War. His sister, Freya, followed on her own free will. He is mentioned in the OIRP in connection with harvest. He is aslo known for a number of actions:

1) He gives up his sword as dowry for his marriage to the giantess Gerdh ("Resplenance").

2) He fights the giant Beli and since he has no sword, slays Beli using a stag's antler.

3) In Ragnarok he fights Surt ("The Swarthy One") and is slain.

See my discussion under Elhaz for more about the symbolism of the sword. As for giving it up, I suspect that Freyr did this because he was giving up his soverein functions in order to live up to his potential as a prosperity/dispenser of riches/harvest god.

A few more notes:

In connection with other traditions, Monmouth's Vita Merlini has Merlin fighting with a stag's anter too in at least one instanse. In this case, he kills his opponent by throwing a stag's antler at him, so I don't think that this is connected with horned god imagery. And again, Snorri explains the whole fighting with the antler bit as having the antler as an alternative to the sword.

Also most of the iconography of Freyr shows him with a huge phallus. I think it is reasonably obvious that this is connected with his role as a firtility god.

In general, Freyr is in the "dispenser of riches" category. He is a warrior but that is not his primary function. For further reading I would suggest Snorri's Edda and Skirnismal.

Umbrae said:

Rest; listen to self. Gestation. Rest prior to/or new obvious growth period.

Root growth portion of the organic cycle (If you garden, you will notice that the upper portion of a plant only shows growth a couple of weeks at a time. Then it stops. It appears to do nothing. The roots are growing unseen. This is the essence of Ingwaz. In sex, a seed is fertilized, and most of the gestation is unseen.

Click to expand...

In a timing related issue, does the above mean that the timing is very slow? According to a couple of my rune books, the 'change is just around the corner'. Yet this indicates the slow growth of a plant which could be weeks.

Does it also mean that this is a gestation period? I am confused as my books say it is the completion of a cycle similar to the World card in Tarot.

The more I study the runes, the more I see the balance within each one and the group as a whole.

Ingwaz for example would seem to be un reversable or not capable of being merkstave yet events in my own life would suggest that both interpretations can be present at the same time.

There can be rest before a new venture whilst what we actually feel is stagnation. There can be a spark of new life, gestation of new ideas yet impotence to do anything about it.

Does that make sense?

More thoughts...

I see your point, Milfoil...

Inguz carries such a masculine and sexual energy for me. Paul Rhys Mountfort mentions orgone--a powerful sexual energy--in his piece on Inguz. I agree: Inguz runs very deep. It's embodies the organic chain of heredity and life. It's a spark that ignites creativity, love, passion, and an impetus that is unique to the human race. All creatures create...but humans have such a powerful creative force that it must be controlled, tamed, and deeply understood.

Inguz reminds me of the Aces of the Tarot all rolled into one. Wow.

-FS-

Thanks for your input although I am still confused about this rune regarding timing. I'm now taking it to mean that what is going to happen has been building for a long time and the new growth will 'burst forth' suddenly but it has been there, under the surface for a while gaining momentum. So it is a slow rune of quick change. It has been likened in several of my books to being similar to the male orgasm.

I also take it to mean, when incorporating the above, that the matter is in hand. It will come to fruition in its own time and when it does it will be sudden.

I'm still researching though and would appreciate anymore thoughts.

Fulgourisms

Ingwaz can be seen as a double-Gebo
or Kenaz as if reflecting upon itself...
even an Othala breaking free upwards
or Jera come together, fitting in place.