Among the first things you’ll notice when reading an inscription in the Elder Futhark—the oldest known runic alphabet used by the Germanic peoples—is that it begins with the rune ᚠ, Fehu. This was not random. Just as our modern alphabet begins with A, the rune-row begins with Fehu, but its position at the front isn’t just alphabetical—it’s philosophical.
Fehu stands for wealth. But it’s not about coins or bank accounts. In the world of the early Norse and Germanic tribes, wealth was something you could touch, smell, and hear. Wealth had hooves. It bellowed in the night. It left droppings on your land. Fehu, at its heart, represents cattle—and by extension, all mobile, livable prosperity.
The Cattle of the Ancestors
In the ancient world, especially among the Germanic tribes, cattle were currency. They were a store of value, a measure of worth, and a sign of status. A man who had cattle could feed his family, pay bride-prices, reward warriors, and offer sacrifices to the gods. Fehu literally means “cattle,” and in Old Norse (and its Indo-European cousins), the word came to symbolize wealth because cattle were the most visible and vital form of it.
The same root appears in Latin as pecus (meaning livestock), which gives us the English word pecuniary—relating to money. Language remembers what we often forget: that wealth used to live, breathe, and multiply.
The Elder Futhark Context
Fehu is the very first rune of the Elder Futhark, a writing system in use from around 150 to 800 CE. It was carved on stones, bone, and wood across the Germanic-speaking world—from what is now Scandinavia to the edge of the Roman Empire.
In the Proto-Germanic language, Fehu is thought to have meant both “cattle” and “wealth.” In the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem—one of the main sources that preserve some understanding of runes’ symbolic meanings—Feoh (an Anglo-Saxon form of Fehu) is described this way:
“Wealth is a comfort to all men; yet must every man bestow it freely, if he will glory in heaven before the Lord.”
This hints at an early Germanic attitude toward wealth: it’s not to be hoarded, but shared. Fehu is wealth that moves—it must circulate. Stagnant wealth is like stagnant water—it spoils.
The Rune’s Shape and Sound
Fehu is pronounced like the modern English “f” as in fire. Its shape—two arms reaching outward from a vertical line—can be seen as stylized horns or perhaps branches of abundance. In carvings, it's among the simpler runes to make, which might reflect its early place in the runic row and daily life.
But this simplicity is deceptive. Its symbolism runs deep. The vertical stave is the human or divine channel, while the two arms show flow, like wealth extending from the hands of a generous giver. Fehu is not static. It’s not a vault. It’s movement.
Fehu as a Magical and Symbolic Force
To the runemaster or seer, Fehu wasn’t just a letter. It was a concept, a spirit, a power. A carving of ᚠ on a tool or amulet wasn’t merely decorative—it was an invocation of prosperity, a wish or spell for fruitful labor, abundant harvests, and success in trade or conquest.
Yet it also came with a warning.
Fehu reminds us that wealth is never neutral. It can bless or curse. It can liberate or enslave. Those who chase it without honor, who hoard it without generosity, soon find it turns on them. Like cattle left untended, wealth can wander away or rot in the field.
The Norse knew this. Odin, who gave the runes to mankind through sacrifice and suffering, also warned that riches are fleeting. In Hávamál—the Words of the High One—he says:
“Cattle die, kinsmen die, you yourself will die;
But I know one thing which never dies:
The reputation of a man who has earned it.”
Fehu is powerful, but not eternal. It’s a gift from the gods—and one that demands wise handling.
Modern Reflections: What Does Fehu Mean Today?
We no longer measure wealth in cows (unless you’re in the livestock business), but the idea behind Fehu hasn’t changed. It’s about abundance in motion. Whether your wealth is financial, emotional, or creative, Fehu asks: What are you doing with it?
Are you hoarding it behind fences, afraid it will be taken?
Or are you letting it graze, letting it feed others, and watching it grow?
In today’s world, where wealth is mostly digital and invisible, Fehu challenges us to return to a more grounded relationship with prosperity. It reminds us that real wealth is not what you keep—it’s what you give, what you build, and what continues to nourish long after you’re gone.
Fehu, then, is not just a rune. It’s a philosophy. It’s a way of living that honors the sacred flow of energy, giving as much as it receives.
Closing Thoughts
If you were a Norseman carving runes into a stone, sword, or stave a thousand years ago, and you began with ᚠ, you weren’t just writing a letter. You were invoking the foundation of survival and success. You were marking your hope for abundance, not just for yourself, but for your family, your kin, and your gods.
So today, when you see Fehu—carved on a pendant, etched in a book, or meditated upon in ritual—don’t just think “money.” Think motion. Think sharing. Think life on the move.
Because Fehu is more than wealth.
ᚠ is the fire that feeds, the gift that grows, and the living heartbeat of a people who knew:
true prosperity never stands still.