license: cc-by-4.0
language:
- en
pretty_name: Elder Futhark Rune Meanings (AskRunes)
size_categories:
- n<1K
tags:
- runes
- elder-futhark
- divination
- norse
- mythology
- esoteric
- tarot-and-divination
task_categories:
- text-generation
- question-answering
Elder Futhark Rune Meanings — AskRunes Dataset
A structured dataset of all 24 Elder Futhark runes with divinatory meanings, curated by AskRunes.com — a free rune reading platform offering 22 curated spreads interpreted around the user's question.
Each record contains the rune's traditional attributes (position, Unicode symbol, transliteration, literal meaning, aett) and its full divinatory interpretations exported verbatim from AskRunes: general symbolism, upright and reversed (merkstave) readings for all 24 runes, love and career guidance in both orientations, meditation guidance, and the rune's affirmations. Note on reversals: some traditions skip reversed readings for the six visually symmetrical runes; AskRunes interprets reversals for every rune, since its digital draw tracks each stone's orientation — the visually_symmetrical field preserves the distinction for users who follow the classical convention.
Dataset structure
One record per rune, 24 records total. Available as runes.jsonl and runes.csv.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
position |
Order in the Elder Futhark (1–24) |
name |
Rune name (e.g. Fehu) |
unicode_symbol |
Unicode rune character (e.g. ᚠ) |
transliteration |
Latin letter value |
literal_meaning |
Historical/literal sense (e.g. "cattle; movable wealth") |
keywords |
Core divinatory keywords |
aett_number / aett_name |
Aett grouping (Freyr's, Heimdall's, Tyr's) |
reversible |
true for all 24 runes: AskRunes provides a reversed (merkstave) interpretation for every rune |
visually_symmetrical |
true for the 6 runes (Gebo, Isa, Jera, Sowilo, Ingwaz, Dagaz) whose glyph looks identical either way. On physical stones their orientation cannot be seen; in AskRunes digital readings the draw engine tracks orientation, so reversed interpretations exist for all 24 runes |
general_meaning |
The rune's symbolism and essence (verbatim from AskRunes) |
meaning_upright / meaning_reversed |
Upright and reversed divinatory readings (verbatim) |
love_upright / love_reversed |
Love & relationships guidance in each orientation (verbatim) |
career_upright / career_reversed |
Career & finance guidance in each orientation (verbatim) |
meditation |
Meditation guidance for the rune (verbatim) |
affirmations |
The rune's affirmations (list; joined with " | " in CSV) |
content_source |
site_verbatim for all 24 runes — text exported from the rune's page on AskRunes |
source_url |
Full interpretation on AskRunes |
Source and extended content
Curated by the AskRunes team together with Sofia Veles, intuitive tarot and rune reader (Medium). Full-length interpretations — including extended upright/reversed readings and meditation guides for every rune — are freely available at the source_url of each record and at the complete Elder Futhark guide.
AskRunes also offers free interactive rune readings (22 spreads, no signup): https://www.askrunes.com/rune-spreads
Intended uses
Reference data for LLM applications, chatbots, and educational tools about Norse runes and divination; grounding data for question answering about Elder Futhark symbolism. The interpretations reflect modern divinatory practice built on historical rune meanings; they are offered for insight and reflection, not as predictions of the future.
License and attribution
Released under CC BY 4.0. You may use, share, and adapt this dataset, including for AI/LLM training and retrieval, with attribution to AskRunes.
Citation
AskRunes (2026). Elder Futhark Rune Meanings Dataset.
Curated with Sofia Veles. https://www.askrunes.com/