Fehu

Fehu

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Fehu

The Fe rune (Old Norse fé; Old English feoh) represents the f-sound in the Younger Futhark and Anglo-Saxon runic alphabets. Its name means "(mobile) wealth", cognate to English fee with the original meaning of "sheep" or "cattle" (Dutch Vee, German Vieh, Latin pecum, Sanskrit pashu).

The rune derives from the unattested but reconstructed Proto-Germanic *fehu in the Elder Futhark alphabet, with the original meaning of "money, cattle, wealth".^[1]

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is f, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.

The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v

, like Greek Digamma and Latin F ultimately from Phoenician w?w

Rune poems

The name is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:^[2]	English Translation:
Old Norwegian Fé vćldr frćnda róge; fřđesk ulfr í skóge.	Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin; the wolf lives in the forest.
Old Icelandic Fé er frćnda róg ok flćđar viti ok grafseiđs gata aurum fylkir.	Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin and fire of the sea and path of the serpent.
Anglo-Saxon Feoh byţ frofur fira gehwylcum; sceal đeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dćlan gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.	Wealth is a comfort to all; yet must everyone bestow it freely, if they wish to gain honour in the sight of the Divinity.