Ætt 3 · Pos. 4

Name

An áss, one of the Æsir, the gods. The Norwegian and Swedish poems hear it as óss, a river mouth; the English poem lets it sound like the Latin for mouth.

Meaning

The Icelandic stanza names the áss: ancient Gautr, prince of Ásgarðr, lord of Valhöll. That is Óðinn. The English poem calls the rune the source of all speech, a support of wisdom and a comfort to the wise, and that is Óðinn’s work. In Hávamál, once he has drunk the mead, word leads him on to word. The Norwegian poem hears another óss, the mouth where a river meets the sea. Speech and water both come out through a mouth.

The poems

English Rune Poem

Áss/mouth is the source
of all speech,
a support of wisdom
and a comfort to the wise,
and for every noble
a blessing and a hope.

Icelandic Rune Poem

Áss is the ancient Gautr,
and prince of Ásgarðr,
and lord of Valhöll.

Norwegian Rune Poem

Mouth is the way
of most journeys;
a sheath is the way of swords.

Swedish Rune Poem

Mouth is in every river.