Why Runic Shamanism?

The title I was given by the spirits near the end of my self initiation was "Helruner." This term draws very blatantly on the work of Jan Fries, whose book Helrunar was a significant influence on me. "Helrunar" is the Old Norse plural form of the title; "Helruna" is the feminine singluar, and "Helruni" is the masculine singular. As Fries says, the term denotes "a person who 'runes' (speaks, sings, whispers) with Hel/Helja, the goddess and realm of the underworld."

However, that title doesn't make a lot of sense to most people. In addition to capturing the essence of "helruning" I find that "runic shamanism" describes my personal beliefs and practices well, and that is why I use the term.

Emil Gerth
March 8, 2008