Study › Runes & Norse › Othala
Othala (ᛟ) is the twenty-third rune of the Elder Futhark. Also spelled Othila, its meaning is inheritance: ancestry, home, family and what passes to those who come after. Reversed, its meaning turns against you.
Keywords: inheritance, ancestry, home, family, wealth
What does the Othala rune mean?
Othala is the twenty-third rune of the Elder Futhark. It comes after Ingwaz, and Dagaz comes after it.
It stands for ancestry, family, inheritance, home and property, and all that belongs to them. After the completeness of Ingwaz, the natural next step is to pass that completeness on to those who come after — and that passing-on is Othala, inheritance. In magick it is used in work with ancestors and family, and healthy Othala energy means good relations within the family and respect for those who came before.
Othala and Dagaz are opposite archetypes that complete each other. Othala is an inheritance, something of great value. Dagaz is the natural next step for it: the great leap forward that carries it on.
Othala's core meaning is family and ancestors. It also stands for all that can be inherited — chiefly land and houses — and for solid, manifested resources, including great wealth. It belongs to what is deeply rooted in the physical world, and to things ancient and old.
Its next step is Dagaz, the leap forward.
Othala in a reading
Othala in love
Upright: Family values shared. Ancestral bonds. Building a home together. Starting a family. A secure relationship.
Reversed: Inherited patterns repeat. Family disapproval. No sense of home. Family conflict. Material concerns come first.
Othala and money
Upright: An inheritance. A family business. Property and real estate. Family wealth. Lasting prosperity. A serious business built to last. Planning ahead for decades.
Reversed: Disputes over an inheritance. The family business fails. Loss of property. Family money lost. Poverty. Thinking only of quick gains. A business that does not last. No plan for the years ahead.
Othala and health
Upright: Good hereditary health. Strength from your ancestors. A healing home. Family support. Well-being as a lasting asset.
Reversed: Hereditary weakness. Ancestral burdens. An unhealthy home. Family stress. Health neglected for possessions.
Othala on the spiritual path
Upright: Spiritual heritage. Ancestral wisdom. A spiritual home. A soul family. Inner riches.
Reversed: Cut off from heritage. Ancestral wounds. Spiritual homelessness. Alienation. Spiritual poverty.
Othala reversed
Reversed, Othala loses the legacy: home is unsettled, family divides, and the weight of the past bears down. It asks what you want to pass on.
Othala in the rune poems
The rune poems are the oldest sources for the runes' meanings. Here is what each one says of Othala, first as written, then in English.
Norwegian Rune Poem
Icelandic Rune Poem
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
Eþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.An estate is very dear to every man,
if he can enjoy there in his house
whatever is right and proper in constant prosperity.
Questions
How do you pronounce Othala?
Say it "OH-thah-lah".
What does the Othala rune look like?
Othala (ᛟ) is a diamond standing on two short legs.
What does Othala mean reversed?
It asks what you want to pass on.