mandag, august 15, 2005
U
Danger and force
I do face
and win
Names - URUZ - the auroch, URAZ - the auroch, UR - ox, bison, UR - drizzle, rain, AURUZ - Primal force, strength.Pronunciations - "oo rooz" "or ooze" "oawr" "oowr" "oawr ooz"
Phonetic Value - "U"
Symbolism - The Aurochs (A kind of ox)
Keywords - Strength
The shape of this rune is said to symbolize the auroch which was a wild ox, very large and very fierce, resembling the Longhorn of the western Americas which stands in conformation (much like the lines of the rune itself) taller at the shoulders than at the hindquarter, so what you should be able to visualize when you see the staves of this rune is the body of a very large, very strong beast.
Since this is a pictogram of only one beast, many see Audhumla, the great primal cow, who literally "licked the whole world into shape" out of the dripping rhime resulting from the primal match of fire against ice. She was the "shaping force" and was the source of sustenance for this cosmic giant "Ymir".
Uruz is therefore associated with primal spiritual and creative forces, (primal meaning first or original) something like the "mana" of Polynesian traditions, or the Sephiroth of Chockmah in the Mystic Kabbalah. Uruz refers to vitality, strength, or a vital essence.
Phonetically, this rune represents the sound "ur" as in the beginning of the word "urge". Now does this mean that "urge" is derived from the rune "ur"?, maybe... maybe not. Some would certainly argue that this is indeed so, and if nothing else, thinking of urges when you think of Ur won't lead you very far astray from the core meaning of this rune, particularly when considering strong or irresistable urges.
This rune represents dynamic force always straining to be free of containment. It can also be associated with protective forces, similar to the auroch, particularly in defense of one's territory or children.
This primal strength is demonstrated in tales of mothers endowed with superhuman abilities when their children are threatened, like a story of a mother who lifts a heavy vehicle off her child, just as it is also demonstrated in any heroic tale of rescue that finds people tapping primal strengths they didn't even know they possessed.
Magically this rune is a formative or protective force, unmanifested in and of itself, but which can shape things to come. The Runemaster or Vitki may, with practice, learn to direct this force much the same way a lion-tamer learns to direct the fierce beasts in the ring, with the knowledge that it can be dangerous and though controlled, it is never domesticated.
Essentially, the power of this rune can be called to direct or augment, with additional strength, an already manifest force. So, Ur can be added to augment Tyr making for a very strong spear, or as an addition to Fehu bringing very great wealth. Of course, this then means that the warning that this is not a tame or domesticated force must always be kept in mind. When wild forces are unleashed, unpredictable results occur and you wouldn't call upon Ur to bring a breeze unless you really wanted a tornado.
In divination it can represent any of the following forces.
URUZ UPRIGHT: (U: Auroch, a wild ox.) Physical strength, potential, energy, health, freedom, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom, sexual desire, masculine potency.
URUZ MERKSTAVE: Weakness, obsession, abuse, subjugation, sickness, inconsistency, ignorance, lust, brutality, rashness, callousness, violence.
// posted by Redaktør @ 8:49 AM 
