The Three Aettir: Freyr's, Hagal's and Tyr's Aett Explained
Updated: 23 hours ago
The three aettir are the three groups of eight into which the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark are divided: Freyr's aett (Fehu to Wunjo), Hagal's aett (Hagalaz to Sowilo) and Tyr's aett (Tiwaz to Dagaz). The grouping itself is old, but the names come from later Icelandic tradition, and the themes given to each group are a modern study aid.
This page is the hub for all 24 rune pages, grouped by aett. You will find a quick table, what the word aett means, how old the division is and where its names come from, and then each aett with links to the full meaning of every rune.
Three families of eight: learning the runes by aett is the simplest way to remember the whole row in order.
The three aettir at a glance
Each row is one aett, in the traditional order. Tap a rune's name to open its full page with upright and reversed meanings.
Aett | Runes | Names | Themes in modern practice |
|---|---|---|---|
Freyr's aett | ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ | the basics of life: resources, strength, communication, journey, gift, joy | |
Hagal's aett | ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ | forces you meet: disruption, need, stillness, harvest, fate, protection, the sun | |
Tyr's aett | ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛜ ᛟ ᛞ | the self and what lasts: justice, growth, trust, humanity, intuition, heritage, dawn |
For every rune's sound, letter and keywords in one table, see the Elder Futhark chart. For a longer introduction to each rune, see the guide to all 24 rune meanings.
How well do you know the three aettir already? Take the five-question rune quiz below: it shows your score and which runes to review.
Want every rune explained in practice? The 24 Norse Runes Guide covers every Elder Futhark rune: the signs it shows up, what to avoid, and simple actions for the next 7 days. 122-page phone-friendly PDF, $20.
What does aett mean?
Ætt (plural ættir, often written aett and aettir in English) is an Old Norse word for a family or lineage. Applied to the runes, it describes a group of runes that belong together, the way relatives do.
The groups are a way of ordering the row, not separate alphabets. All 24 runes are one Elder Futhark, and the aettir simply cut it into three equal parts.
How old is the division into aettir?
The division of the Elder Futhark into three groups of eight is genuinely old. The Vadstena and Mariedamm bracteates, medallion-like pendants from Sweden dated to the 6th century, show the row split into three groups. The Grumpan bracteate, from about AD 500, gives the same order, though incomplete.
The oldest known complete listing of the row, on the Kylver Stone from Gotland, is dated to around AD 400. So the order of the runes and its threefold division were part of the runic tradition long before the Viking Age. What the groups were originally called, however, is unknown.
Where the names Freyr's, Hagal's and Tyr's aett come from
The names come from later Icelandic tradition, where they were used for the 16-rune Younger Futhark. There the row falls into three groups of six, five and five runes: Freyr's aett (f, u, th, o, r, k), Hagal's aett (h, n, i, a, s) and Tyr's aett (t, b, m, l, R). Each group is named after its first rune or the god linked to it.
This grouping is also the key to cipher runes, such as branch runes and tent runes, in which strokes count the number of the aett and the position of the rune within it. In many such inscriptions the first and third aett swap places in the count. The Younger Futhark chart shows the 16 runes in their groups.
Modern rune books carry the same three names over to the Elder Futhark's groups of eight, because the first runes match: Fehu, Hagalaz and Tiwaz. Some modern authors call the second group Heimdall's aett, after the watchman of the gods. That name is a modern association, not part of the Icelandic naming, so you may see both in books and online.
Freyr's aett: Fehu to Wunjo
The first aett is often read today as the basics of life: what you own, your strength, the obstacles you meet, what you say, where you go, what you know, what you give and the joy that follows. These are its eight runes:
ᚠ Fehu (f): wealth, resources in motion, new beginnings.
ᚢ Uruz (oo): strength, vitality, endurance.
ᚦ Thurisaz (th): protection, conflict, boundaries.
ᚨ Ansuz (a): communication, inspiration, wisdom.
ᚱ Raido (r): journey, direction, progress.
ᚲ Kenaz (k): torch, clarity, creativity.
ᚷ Gebo (g): gift, exchange, partnership.
ᚹ Wunjo (w): joy, harmony, fulfillment.
Hagal's aett: Hagalaz to Sowilo
The second aett is often read as the forces you meet rather than choose: sudden change, need, stillness, the turning year, endurance, fate, protection and the sun. These are its eight runes:
ᚺ Hagalaz (h): disruption, sudden change, transformation.
ᚾ Nauthiz (n): need, necessity, endurance.
ᛁ Isa (ee): ice, stillness, pause.
ᛃ Jera (y): harvest, cycles, reward.
ᛇ Eihwaz (uncertain, often ei or a long i): yew tree, endurance, transformation.
ᛈ Perthro (p): fate, mystery, chance.
ᛉ Algiz (z): protection, guardianship, alertness.
ᛊ Sowilo (s): sun, success, victory.
Tyr's aett: Tiwaz to Dagaz
The third aett is often read as the self and what lasts: justice, growth, trust, humanity, intuition, completion, heritage and a new day. These are its eight runes:
ᛏ Tiwaz (t): justice, honor, courage.
ᛒ Berkana (b): birch, growth, renewal.
ᛖ Ehwaz (e): horse, trust, partnership.
ᛗ Mannaz (m): humanity, the self, community.
ᛚ Laguz (l): water, intuition, flow.
ᛜ Ingwaz (ng): seed, completion, new beginnings.
ᛟ Othala (o): heritage, home, inheritance.
ᛞ Dagaz (d): dawn, breakthrough, transformation.
The order of the last two runes varies between sources, and some charts put Dagaz before Othala. Both are common; RunicHub ends the row with Dagaz.
How to use the aettir in your practice
Reading the aettir as themes is a modern study aid. It helps you remember the order and see how neighbouring runes relate, but it is not a historical rule, and a reading does not depend on which aett a rune belongs to.
Learn one aett at a time. Spend a week on each: names, sounds and one keyword per rune, out loud and drawn by hand.
Notice the pairs. Neighbours often answer each other, like Hagalaz and Nauthiz (disruption and need) or Berkana and Ehwaz (growth and trust).
Note where your runes fall. If most runes in a reading come from one aett, its theme may be the theme of your question. Treat this as a prompt, not a rule.
Write it down. A simple journal of the runes you draw, grouped by aett, shows patterns faster than memorising.
If you are just starting out, the 7-day path for rune beginners begins with the futhark and its aettir. For a guided month that goes through every rune one by one, see the 30-Day Rune Challenge below.
Ready to learn all three aettir? The 30-Day Rune Challenge takes you through every Elder Futhark rune with a short daily practice and a journaling prompt, 15 to 30 minutes a day. $49.
FAQ
What are the three aettir?
The aettir are the three groups of eight into which the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark are divided: Freyr's aett (Fehu to Wunjo), Hagal's aett (Hagalaz to Sowilo) and Tyr's aett (Tiwaz to Dagaz). Aett is an Old Norse word meaning family or lineage.
Why are they called Freyr's, Hagal's and Tyr's aett?
Each group is named after its first rune or the god linked to it: the f rune for Freyr, hagall (hail) and Tyr. These names come from later Icelandic tradition, where they were used for the three groups of the 16-rune Younger Futhark. Modern books apply them to the Elder Futhark.
Is the second aett Hagal's or Heimdall's aett?
Hagal's aett is the name from the Icelandic tradition. Some modern authors call the second group Heimdall's aett, after the watchman of the gods; that is a modern association, not part of the older naming.
Is the division into aettir historical?
The grouping itself is old: 6th-century bracteates from Sweden show the 24 runes in three groups of eight. What the groups were originally called is unknown, and the themes modern books give each aett are a study aid, not ancient lore.
What is the best way to learn the runes by aett?
Learn one aett at a time, for example one per week: the eight names in order, their sounds and one keyword each. Draw the eight runes by hand every day of that week. Moving on to the next aett is much easier once the first one feels familiar.
Written by Julia, rune reader since 2020. More about me →
