Hagalaz

Mermaid

Thanks Umbrae, that makes heaps of sense.
 

einhverfr

Hagalaz analysis

Hagalaz has two forms in the Elder Futhark. In some inscriptions it looks similar to a letter H with a slanted bar, and in some it looks like the six-pointed star in a star sapphire.

Hagalaz is found in all Futhark-derived systems. In every poem, we have the image of it being a cold or white grain or seed. It is worth stating a few things about Norse beliefs regarding weather.

Although this note probably also belongs under Thurisaz, thunderstorms were considered fortunate during the summer and were thought to bring a larger harvest. They were also considered important on the eve of the wedding (as they were supposed to bring good fortune to the couple). Although one doesn't depend on the other, there is good reason to associate hail and lightening because they correlate pretty closely in strong storms. I.e. the higher the kenetic energy of the hail, the greater the possibility of lightening strikes (see http://www.iac.ethz.ch/doc/abstracts/hohl_2001.pdf for a summary of some research in this area).

The connection between lightning and hail here is hardly tentative. Thorr's goddess Sif (name translates as "Sib") is generally considered to be a grain goddess due to the myth of Loki cutting her hair and having to have the dwarves make her a new set. Thorr's name translates to "Thunderer." Although I am not certain, I would not be surprised if hailstorms were also considered to be good luck as well (I have always had good luck in connection with them).

Now... Thorsson makes an argument (tentative but worth listening to) which undermines this case to some extent. He argues that the ONRR's phrase "Christ shaped the world in ancient days" was orriginally "Hroptr shaped the world in ancient days" so as to preserve the allitteration. Hroptr is another name for Odhinn. If so this would also link the rune to the sacrifice of Ymir and the creation of the world from his body.

One of the important parallels between Hermeticism and Runic traditions is the concept of macrocosm and microcosm being related. Not only is the World Tree arguably a reference to the human, but also the sacrifice of Ymir makes the world around us something like a very primordial human-like entity. This basic concept is deeply woven into Norse myth.

The idea of Hagalaz being a healing rune comes largely from the Armanen tradition, which saw the rune as connected to the proto-Germanic *Hailagaz as well. *Hailagaz the common ancestor of words like Holy, :Health, Hello, and Hail (as in Hail and well met). In Old Norse, the name "Helgi" derives from this same root as well.

I have not determined what I think the "sickness of snakes" refers to, except that sleet would be problematic for snakes. which are cold blooded and might become much more sluggish after a sleet storm.

Hope this helps.