Tales from the Ironwood

Rudolf John Gorsleben commented,"The Runes are symbols of the pulsating life, they are life itself, reduced to a mathematical formula. They are in some mystical relation to the law of the numbers as the basis of all cosmic and philosophical thinking." There is undoubtedly more to be said of this topic. Revised 19-10-24. ********* Gematria is the magickal practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word, phrase, or letter and associating it with a number. While the word “Gematria” has Greek etymological origins, it was a practice often associated with Jewish texts and most often those associated with the Kabbalah. Such a process reveals otherwise unknown associations between words and their meanings. The numbers that are derived are then often reduced to a single digit by cross-addition. Therefore the number 10 (1+0) has the same reduced value as the number 1. Guido von List’s final work, the capstone to his metaphysical writings was to be Armanism and Kabbalah (Armani...

  This article has been writing itself in my head for the past couple of months. Its form continued to evolve until it fully formed during my sleep of 8 March. "These songs will be, to you, Loddfafnir, for a long time well-nigh unlearnable." Composed on 9 and 10 March 2024. ********* There is much misunderstanding and controversy over the 18 runes that Guido von List associated with the 18 Rúnatal verses of the Hávamál (verses 146-164). An internet search discovers the accusation that these runes, oftentimes, but inaccurately called “Armanen” runes are “pseudo-runes” or not runes at all. Some critics suggest that List simply “made them up.” While many are quick to condemn the authenticity of List’s entire Futhorkh, such complaints fail to comprehend the historicity and importance of List’s work. In fact, the first 16 runes of List’s system are what is today known as the Younger Futhork (which was in use throughout the Viking period from approximately the 8th through 12th c...

This short biography was written on 30 April 2023. It is intended as the first of a series of "portraits" of important figures in the twentieth century runic revival. It was written specifically for Knights of Runes and is included on their website. ********* Guido von List (5 October 1848 - 17 May 1919) was born in Vienna, Austria. Throughout his youth, List was an avid outdoorsman. He spent considerable time boating and mountaineering. He also dedicated himself to the study of history, archeology, and anthropology. His thoughts on a wide range of subjects were recorded in numerous articles.[1]The youthful List was already demonstrating his interest in the mystical world. He later described an episode that occurred when he was only fourteen years old: “After much asking, [I] received permission from my father to accompany him and his party who were planning to visit the catacombs [beneath St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna] which were at that time still in their original cond...