Umbrae
Reversed?
Reversed...Uh...yes no not really let me chat for a moment.
This may end up in a later thread.
You see, in our modern society, we view things in forms of duality.
Perhaps we borrowed it from the Asian yin-yang.
However we do see things as good/evil, black/white, holy/unholy, positive/negative, and upright/reversed. This concept is largely borrowed from the middle east, where it is/was common practice to divide things into perfect good/ perfect evil.
Absolute concepts are swell when you are devising a religion, but the world is relative; this viewpoint does not allow for local customs and beliefs.
The Teutonic/Norse peoples did not hold to an absolutist view of good and evil. They held with the beliefs of right and justice, correct behavior within your society.
The concept of Merkstave is a modern, dualistic use/belief (perpetrated by authors who need to sell books, and do little to no conclusive research). In constructing a ‘view’ of each rune, I have a choice: to provide as much information as possible and allow each user to assimilate what they will, or endorse my beliefs and use as the only correct viewpoint.
Is a Merkstave reversed? Some say face down is a Merkstave. Some say if the rune is upside down it is a Merkstave. I personally adhere to neither of these beliefs, but use a Merkstave in a layout (similar to a Tarot layout).
Reversed...Uh...yes no not really let me chat for a moment.
This may end up in a later thread.
You see, in our modern society, we view things in forms of duality.
Perhaps we borrowed it from the Asian yin-yang.
However we do see things as good/evil, black/white, holy/unholy, positive/negative, and upright/reversed. This concept is largely borrowed from the middle east, where it is/was common practice to divide things into perfect good/ perfect evil.
Absolute concepts are swell when you are devising a religion, but the world is relative; this viewpoint does not allow for local customs and beliefs.
The Teutonic/Norse peoples did not hold to an absolutist view of good and evil. They held with the beliefs of right and justice, correct behavior within your society.
The concept of Merkstave is a modern, dualistic use/belief (perpetrated by authors who need to sell books, and do little to no conclusive research). In constructing a ‘view’ of each rune, I have a choice: to provide as much information as possible and allow each user to assimilate what they will, or endorse my beliefs and use as the only correct viewpoint.
Is a Merkstave reversed? Some say face down is a Merkstave. Some say if the rune is upside down it is a Merkstave. I personally adhere to neither of these beliefs, but use a Merkstave in a layout (similar to a Tarot layout).