Kenaz - The Meanings of the Runes
Updated: Dec 14, 2024
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Kenaz, the sixth letter in the Elder Futhark alphabet, directly translates to "torch". We all know what a torch is, but for the sake of unravelling the deeper meaning of this rune let's break it down. A torch, made with fire, is a provider of light, warmth, and protection. It keeps darkness at bay. Torches illuminate the path ahead and guide with light. Kenaz is a rune of hearth and home, hospitality and caregiving.
This is also a rune of intellectual enlightenment. Ancient peoples used to use torches in ritual, and it is therefore also a rune of spiritual enlightenment. The ancient Norse used to claim a property by walking around its perimeter carrying a fire, typically in the form of a torch. This would not only establish a legal boundary of the property but it was also considered a religious ritual.
Kenaz is also a rune of creativity, creation, and transformation in the form of a forge. Forges are used to unmake something in order to create something new. Fire is also linked to purification, both symbolically as well as literally if you consider a fever burning off an infection or illness or cauterizing a wound in order to clean and close it.
Finally, fire is also related to sexuality and the sex drive. Consider the physical embodiment of fire: body heat, stamina, health and healing. However, while fire can provide healing, warmth, light, and protection, it can also destroy. But only if you let it get out of control. A torch is itself a small, contained, and controlled fire.
Summary
Direct translation: "Torch"
Symbolizes: Guidance and enlightenment, hearth and home, caregiving, hospitality, sexuality, physical health, insight, purification
Features to note: Consider the physical embodiment of fire: body heat, stamina, health and healing, and sex drive. Fire can destroy if it is allowed to get out of control, but a torch is a controlled fire. Kenaz is also a rune of creativity, creation, and transformation in the form of a forge.
Resources (paid links):
Taking Up the Runes by Diana L. Paxson
Runes for Beginners by Lisa Chamberlain
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