Peorþ / Peorth is pronounced “PAY-OR-TH”. It is a most fascinating rune because not very much is really known of it. People have speculated about the meaning of the word based on clues from the rune poem and have drawn somewhat different conclusions on it from meaning a “dice box” to “chessman” and even sexual relations of some description. The issue with the chess connation is that chess did not arrive in England until after the Norman Conquest, long after the rune poem was written. Pollington states in his “Rudiments of Runelore” that it could reflect the filling and emptying of the primeval well of past time which overflows when an age of the world passes, resulting in cataclysmic events not unlike the Norse belief in Ragnarok which is not attested in Anglo-Saxon sources. He also mentions it may derive from the Celtic word “ceirt” which is the ogham name for the apple tree. Alaric Albertsson believes it relates to gaming in general terms due to the rune poem and its description. He states there is an emphasis on the friendship, laughter and cheer associated with gaming and that the mystery with this rune associates with the mystery of play itself.

For me it is a community rune, reflective of the lifelong need for “play” with friends, family and community and the development of those bonds through such pastimes. It could be argued that the rune looks not unlike a cup that has been shifted horizontally in order to dispense dice from within. I must say that the Dungeons & Dragons nerd in me finds this quite appealing. The random nature of the outcome of play is thus reflective of this rune in terms of indicating that sometimes our fate is out of our hands – literally dependent on the throw of the dice! I don’t find that to be in a negative way, however, more indicative of the nature of human beings that are willing to play along and see where the game takes us. Wild abandon, perhaps, somewhat carefree.

This brings with it the other side of the coin in that it may also indicate the need to get serious and stop playing around. Interpretation of this rune alongside any others in you cast/draw is therefore key to working out how it relates to the querent as an individual.

The more I have begun to explore the runes and consider their meaning, the more I have found them to be relatable in every part of our lives. They truly pull together different aspects of human existence and coalesce this into genuine meaning that can help us to move forward with our lives in a way that can be fulfilling and cognisant of the factors at play in our daily lives. Mastery of the runes is a long way off, as interpretation of them is fraught with danger and difficulty, yet in time I think the runes can and will be useful to me in helping me and others through this confusing life.

Thank you for coming with me on the journey, I look forward to exploring the remaining runes in due course.