Eihwaz is a rune of life, death, rebirth, endurance, strength, and the eternal cycle of change. This rune represents the Axis Mundi, the metaphysical center of the world. In the Germanic tongues, this would have gone by the name Irminsul, Donar’s Oak, or Yggdrasil, and represented the great World Tree of Pagan cosmology. This tree was believed to connect all the realms of existence, resembling the “shamanistic” cultures of Eurasia, associating it with Odin’s magical abilities and techniques. These practices allow him to travel as he pleases around the 9 different worlds of the cosmos, linked together by the great World Tree. The word Yggdrasil gives us this clue, as ygg(r) means “terrible one” and drasil means “steed,” reading something like “The Steed of the Terrible One.” This alludes to Odin’s ability to use this tree (or pillar) to travel outside of himself.

When looking at the rune poems, we only have one which speaks of Eihwaz directly, as the other two poems invoke the rune Ýr instead, connecting it more so to the previously mentioned Yggdrasil. The “Old English Rune Poem” states:

“Yew is on the outside an unsmooth tree,

Hardy and earth-fast, fire’s keeper,

Under-rung by its roots, best on the estate.”

This poem has a mysterious tone to it, although objective in its observation. The ancient Yew trees of the UK are highly impressive giants to behold, reaching back in time over 2000 years in some cases. These trees, like the first line says, are quite “lumpy” and gnarled, having many twists and turns. It isn’t hard to imagine why our ancestors used this tree to represent so much in their lives, as its immense canopy and knotted sprawl resembles the growth of family “trees” and essentially all concepts that seem to “branch” or “stem” from one another. The second line alludes to the endurance that Yew trees exhibit, boasting long life spans. The last line pertains to these trees having wild and intense root systems. This would make them “best on the estate,” as the Yew has a fairly slim chance of being knocked down by wind or storm.

It must be noted that while the Anglo-Saxon runes do include Eihwaz under the name ēoh, which means “Yew,” they also include another rune in their Futhorc; the rune Ýr (ᚣ), which distinctly means “Yew bow.” It is strange that the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc retains the original Eihwaz rune while also incorporating the Younger Ýr rune as well. This, to me, does indicate a significant difference in the two runes, and perhaps any attribution to bows and arrows may be strictly given to the Ýr rune, while the Eihwaz rune retains a predominant symbol of the World Tree: life, death, and rebirth.

My theory is that the Anglo-Saxons had, by this time, new geographical associations with the runes. Once they got to England, they must have been in total awe of the Yew trees. Either this, or they noticed how their Celtic adversaries/neighbors held this tree in high regard. We can see evidence for this connection in the Proto-Celtic word iwos, meaning “yew.” Perhaps these mighty Yew trees were not as common or prominent as was the Oak or other sacred trees on the continent. I believe evidence for this can be found in the absence of any word for “Yew” in the Gothic language, enforcing the Celtic influence on this word and rune. In its original form, Eihwaz would have likely been associated with the Oak, as in Gothic, the work aik means “Oak.” Not only this, but the root word eih, in Old High German, also means “Oak.” We can assume this rune came from the East, and not the West, therefor, the word Eihwaz would have most likely been a formal name for the Oak. When looking for past reference to Indo-European World Trees, the Oak is by far the most frequently described, with other minor references to Birch, Beech, Apple, Olive, and certain types of Evergreens; in this case, most notably the Yew.

The Younger runes of the North would later evolve in connection with these older runes, invoking again the infamous Yew tree. Although, their Futhorc would no longer contain the Eihwaz (ᛇ) rune. Instead, they carry over only the Ýr rune in the form of (ᛣ), associating it more directly with the Yew tree. The “Old Norwegian Rune Rhyme” states:

“Yew is the winter-greenest of trees,

It is wont for what burns to singe.”

This poem invokes the “evergreen” concept, which in the Pagan north was a symbol of eternal life. This is one reason for the incorporation of the “Yule Tree” in the winter customs, as it was a sacred reminder of beauty, life, and strength. The second line, I believe, is referring to its excellent quality as firewood, as Yew wood has been said to burn the brightest. We have no mention of bows here, so it must have been more-so acquainted with hearth-fire, life, and hope.

Lastly, the “Old Icelandic Rune Poem” gives us another angle to view this rune, in connection to the death of Baldr. It is said:

“Yew is a bended bow,

and iron eager to break,

and an etin’s arrow.”

Here, we first see mention of the bow. As stated before, the Yew was among the top choices, if not the best choice for bow making in the Heathen north. Therefore, Eihwaz / Ýr can be associated with bows, arrows, and archery. It has been theorized that this can also relate to “tension,” as the pulled bow string is very tense and holds a lot of energy within it. This, some say, can be associated with death when life’s energy is finally released. The last line can without doubt be associated with the events surrounding the death of Baldr. Baldr is killed (technically) by the etin (giant) Loki’s arrow/dart made of mistletoe, something that grows on various trees and was of a highly medicinal and magical use in the north. Of course, it is the blind god Höðr who throws the dart, but it was Loki who planned the act. This story can be found in Gylfaginning in Snorri’s “Prose Edda.”

In conclusion, we can see that Eihwaz is connected to the primordial World Tree of the European peoples, whether in the form of the Oak, the Yew, or any other tree that our ancestors venerated as a sacred center. Its association to eternal life, death, rebirth, and endurance can be seen in the symbolism of the evergreen; the ancient symbol of everlasting existence. We’ve also uncovered direct evidence concerning the possibility that this rune was originally a symbol of the Oak tree, as this was the most sacred tree cross-culturally amongst ancient Europeans, being idolized extensively from Ireland to Finland, Portugal to Greece. The Oak was the main representation of the World Tree cosmology. Therefore, this rune can not only take the meaning of “Yew,” but also of “Oak.” This, to me, would all depend on the geography surrounding the one using the runes.

-Wandering the Runic Path: Esoteric Analysis of the Germanic Runes