THE AURYN JOURNAL
Notes on jewellery, materials, memory, style and the small details that make an object feel personal.
LATEST FROM AURYN
What do the letters on the St Benedict medal mean? The cross, the Latin prayers behind each initial, and the 1880 Jubilee design.
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What does Thurisaz mean? The rune named for a giant, renamed Thorn in England, and the ancestor of the letter þ still used in Icelandic today.
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What does Wunjo mean? The w-rune whose Old English name, wynn, means joy, what the Rune Poem says about it, and how it became a letter.
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What does the Valknut mean? Viking-Age examples of the three-triangle motif, its links with death and Odin, and why its exact meaning is uncertain.
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What does the Patriarchal Cross mean? The two-barred Christian cross, its ecclesiastical and heraldic use, and how it differs from similar forms.
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What do the runes mean? All 24 Elder Futhark runes with their names, sounds and meanings, and what the medieval rune poems actually say.
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What does the Othala rune mean? The rune of inherited land and home, what the Old English ēþel verse says, and why its modern misuse matters.
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What is Gungnir? Odin's spear in the Prose Edda, made by the Sons of Ivaldi, and why the popular 'never misses' claim belongs to Mjölnir.
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What does Naudhiz mean? The n-rune named for need and constraint, what the Old English and Norwegian rune poems say about hardship, and later readi...
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What does the Mannaz rune mean? The Elder Futhark m-rune, its name for 'man' or 'human being', and what the rune poems say about human life.
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A guide to Christian cross types: Latin, Greek and Tau crosses, patriarchal, Orthodox and papal forms, the Celtic cross and the St Benedict cross.
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What does Ansuz mean? The rune named for a god, what the Old English, Norwegian and Icelandic rune poems say about it, and its link with Odin.
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What is a ringed or Celtic Cross? Explore Ireland’s medieval high crosses, why the ring may have been used and how the form became a symbol of fait...
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Why does Eris have two astrology symbols? The Discordian Hand of Eris, Henry Seltzer's 2007 glyph, and how both became Unicode characters.
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What does a mustard seed bracelet mean? The Gospel sayings behind it, from Matthew 17:20 to the parable of the mustard seed, and why it endures.
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The lucky cat, or maneki-neko, is Japanese in origin. Learn why it is often mistaken for Chinese, what the raised paw means and where the figure ca...
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What does Owia A Repue mean? Explore the Adinkra rising sun symbol, its connection with hope and renewal, and its place within Akan visual culture.
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Learn how to layer necklaces with practical spacing tips, a simple two- or three-chain formula, pendant placement and smarter storage between wears.
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