Runes in Prehistoric Cavepaintings

[Ocko]

As one can see, the painters of this cave painting (around 17.000 years ago) used some runing symbols. Some can also be bindrunes.


For example the 'lance' on the butt of the URox is like the sign AR.

AR means according to some internet sources: Beauty, to ascend, trust, honor, rune of the initiate.

We have the ox/bull in that picture which has the meaning UR. The rune UR is commonly used to represent: Original cause, contact with the transcendent, contact with the dead, life after physical death, fountain of wisdom, fate, immortality and so on.

The connection between UR and AR could mean that the dying (the birdman on the ground) represents the dying and the ascend. Could mean one has to die internally in order to ascend, in order to be in contact with the transcendant.

Below the birdman we find the two runes AR and EH, almost combined to a bindrune.
EH represents: ideal love, twin souls, marriage, permanent bond, hope, duration. It is generally said to mean: union.

The connection between AR and EH could mean the union with the higher in connection with ascending.

the staff with the bird has the EH rune on the bottom, then IS rune and the bird on top. The IS rune usually means Individuality. So a combination between Union,Individuality and Bird (= flying ?)

[Ocko]

The anthropomorph figure lies prostrated on the back in the TYR rune-yoga position.

It has a beak indicating 'Bird'. It has only four fingers (like birds or it has 8 fingures in total like Odins horse sleipnir had 8 legs).

The figure is abstract, no drawn after nature.

If one makes a comparison between Odin and this painting one can see several similarities:

There is a bull, wounded by a spear. the bull is drawn after nature. In runic wisdom UR is the primeval force. Odin's body was wounded by a spear as he hang on the ashtree to get the runes. As we have the bull drawn after nature and the figure as abstract, we have a body and an abstract human part combined in an action. If one puts the painting as a unity we have a wounded body and an abstract human (soul). More or less what we have at the shamanic poem of Odin.

The abstact figure lies on its back. From shamans we know that when they go into deep trance they are on their back 'and look as they are dead'. We know that Odin/Wodan is the name for 'fury' which indicates a trance state.

We have the beaks of the figure indicating 'bird' and we know that Odin is connected to 'ravens'. Also the trance state could be interpreted as 'flying', which is aknown shamanic practice.


We know that the people who painted the cave did not hunt buffalos. Their diet consisted mainly out of reindeer. (Proven by the bones which were found at their dwelling sites). Powerful animals like buffalo were not hunted as reindeer was there in abundance.

So it is not hunting magic which is displayed but it is a different meaning.

[Þoreiðar]

I see no runes.

[Ocko]

I do.

[nauthiz]

The artwork is so beautiful. i would like to have framed pieces of this in my home someday when paying the power bill and phone isn't the main concern. :/ I can dream.

[Rev. Jupiter]

Now this is an interesting thread.

Ocko, if you don't mind me asking, how do you think the creators of that painting accomplished the feat of translating such ideas into visual form like that?
What method did you use to discern its meaning?

I'm pretty sure I already know, but I think an explanation would be beneficial to the thread.

[Ocko]

Sometimes I am 'travelling'.

I am also an old fan of cavemen and his antics. But anyway I think those old guys were more onto 'shamanism' and the spirituell worlds as one thinks.

They for sure used pictures to describe things of an expanded reality which we don't see.

Any myth, any fairytale, any religious book like the bible is using pictures for the 'other' world. Odins quest for the runes is just one example. There, in a picture', is described what one experiences. the cavemen obviously described the same thing but used a different picture. (There is more to show which I will do, when I can photo the picture and upload it).

The cavemen provides a map and how to get to certain points so their youngsters don't get lost and know what to expect.

Runes are an objective thing and thus might have been known by cavemen too. Odin or the Odin cult started around the 2nd century before Christ. So it is not that old.

I have studying cavepaintings for a long time and recently started to work with runes. I always wondered about the symbols, nobody can interprete them. The runes are similar or a one to one copy of some of those symbols. Puttings things into a context the whole thing makes sense. Reading those cavepaintings from the point of view of the runes gives helpful hints.

To exactly know what the cavemen painters wanted to say one needs further studies and experiments.

For example what is 'the spear'? What does it represent? In Lascaux they found a spear in the cave. it had the rune HAGAL on it. It most likely had a ceremonial meaning as one usually doesn't need a spear in a cave and if you certainly don't lose it or 'forget' it. So 'the spear' most likely stands for something which has to do with AR and with HAGAL.

I am not that far advanced to know what AR and HAGAL really stands for. (I can use them but don't really know what stands behind it).

So it is something to figure out.

If you see the wound at the buffalo, it is certainly not to kill that animal.
So the wounds is in the guts. One has to see what it did to the abdomen and what does the picture 'say' about it. What form, what color what stands behind 'guts' (some form of digestion? some drug? something what 'turns your stomach' like Ayahuasca? who knows)

[wittwer]

I see an Auroch, a Boar, a Bird, assorted spears lying around and a Man with an erection and an arrow stuck in his head. As for Runic inscriptions? Not a sign...

All typical fauna in Neolithic Europe. One question, "Where's this from"?

On closer inspection, that "arrow in the head" now appears to be an arm.

[Ocko]

The paintings are from Lascaux, southeastern France. there are a lot of cavepaintings down there. Also little figurines and so on. Ranging from 11,000 to 34,000 before present.

Cavepainters never used fauna in their paintings, no background, no scenery. nothing which 'elaborates' or 'decorates'. Only the essential message.

The 'boar' for example is a doublehorned rhino. It existed during that time in Europe.

you don't see a 'man'. What you see is a symbol. (the erection most likely means rebirth, ((rebirth in another state and world?))

[Halfr]

No offense but I find this rather silly.