Some runic inscriptions form no smooth sentence, but only single, recurring words: alu, laukaʀ, laþu. They stand on amulets, bracteates and in graves, and no one can translate them with full certainty. Were the runes, then, a means of magic? A look at the famous formula words – and an honest reckoning with what we know and what we do not.
Scattered across the early runic period one finds the same short words, often on precious objects. The most common is alu. It is associated with protection, with a ban or spell, perhaps with ritual ecstasy, or also with “ale” (which played a role at the cult feast). laukaʀ means “leek” – the plant counted as a sign of growth, thriving and healing power. laþu means “invitation” or “summons,” in the sense of a calling-upon. They are not sentences but power-words.
These words are found exactly where one would expect protection and blessing: on golden bracteates worn as pendants, and on amulets. In the great Vindelev gold hoard, for instance, alu and laþu stand beside the oldest known mention of Odin. And the famous Lindholm amulet from Scania bears an inscription that ends with the power-word alu:
“ek erilaz sa wilagaz haiteka … alu” – “I, the Erilaz, am called the crafty one … alu.” Inscription of the Lindholm amulet (Elder Futhark, public domain)
Here the honest debate begins. For a long time it was held: runes were magic signs, every inscription a spell. But level-headed scholars such as the runologists Ralph Elliott and R. I. Page have warned against scenting magic behind every rune. The great majority of runic inscriptions are quite sober: names, marks of ownership, memorial sayings. Only a minority carries formula words like alu. Probably both are true: the runes were first of all a script – but on certain, holy objects individual words could carry a blessing, protecting power.
Important is the distinction going forward: the genuine formula words of the early runic period have nothing to do with modern “rune-magic” symbols such as the Vegvísir or the Ægishjálmr – those come from Icelandic books of magic of the early modern period. So whoever engraves alu or laukaʀ reaches back to something genuine and very old; whoever uses the early-modern magic symbols should know that they are young. More on this in our pieces on Norse symbols and the runes.
The formula words recall a beautiful thought: that a single word, carved into lasting material, can be more than just a sound – a wish, a protection, a blessing. That is exactly what still lies in a good engraving: a short, well-chosen word that remains. Which rune suits you is shown in our piece Which rune to engrave?.
In the early runic period (Elder Futhark) recurring formula words appear, above all alu, laukaʀ and laþu, mostly on bracteates, amulets and in graves. alu is associated with protection/ban/cult, laukaʀ means “leek” (growth/healing), laþu “invitation/calling.” Attestations include the Vindelev hoard (alu, laþu) and the Lindholm amulet (ending in alu). The exact meaning is scholarly interpretation, not a secure translation.
“Runes were a magic script” is an exaggeration: most inscriptions are sober names and memorial texts; only a few carry formula words, and their sense remains uncertain (runologists such as Page urge caution). And: the genuine formula words (alu, laukaʀ) must be strictly distinguished from early-modern “magic signs” such as Vegvísir or Ægishjálmr, which come only from Icelandic books of magic of the early modern period.
Runes & their meaning · The Vindelev gold hoard · The Golden Horns of Gallehus · Norse symbols: real or invented? · Which rune to engrave?.