Ansuz (rune)

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox rune Template:Contains special characters Ansuz is the conventional name given to the a-rune of the Elder Futhark, Template:Runic. The name is based on Proto-Germanic *ansuz, denoting a deity belonging to the principal pantheon in Germanic paganism.

The shape of the rune is likely from Neo-Etruscan a (File:EtruscanA-01.png), like Latin A ultimately from Phoenician aleph.

Name

In the Norwegian rune poem, óss is given a meaning of "estuary" while in the Anglo-Saxon one, Template:Script takes the Latin meaning of "mouth". The Younger Futhark rune is transliterated as ą to distinguish it from the new ár rune (ᛅ), which continues the jēran rune after loss of prevocalic *j- in Proto-Norse *jár (Old Saxon ).

Since the name of File:Gothic Letter Ahsa.svg a is attested in the Gothic alphabet as or , the common Germanic name of the rune may thus either have been *ansuz "god", or *ahsam "ear (of wheat)".

Development in Anglo-Saxon runes

The Anglo-Saxon futhorc split the Elder Futhark a rune into three independent runes due to the development of the vowel system in Anglo-Frisian. These three runes are Template:Script (transliterated o), "oak" Template:Script (transliterated a), and Template:Script "ash" (transliterated æ).

Development in Younger Futhark

File:Forasrun.svg

Variations of the rune in Younger Futhark.

The Younger Futhark corresponding to the Elder Futhark ansuz rune is Template:Script, called óss. It is transliterated as ą. This represented the phoneme /ɑ̃/, and sometimes /æ/ (also written Template:Script) and /o/ (also written Template:Script). The variant grapheme Template:Script became independent as representing the phoneme /ø/ during the 11th to 14th centuries.

Rune poems

It is mentioned in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:	English Translation:
Old Norwegian Template:Runic Óss er flæstra færða fǫr; en skalpr er sværða.	Estuary is the way of most journeys; but a scabbard is of swords.
Old Icelandic Template:Runic Óss er algingautr ok ásgarðs jöfurr, ok valhallar vísi. Jupiter oddviti.	God is aged Gautr and prince of Ásgarðr and lord of Valhalla.
Old English Template:Runic Ōs bẏþ ordfruma ælcre spræce wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur, and eorla gehwam eadnẏs and tohiht.	The mouth is the source of all language, a pillar of wisdom and a comfort to wise men, a blessing and a joy to every knight.
Notes: In the Icelandic poem, Óss refers to Odin.