fehu ᚠ

Pronunciation: FAY-hoo

Alternative names: Fé, Feoh

Translation: Cattle

Sound: “f” as in “fee”

Associated Concepts and Interpretations

Abundance/plenty

Bounty/prosperity

Cattle

Creation/creativity

Earth

Fire (as a kenning for “Freyja’s gold”)

Freyja/Freyr (Vanir “lady” and “lord”)

Luck/hamingja (also: personification or presence of a guardian spirit)

Money/gold

Nerthus (Goddess)

Passion

Productivity

Reward/gain

Sexual energy

Sharing prosperity and wealth

Warnings against excess, greed, materialism, hoarding

Wealth (mobile; e.g. investments, cash)

Associated Rune Poems

(as translated by Bruce Dickins, 1915; public domain)

A number of interpretations are derived from the various runic poems and those associated with this rune (where available) are included below for further consideration.

Norwegian:

Fé vældr frænda róge;
føðesk ulfr í skóge

Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen;
the wolf lives in the forest.

Icelandic:

Fé er frænda róg
ok flæðar viti
ok grafseiðs gata
aurum fylkir.

Wealth -- Source of discord among kinsmen
and fire of the sea
and path of the serpent

Anglo-Saxon:

Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;
sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan

Wealth is a comfort to all men;
yet must every man bestow it freely,
if he wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord

A list of references is available.

Audio associated with this rune is a creation of the author’s and is released to the public domain. Back-linking and attribution are appreciated, but not required, for use.

last updated: 16 dec 2021

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