When you look at the paired triangles that form Dagaz, you might see the shape of a butterfly. That’s very fitting for this Viking Rune, which symbolizes daylight, certainty, and hope. Dagaz is strongly associated with inspiration, illumination, and the opening of the mind.
What Does Dagaz Mean?
When you’re casting runes and Dagaz appears, it means two things: pay attention to cycles and embrace an optimistic outlook. Dagaz reminds us that every day is a fresh start, with dawn bringing possibilities and hopes anew. Dagaz can be a call for bold change, or a sign that you soon will have a startling flash of illumination in your life. For people seeking creative inspiration or who have been feeling stuck & unable to solve a problem, the appearance of Dagaz gives hope.
Dagaz: Understanding the History of this Viking Rune
Dagaz is the D rune in the Elder Futhark alphabet. It’s also called dæg, which means day. We only have one period usage of Dagaz, which is in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem. Translated, this part of the poem reads:
Day, the glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord;
it is beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and poor,
and of service to all.
About Rune Poems: There are three rune poems – special poems where there’s one verse explaining each letter of a runic alphabet. The Icelandic and Norwegian rune poems contain the 16 Younger Futhark runes; the Anglo-Saxon rune poem contains more, including Dagaz. As you can see from the quoted verse above, the Anglo-Saxon rune poem contains elements of Christian culture.
Integrating Dagaz into Your Life & Daily Practice
Viking Runes can help you enrich your life in many ways. In addition to helping you understand what fate may ask of you, runes can inspire, uplift and guide. Because Dagaz has such strong associations with creative inspiration, many artists, writers, and makers inscribe Dagaz on their working tools. This can be as simple as drawing Dagaz on your sketchbook or a much more formal artistic project.
Wear Dagaz as a pendant when you’re seeking to make balanced choices that help you move your life forward. Wearing a Dagaz pendant can also make it easier to maintain an optimistic worldview.
