Sowilō (rune)

Sowilo (*''sōwilō''), meaning "sun", is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic language name of the ''s''-rune (ᛊ, ᛋ).

The letter is a direct adoption of Old Italic scripts, Old Italic (Etruscan or Latin) ''s'' (𐌔), ultimately from Greek sigma (Σ). It is present in the earliest inscriptions of the 2nd to 3rd century (Vimose inscriptions, Vimose, Spearhead of Kovel, Kovel).

The name is attested for the same rune in all three Rune Poems. It appears as Old Norse and Old Icelandic Sól and as Old English Sigel.

Name

The Germanic words for "Sun" have the peculiarity of Alternation (linguistics), alternating between ''-l-'' and ''-n-'' stems, Proto-Germanic ''*sunnon'' (Old English ''sunne'', Old Norse, Old Saxon and Old High German ''sunna'') vs. *''sōwilō'' or *''sōwulō'' (Old Norse ''sól'', Gothic ''sauil'', also Old High German forms such as ''suhil''). This continues a Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European alternation ''*suwen-'' vs. '':wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sóh₂wl̥, *sewol-'' (Avestan ''xᵛə̄ṇg'' vs. Latin ''Sol (Roman mythology), sōl'', Greek ''helios'', Sanskrit ''surya'', Welsh ''haul'', Breton ''heol'', Old Irish ''suil'' "eye"), a remnant of an archaic heteroclitic declension pattern that remained productive only in the Anatolian languages.

The Old English name of the rune, written ''sigel'' (pronounced ) is most often explained as a remnant of an otherwise extinct ''l-''stem variant of the word for "Sun" (meaning that the spelling with ''g'' is unetymological), but alternative suggestions have been put forward, such as deriving it from Latin ''sigillum'' (assuming that the ''y'' is the unetymological element instead).

Development and variants

The Elder Futhark ''s'' rune is attested in main two variants, a "Sigma, Σ shape" (four strokes), more prevalent in earlier (3rd to 5th century) inscriptions (e.g. Kylver stone), and an "S shape" (three strokes), more prevalent in later (5th to 7th century) inscriptions (e.g. Golden horns of Gallehus, Seeland-II-C).

The Younger Futhark ''Sol'' and the Anglo-Saxon futhorc ''Sigel'' runes are identical in shape, a rotated version of the later Elder Futhark rune, with the middle stroke slanting upwards, and the initial and final strokes vertical.

The Anglo-Saxon runes developed a variant shape (), called the "bookhand" ''s'' rune because it is probably inspired by the long s (ſ) in Insular script. This variant form is used in the ''futhorc'' given on the Seax of Beagnoth.

Rune poems

Image:Runic letter sowilo.svg, Elder Futhark ''Sowilo'' rune, earlier ("Σ") variant.
Image:Runic letter sowilo variant.svg, Elder Futhark ''Sowilo'' rune, later ("S") variant.
Image:Long-branch Sol.svg, Anglo-Saxon ''Sigel'' / Younger Futhark ''Sol'' rune
Image:Long-branch Kaun.svg, Anglo-Saxon "bookhand ''s''"

Relationship with Armanen runes

Guido von List used Sowilō as the basis for the Armanen Runes, Armanen ''sig'' rune, also known as the "Siegrune". Unlike the rune used historically by the Germanic peoples, the name of which translates to "sun", he associated his new rune with "victory" (German ') based on similarity in sound with the name of the Anglo-Frisian rune ''sigel''.

The Armanen sig rune was adapted into the emblem of the SS in 1933 by Walter Heck.
Heck's design consisted of two ''sig'' runes drawn side by side like lightning bolts and was adopted by all branches of the SS.

See also

*The Lindholm amulet, Lindholm "amulet" that bears the word ''Sawilagaz'' which is interpreted as "the one of the Sun"
*Rune poem
*Sigelwara Land
*Sól (Germanic mythology)
*Opel#Logo, Opel, the logo for which resembles the ''Sowilō'' rune

References

Sources

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sowilo Rune
Runes
Magical terms in Germanic mysticism