BERKANA ( BEORC )

(Birch)

Renewal Healing, physical or spiritual regeneration, , Fertility and mothering in all aspects

Berkano is related to Nerthus, the Great Mother, the Earth Goddess and is also linked to Hel, Goddess of the Underworld and daughter of the trickster God Loki. The original Nordic earth mother was Nerthus and the tradition continued with Frigg, wife of Odin who was associated with fertility and motherhood and was evoked by women in labour.

This rune thereby contains the concept of birth, death and rebirth. Indeed the birches were the first tree to recolonise the land after the retreat of the ice-cap at the end of the last Ice Age. According to the old poems, the birch `puts forth shoots without seeding.'

Birch Trees were planted in front of a dwelling in the Northern countries to invoke the protection of the Earth Mother and the custom spread to America with the settlers.