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In early usage, this rune indicated the land of birth in the narrow sense of the immediate locality where the tribe or clan dwelt. Land was important to the Germans. Families preferred to live some distance from one another rather than clustered together in villages and towns. They cleared a wide swarth around the house, probably as a defense against surprise attacks. The origin of Ethel may have been this circular clearing.

As Teutonic societies evolved, the sense of the rune was modified first to mean inherited land, and then inherited property. Used in this broad way, Ethel stood for the sum of earthly possessions accumulated by a man in his lifetime-what came down to him from his forefathers, the gifts of chiefs, the spoils of war and the craft of his own hands.

Landed property is the generally accepted meaning of the Ethel rune, which stands last in the traditional futhark. It complements Foeh, the first rune of the alphabet, one of whose meanings is movable possessions. The two types of possessions were inter-dependent of the cattle, the most important movable possession of the early Germans, needed land to graze on, and land without cattle was of little value.

Enlarging the meaning of the rune yields native country of nation of birth. This is a natural evolution of the rune, just as any nation grows up from the amalgamated holdings of family clans. The use of Ethel to stand for the soul of a nation would not be unreasonable in modern magical practice.

If Daeg represents the span of human life, Ethel may be said to stand for the accomplishments of that life on earth. Every man's native land is that which he carves out and holds on to; morally as well as materially, Good and evil actions are passed down to the next generation as its inescapable inheritance. The human laws of legal inheritance are only imitations of this natural law.

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MEANINGS:

UPRIGHT:

Immovable possessions, property, house, city, region of birth, country, where the heart is, allegiance, accomplishments in life, skills, credentials, what has been carved out by trial or won by valor, citizenship, passport, national or racial pride, patriotism.

REVERSED:

Bad karma, accumulated vices, prejudice, jingoism, bigotry, clannishness, provincial attitudes, isolationism, protectionism, class consciousness, suspicion of strangers, lack of hospitality, the grave.

KEY: HOME