Customer Reviews

The Book of Runes: A Handbook for the Use of an Ancient Oracle: The Viking Runes with Stones: 10th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

This book should be part of any collection for those interested in the recent (c 1980) revival of interest in the runes. It is still the highest selling rune book, but also one of the least researched.

When it was first published, the academic sources were not very available to the public, although they would have been available to Blum had he made the effort. Instead, he created a simple divination system, based more on his own readings of the I Ching than the known historical sources of runic knowledge.

There is a wealth of information in the old rune poems, and in the original futhark ordering of the runes. Blum ignores both. However, at least Blum never claimed to be reconstructing an old system. On the other hand, unfortunately, most of his readers assume that there is some real historical content in the book.

For those who are looking for an esoteric book about runes based on the real available historical knowledge, this is certainly not it. Try these instead:

Rudiments of Runelore

Runic Amulets and Magic Objects

I discovered this little book about 8 years ago, at a time in my life when I needed to seek answers from deep within myself. I had tried the Tarot and several other methods of divination, but none of them really clicked with me. However, I immediately felt comfortable with the runes and Ralph Blums book on the subject. Now, as you read some of the other reviews, you will find several people who truly detest Mr. Blum's work and see it as an affront to "true runic masters". That's all well and good, but I would guess that the vast majority of people contemplating purchasing this book are anything but runic masters and just want a written source that will give them a good start. If you are one of those individuals, then this is the book for you. As for the rune stones themselves...okay, they are not works of art, but they serve the purpose...and in the end, that is all that matters. Yes, you undoubtably will want to make your own at some point, but probably not in the beginning, and that's fine. These little stones, as crude as they may be, will do the trick. I have found great wisdom in the messages of these runes and a greater understanding of my own inner world. This book is a great tool in the quest for spiritual awakening. I have recently felt the need for a more in depth understanding of the runes and have discovered Edred Thorsson's books on the subject. He is definitely a runic master of the highest order and I would recommend him to anyone who already has an understanding of the rune stones and is ready to move to another level. But, Mr. Blum's book is an excellent resource as well and I wouldn't hesitate for a moment in recommending it.

Blum's book was my first exposure to "nordic" runes. I bought it after being intrigued seeing one of the Irish character's on the TV show Earth Final Conflict using runes. My girlfriend had just bought her own set and commented that she had "played" with them many years ago and found them enlightening. I was intrigued.

I enjoyed the book, and it was a very easy read. As all others have written it comes with a bag and the rune stones (ceramic). The stones are brittle, and I actually broke one pulling it out of the plastic shipping case, so I advise caution handling them.

Web searches and Dejanews searches of runes find much criticism about Blum and his interpretations. I'd like to give my thoughts on some of the critiques:

I didn't notice a heavy Christian slant into his interpretations of the meanings, but I haven't read the references most of the naysayers cite as being better. Any spiritual undertaking must be a personal journey, and I believe that if there is any truth to any of the many methods available (tarot, numerology, astrology, runes, i-ching, even prayer to a god) that our own personal psyche and psychic influences play into the journey. With Blum's interpretations as all I know for reading runes, I believe that my own guides on my journey influence the runes drawn and placed to meet the interprations that are appropriate for me. (Example, on the same reading, if I told myself that I would be using Blum's interpretations I would draw a different set of runes than if I were to state up front that I would use some more traditional meanings.) Do the naysayers really place so little faith in the power of runes that they would believe that whatever power influences them would allow a misinterpretation simply because we'd read Blums' book?

I've found rune reading to be earily accurate. Just yesterday afternoon, after having not used the runes in almost a year, I did a reading to see if an event I would be going to was going to be an enjoyable. The runes indicated that I would not have a good time at the event. They were correct! (No, I didn't let the old self-fulfilling prophecy ruin my evening! I didn't even get to attend the event, since my date got ill and cancelled our attendance! Spooky, huh?)

Why three stars for my rating? The quality of the stones is just a bit lacking, and the heavy controversy over Blum is just too much to ignore. A first time rune user can't beat the deal of getting the runes included, but if you're using the internet for support in your learning process, you're bound to get much more help if you use more traditional sources.

Yes, this book comes with a set of runes. That's the upside. The reason this book causes so much controversy is that some of us are Asatru, we actually believe in the Traditional Northern European religion. To us, the story of Odin hanging from the world tree to uncover the runes is like Jesus walking on water to Christians. So when man from some other faith comes along, takes our ethnic divination system, changes the esoterically significant order, fumbles the divine meanings, and creates new parts (e.g. the blank rune), well you can see why some of us would be a little put off by this. If you are a student of Norse culture, an Asatruar, or looking for a spiritual tool that resonates with the Ancient Tuetonic soul then I would suggest ignoring this book. Try Edred Thorsson instead.

This book is not Nordic, but New-Age. Blum has taken an old tool of the Norse and turned it into a "Milton Bradley" release without the bang. If you want accurate history and lore, this is not the book you want. But if you are not serious about the use of runes, but want amusement, Blum is fun (but in a fiction sort of way)

If this is your first encounter with the runes, i urge you; Keep the runeset, take out the blank rune, toss the book, and get a new one that DOESN'T rearrange the runes and add a blank one to fit the author's personal rearrangement of a system that hasn't been changed for a thousand years, at least until now. I give Ralph Blum some credit for his research, and at least knowing enough about the meanings of the runes to know how to rearrange them, but I urge you to buy a book that sticks to the real arrangement of the elder FUTHARK (note: it's called a futhark because those are the runes it begins with, and has begun with since their creation!), at least if you want to stick to tradition. However, he does provide enough information in the book to use the runes according to his views. So if you wish to use them his way, he does provide good information in the accompanying book.

One of the worst books ever written about the runes. He doesn't even get the rune's names right.
Any book by Thorsson would be better.
This book is trash. He didn't cite a single book on the runes. He doesn't seem to have ever read about the runes. He calls them "the Celtic runes". However, the Celts never used the runes. The runes are Germanic/Norse, not Celtic. Why didn't he know this? This is one of those "New Age" books written to make a fast buck. Save your money. Don't get burned by this con artist. There are many better books out there.

Ralph Blum used the Oriental "I Ching" for the meanings of the runes and the casting techniques, not the viking versions of runecasting. He states that the runes are an "oracle" for divinatory purposes-- that is not so. Runelore is a whole genre of magick. Most rune magick organizations say to avoid this book at all costs. Ralph Blum should research his work more with the Northern traditions and consult experts in the field of runology. Examples are Edred Thorrson, Ymrin-Drighten of the Rune-Gild; and KveldulfR Gundarrson, who has a PhD in Teutonic Studies

Typical New Age fluff which completely disregards tradition and context in favour of a "use whatever you feel like and do whatever you want with it" mentality.

Blum's system may be effective for some, but the only thing it has to do with the runes is that he pillaged their shapes and names and twisted their meanings and application to his own ends. For all the authenticity his work carries, he should have created his own symbols and left the runes alone.

Blum completely disregards the Germanic heritage of the runes and all that we know of their traditional use and meaning. The runes are so intertwined with the cosmology and mythology of the Germanic tribes that to remove them from their proper context renders them meaningless. Blum has done this so thoroughly by ignoring their traditional order, which is highly significant to properly understanding them, and twisting their traditional meanings (not to mention that ridiculous blank rune of his), that his book is simply not about runes and is close to cultural theft.

The saddest part of this is that so many who get hoodwinked by this nonsense will never realize the true potency of the runes and the esoteric tradition which surrounds them. They will remain the poorer for it.

If you're looking for a made up New Age divination system that many seem to find useful, by all means get this book.

If you want to learn about the runes, avoid this one.

Indeed; someone else here mentioned that Blum is a treasure trove of MISinformation. This book is terrible. I'm another one who would give it 0 stars if possible. He scrambles up the order of the elder futhark, and if he knew anything about this stuff, he'd realize there is a reason for the runes to go in the traditional order that they do. He admitted that his first exposure to the runes was on mimeographed sheets with no page numbers, so he had no idea what order to put them in. He should have done research on it before writing a book. Avoid this book and read Edred Thorsson instead.