Heimdall's Aett · Rune 14
Perthro
“Lot Cup, Mystery” · sound: P
Keywords
mystery · fate · chance · divination · lot cup · womb · hidden things · wyrd
What Perthro means
Perthro is one of the most enigmatic runes, its exact meaning debated among scholars. It likely refers to the lot cup or dice cup used in games of chance, connecting it to fate and the workings of wyrd. Some interpret its shape as a womb or well, linking it to the Well of Urd where the Norns carve the fates of all beings. In Heathen practice, Perthro represents the hidden workings of fate, the mysteries that lie beneath the surface, and the unfolding of one's orlog (primal law or personal fate). It is the rune of divination itself.
Perthro in the historical rune poems
Three medieval poems preserve the meanings of the runes — the oldest testimony we have.
Peorth is a source of recreation and amusement to the great, where warriors sit blithely together in the banqueting-hall.
Correspondences
Deities
The Norns · Frigg
Element
water
Color
black