The union of man and horse is represented by a union of the runes Ehwaz (horse) and Mannaz (man). Together these runes portend transcendental journeys in the astral plane.

Philosophy is about who we are...

Philosophy

Man and Horse, an ancient alliance of speed, strength, and spirituality. No other creature has meant so much to civilization. Horse mastery granted ancient tribes advantages over their neighbors in both peace and war.

True horsemanship is a great accomplishment for it is not the domination of one over another; it does not rely upon brut force, but rather, upon mutual trust, a union of two willing spirits for the common good of both.

In runic myth, the horse represents the power of cooperation, journey, and the dual inner nature within each of us. Hence, our philosophy is represented by the union of the two elder futhark runes, ehwaz (horse) and mannaz (man), a symbol that represents our journey to create anthropomorphized characters that blend the spirit and physicality of both horse and man.

To this end, we attempt to create alternative characters, true to a physical form that manifests our vision of what such beings might be like. We think of these not so much as costumes but as spirit-ships in which we can explore our own inner nature.

One of the enduring peculiarities of the runic alphabet is the similarity between the runes for man (mannaz) and the rune for horse (ehwaz). Both have close resemblance to the modern alphabetic “M” with its two upright columns and two diagonally meeting lines.

 

Is there an intentional link between “horse” and “man” forged by the rune masters of old? While no direct evidence exists, the Norse myths may hold a clue.

 

The runes, it is said, were discovered by Odin while hanging for eight days upside down from the world tree, Yggdrasil. Odin’s great horse was Sleipnir, the eight  legged steed unsurpassed by any other horse, who bore Odin into battle. Between the two runes, there are 8 lines, four in each. Futhark. Coincidence? Perhaps... Or perhaps not.  What do you think?

A Riddle of the Runes?:

What are the “Runes”?:

Runes are the ancient form of writing common to early Nordic peoples such as the Vikings and the Germanic peoples of northern Europe. There are three basic runic groups: the Eldar Futhark, sometimes called the Germanic; the old English, sometimes called the Saxon; and the Old Norse.

The origin of Runic writing remains under debate with some holding that runes are a derivation of latin, while others suggest they are an older and unrelated alphabet.

Modern day rune masters use the mystical association of the runes with their Norse and Teutonic deities to derive magical meaning from them, not unlike the Tarot.

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