The Thirteenth Rune

Poison is the fruit
immortality the promise
of the sacred tree

Names - EIHWAZ - Yew tree, EIHWAS - Yew tree, EOH or EOW - Yew tree or Mountain Ash tree, IHWAR - Yew tree

Pronunciations - "Ay waz", "yah waz" "ee oh" "eye war"

Phonetic Value - "E/I"

Symbolism - The Yew Tree

Keywords - Survival


Eihwaz represents the spinning World Tree, Yggdrasil.

The symbolism of this Rune is seen in the two angled staves attached at the ends of the center stave. If you set this rune spinning in your minds' eye you will, perhaps, get some idea of the whirling friction and heat caused by these end staves working on the center stave (which, without the end staves is "Isa" or the rune for primal ice).

This rune is, pictographically, somewhat similar to "Odins' Hammer" or the "Hammer of Thor" which has fallen into almost universal mischaracterization due to it's adoption as a symbol of the Nazi party.

Try not to let that unfortunate association color your relationship to this rune. Heck, if you are able, don't let that unfortunate association color your view of "Odins' Hammer" either! Neither of these runes are about party politics. They are about much larger and more ancient forces.

Phonetically, one of the pronunciations of this rune is "eoh" or "yew". The yew is a powerful stave of protection and banishing, not only because of its association with the forces of life and death, but because of its association with the bow made of yew wood.

Currently, the Yew tree is a primary source for taxol, a cancer treatment synthesized from the active properties of the Yew and a perfect example of the power of Eihwaz to synthesize salvation from poison. For this reason, it may not be inappropriate to link present day Yew trees with the ancient and mythic World Tree Yggdrasil.

Eihwaz is the axis around which all else revolves and from which all else spins. It contains the mystery of life and death. It is a life giving force which has its roots in the Underworld and death.

It provides protection, and can help increase personal power and defense.

It suggests the passage and communication between different worlds and layers of reality.

This rune embodies the ideal "better not to promise anything than to promise too much and fail", and serves as a reminder of the natural and rightful restrictions that serve a greater good.

Eihwaz is the immovable object standing against all irresistable forces.

Magically it can be a rune of wisdom when invoked in accessing the mysteries of Yggdrasil. In mythology, Yggdrasil is the tree from which Odin hung to obtain the answers to the mysteries of the runes. This means Eihwaz can be worked to obtain understanding of all mysteries.

In divination it can reflect stamina and survival and may be represented by any of the following forces.

EIHWAZ UPRIGHT:Survival, strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness, enlightenment, endurance, defense, protection, secret or sacred knowledge

EIHWAZ MERKSTAVE: Confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness, vulnerability, untrustworthyness, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, ignorance


To Return to the Midnight Moonchild Rune Page, please select the Runes icon to your left. For more detailed information on the meanings of each individual rune, please select the individual Rune icons to your left