Nov
More on the Runes, Quality and Quantity
Yesterday we looked at four Runes in terms of quantity versus quality. There are other factors we can deduce if we view another facet of these Runes. The Fe Rune is a matter of assets and quantity. The asset can be money. It can be cattle for a farmer, employees for a factory owner and soldiers for a general.
Tyr and Hagal show us two different relationships to the Fe Rune. Tyr is a Rune of deliberate planning and strategy. Hagal is spontaneous, lacking a plan. It is notable for its randomness. On the other hand, Tyr tries to limit randomness through planning, tactics and strategy.
In a military example, Fe might be a commander’s troops. A Tyr type commander would use deliberate means to control an attack by his troops. Tactics and thorough planning would precede the Tyr assault. The Tyr use of its military assets are skilled attacks along the order of shrewd leaders such as Napoleon, Sherman, Patton and Rommel.
A Hagal type commander would use spontaneous means that did not require tactical expertise. The Hagal attack would be a human wave or mad charge, much like those used by the Russians on the Eastern Front, the Chinese in Korea and the Viet Cong when attacking the wire. Hagal throws its troops against the foe, hoping to overwhelm him through momentum and the sheer weight of numbers.
Hunters, target shooters and trap & skeet shooters have a good example. The rifle fires a single shot with great accuracy. It sends a single projectile at its target with each shot. The shotgun fires a small load of “shot” composed of numerous pellets. When it shoots, the shotgun launches a group of projectiles. The rifle has greater accuracy, while the shotgun fires a wider pattern. Rifles have a longer effective range that can be expressed in hundreds of yards. A shotgun’s effective range is measured in tens of yards.
In comparing Hagal with Tyr, we have a matter of random versus deliberate. Hagal depends on quantity to hit its targets, while Tyr needs a quality of skill to hit.
Granted, the Yew Tree (Ihr) Rune is normally associated with archery and aiming. However, we are using shooting as an example of other principles at work. We see the contrast of random versus deliberate and quantity versus quality. If you look again at the shooting example, you might see another comparison: unskilled versus skilled.
Through it all, we see in Hagal such aspects as Randomness, Unskilled and Quantity. It is as if greater numbers are used to offset the disadvantages of randomness and lack of skill. Tyr is Deliberate, Skilled, and Quality. Quality enhances the other aspects.
Look over yesterday’s lesson again. It may appear that Hagal has more in common with Fe than Tyr, which has more in common with Ase. Hagal has an affinity for the Quantity of Fe. Tyr resonates with the Quality of Ase.
Can you find other analogies?
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The Soviet communist founder Vladimir Lenin was quoted as saying: “Quantity has a quality all its own.” This idea was applied to Soviet industry and military tactics. Even the bad guys get one right occasionally. Was Lenin right about quantity? Here is another thing to consider.
