Fe (rune)

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Fehu

The Fe rune ᚠ represents the f-sound. It is the first letter of the Futhark alphabet. Its name means "(mobile) wealth", cognate to English fee with an original meaning "sheep" or "cattle" (German Vieh, Sanskrit pashu). The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *fehu, loaned into Latin as feudum (see Feudalism).

The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v 𐌅 Image:EtruscanF-01.png, like Greek Digamma Ϝ and Latin F ultimately from Phoenician wāw .

The name is recorded in all three rune poems:

Norwegian:

ᚠ Fé vældr frænda róge;

føðesk ulfr í skóge.

Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen;

the wolf lives in the forest.

Icelandic, glossed with Latin aurum "gold":

ᚠ Fé er frænda róg

ok flæðar viti

ok grafseiðs gata

aurum fylkir.

Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen

and fire of the sea

and path of the serpent.

Anglo-Saxon

ᚠ 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.

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is 𐍆 f, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.

Rune alphabet

Elder Fuþark:

ᚠ

ᚢ

ᚦ

ᚨ

ᚱ

ᚲ

ᚷ

ᚹ

ᚺ

ᚾ