Sigrun

Sigrun or Sig rune, also Sol or Sigel rune (German: Sigrune, Sig-Rune or Siegrune) is a Germanic rune and can be equated with the Sowilo rune of the Elder Futhark (16th rune), not the first form, a "Σ shape" (four strokes), but the second form with an "S shape" (three strokes), more prevalent in later (5th to 7th century) inscriptions, with the Futhorc and the Younger Futhark (11th rune). The Younger Futhark Sol and the Anglo-Saxon futhorc Sigel runes are identical in shape, a rotated version of the later Elder Futhark rune, with the middle stroke slanting upwards, and the initial and final strokes vertical.

History

24 runes of the Elder Futhark

16 runes of the Younger Futhark

The names of the ᛋ-rune (on which the Siegrune was based) translate as "sun", however, Guido von List interpreted it as a victory sign when he compiled his list of "Armanen runes". Von List wrote in Das Geheimnis der Runen (Vienna, 1908, p. 14):

ᛋ sol’ sal, sul, sig, sigi, Sonne, Heil, Sieg, Säule, Schule usw.: [...] „sal and sig!“ — „Heil und Sieg!“ — Dieser vieltausendjährige urarische Gruss- und Kampfruf, der auch in dem erweiterten Begeisterungsruf: „alaf sal fena !“ *) variiert sich wiederfindet, ist in der „Sig-Rune“ (Siegrune), dem elften Zeichen des Futharks zum Symbol geworden: „Der Schöpfergeist muss siegen!“

English: [...] “sal and sig!" — "salvation and victory!" — This many thousand-year-old Urarian greeting and battle cry [...] has become a symbol in the 'Sig-Rune' (victory rune), the eleventh sign of the Futhark: The creative spirit must triumph!"

Germanic given names

Sigrid, Siegrid, Sirid, Siri (rider for victory) as well as Sigrun, Siegrun, Sigrune (victory through runes or their secret/mystery; short: Sirun) and Sigune, Sigun, Sigunn (waves of victory) are all Germanic given names that have their origin in the original rune. One of Wodan's 84 kenning (poetic epithets) is "Siegvater" or father over victory.

Rune poems

Rune poem	English translation
Old Norwegian ᛋ ól er landa ljóme; lúti ek helgum dóme.	Sun is the light of the world; I bow to the divine decree.
Old Icelandic ᛋ Sól er skýja skjöldr ok skínandi röðull ok ísa aldrtregi. rota siklingr.	Sun is the shield of the clouds and shining ray and destroyer of ice.
Anglo-Saxon ᛋ Sigel semannum symble biþ on hihte, ðonne hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ, oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.	The sun is ever a joy in the hopes of seafarers when they journey away over the fishes' bath, until the courser of the deep bears them to land.

National Socialism

The national socialist call "Sieg Heil!" finds it's origin in the proto-Germanic (Urgermanen) greeting "sal and sig!“ Many NS organisations used the rune as their symbol, among the the Hitler Youth, Allgemeine SS, Waffen SS. The Armanen sig rune was adapted into the emblem of the in 1933 by Walter Heck. Heck's design consisted of two sig runes drawn side by side like lightning bolts and was adopted by all branches of the SS. Heck also designed the SA-Runes badge, a combination of a runic S and a Gothic A, and in 1932, with SS-Oberführer Professor Karl Diebitsch (1899–1985), he designed the all-black SS uniform, not Hugo Boss as is often stated, although Boss's eponymous company, Hugo Boss AG, did manufacture them.

Gallery

Deutsches Jungvolk
DJ Achievement Badge
Uniform and badges
DJ flag bearer by Anton Hackenbroich
Black Sun with twelve radial sig runes
Germanische Leistungsrune (de) of the Germanic SS
Members of the Waffen-SS wearing Stahlhelme with the double-sig rune insignia of the
artwork from Harald Damsleth (Nasjonal Samling)