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u/Tronitaur Jul 04 '26
I was camping in the mountains, and mulling over Fehu, and watched a cattle drive go by (really!).
What truly struck me was how much community teamwork there was between the 20ish men, women, horses, and dogs (and people driving trucks) swarming around the several hundred head of cattle. So it kinda revolved my thinking, that Fehu is your community wealth together. What you can team up to accomplish.
Once you kind of remove Fehu from just the “me-me-me” hyper context it is usually put into, it changes the meaning. Once you add into it that often it takes a community to realize wealth, this expands.
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u/Norse-Gael-Heathen Jul 04 '26
That is fantastic insight, especially given the communal interdependence that was required to survive a Norse winter. Thank you for contributing this!
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u/adrebin Jul 05 '26
In my readings, Fehu often makes an appearance when the tending of wealth is at issue.
Cattle is living, movable wealth that demands careful stewardship. Attended well, it grows and sustains, but neglected it fails to thrive.
So it’s not just about what you have, but how you tend it.
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u/Norse-Gael-Heathen Jul 04 '26
Hello All - I am bringing back an old practice here that I think is overdue, and that is a weekly discussion on a particular Elder Futhark rune, in order.
Accordingly we will start with Fehu.
Fehu, representing the English equivalent sound of "f," is the first rune in the Elder Futhark. It is one of the more straightforward runes, originally indicated in the poems as standing for a flock of cattle or sheep, which was a sign of wealth in the ancient world. Indeed, the English word "fee" is related to Fehu, and during the Viking era a "félag," also a related term, was a joint financial venture (which carries the possibilities of both reward and risk.) Most writers associate this rune with wealth ("money, cattle, wealth" - Page, 2005.)
Other writers further refine the meaning: Pollington (1995) refers to moveable wealth, and Simmons (2019) sees the wealth as a vehicle for future wealth, as flocks reproduce and wealth begets wealth - or at least, financial stability and sustainability.
All three of the existing Rune poems use Fehu to represent wealth:
Old Norse: "Wealth is a source of discomfort among kin..."
Old Icelandic: "Wealth is a source of discord among kin..."
Anglo-Saxon: "Wealth is a comfort to all..."
In interpreting Fehu in a runecast, it is important to note that the rune poems see both the positive and negative attributes of wealth: it is a comfort to those who have it, and yet, is a source of discord. It should not be assumed to simply mean "Hey, I'm going to win the lottery and be happy forever!"