Study › Runes & Norse › Hagalaz
Hagalaz (ᚺ) is the ninth rune of the Elder Futhark. Its name means "hail", the storm that flattens the crops, and its meaning is transformation through destruction: the breaking that clears the ground for something better. It cannot be reversed.
Keywords: disruption, destruction, clearing, crisis, transformation
What does the Hagalaz rune mean?
Hagalaz is the ninth rune of the Elder Futhark. It comes after Wunjo, and Naudhiz comes after it.
Hagalaz opens Heimdall's Aett, the second family of eight runes.
Its name means "hail", the storm that flattens the crops. It stands for transformation through destruction: often something must be broken down and cleared away before something new and better can take its place. The rune is closely tied to the goddess Hel, ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead — and nothing that enters Helheim returns, for it is where things that have been tested and found wanting are left behind. Hagalaz brings radical change, never a gentle one: in work, for instance, it can mean a sudden, unwelcome dismissal that in the end frees you to find something better. Coming after Wunjo, the rune of joy, it reflects a hard truth — that the only way forward is sometimes through a dramatic, destructive event. It is often used in magical cleansing.
Hagalaz is a non-reversible rune. It means transformation through destruction. After the contentment of Wunjo, growth often comes only through an upheaval — because someone who is happy and settled will never strive for more, and that is the shadow of Wunjo.
It opens the second family of runes. Its slower opposite is Eihwaz, change by growth.
Hagalaz in a reading
Hagalaz in love
A sudden upheaval in love. Old patterns break down. Space is cleared for something better. A crisis tests the bond. The relationship transforms.
Hagalaz and money
Unexpected financial disruption. A loss or collapse. Debts or burdens are cleared away. A financial crisis. Finances rebuilt on new ground.
Hagalaz and health
A sudden health disruption. Something unhealthy is broken down. The body cleanses itself. A health crisis passes. The body changes for the better.
Hagalaz on the spiritual path
Life is shaken up. Illusions are destroyed. Space is made for truth. A spiritual crisis. Deep inner change.
Can Hagalaz be reversed?
No. Hagalaz looks the same either way up, so it has no reversed meaning: it reads the same however it falls.
Hagalaz in the rune poems
The rune poems are the oldest sources for the runes' meanings. Here is what each one says of Hagalaz, first as written, then in English.
Norwegian Rune Poem
Hagall er kaldastr korna;
Kristr skóp hæimenn forna.Hail is the coldest of grain;
Christ created the world of old.
Icelandic Rune Poem
Hagall er kaldakorn
ok krapadrífa
ok snáka sótt.
grando hildingr.Cold grain
and shower of sleet
and sickness of serpents.
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
Hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcaþ hit windes scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.Hail is the whitest of grain;
it is whirled from the vault of heaven
and is tossed about by gusts of wind
and then it melts into water.
Questions
How do you pronounce Hagalaz?
Say it "HAH-gah-lahz".
What does the Hagalaz rune look like?
Hagalaz (ᚺ) is like the letter H with a slanted crossbar.
Can Hagalaz be reversed?
No. Hagalaz looks the same either way up, so it has no reversed meaning.