Wunjo Rune Meaning: Joy, Wynn and the Old English Rune Poem

Wunjo is the conventional name of the w-rune of the Elder Futhark, ᚹ. Its name is reconstructed from the Old English rune name wynn, "joy" or "delight", which makes it one of the few runes whose meaning is both secure and straightforwardly happy.

The name

The Bosworth–Toller dictionary defines Old English wyn or wynn as joy, delight and pleasure, and records it as the name of the w-rune. The Elder Futhark form, *wunjō, is reconstructed from that and related words.

What the Old English poem says

The Rune Poem's verse is a small picture of contentment. In Bruce Dickins's 1915 translation: "Bliss he enjoys who knows not suffering, sorrow nor anxiety, and has prosperity and happiness and a good enough house."

There is no Norse verse to compare it with. The Younger Futhark of Viking-Age Scandinavia had no w-rune, so the Norwegian and Icelandic poems skip it.

A rune that became a letter

Wynn had an unusual afterlife. When English scribes began writing their language in the Latin alphabet, which had no letter for the w sound, they borrowed the rune: the letter ƿ appears throughout Old English manuscripts before it was eventually replaced by w.

Joy and modern readings

Modern rune books often extend Wunjo to harmony, fellowship or fulfilment. Joy is the historical meaning; the rest are reasonable modern extensions of it, and "the rune of joy" remains the most honest summary.

Wunjo in jewellery

A Wunjo motif can reference runic writing, the Old English word for joy, or simply a personal sign of happiness.

You can see the AURYN Wunjo rune charm, or read our guide to all twenty-four runes.