acinnamon-girl:

acinnamon-girl:

There’s a particular line in this journal entry of Dylan’s that’s
always intrigued me, but I haven’t been able to find further explanation – factual or speculative – online or otherwise (if something is out there and I’ve missed it, my apologies and please send it my way!).

Written three days after he and Eric were arrested for breaking into a
van, Dylan doesn’t directly discuss the incident, but his angst is palpable.
There’s an indirect allusion in his opening line – “well well… so much changes” –
a more direct reference when he talks about being caught for “most of my
crimes”, and his rage about society trying to destroy what is superior could be
another reference to his arrest.

But most of the entry focuses on both his desire to be with his love,
and his desperation to end it all. Fate is evoked twice. About halfway through, he talks of suicide if the girl he loved didn’t love him “by fate’s
choice”.

 But it’s the first, subtler hint of Dylan’s belief in fate that’s more mysterious.

“I understand almost everything now… so close to my love – [redacted].
The runes have shown it, she has shown it, i have felt it.”

What is Dylan talking about when he mentions runes? Runes are the
letters that form alphabets in a range of Germanic languages, often linked with
Scandinavia and Vikings, but they’ve also long been used as tools of magic or
divination – as a way to foretell the future. Some believe they were used as
magical signs before they evolved into writing tools. In fact, the very meaning
of the word ‘rune’ is “secret,
or something hidden”. In early modern times, folklore related to runes can be seen in Icelandic magical staves preserved in grimoires (magic textbooks) from the 17th century on.

Austrian occulist Guido von List connected a branch of runic magic to Germanic mysticism in
the early 20^th century with his book The Secret of the Runes. Von List’s theories would eventually inspire Nazis to use runes in their symbolism – the SS
unit insignia shows two Sig Runes, as one example. 

Around the early 1980s, runic magic and divination became semi-popular (you know, as popular as anything esoteric can be) through a variety of neo-paganism guidebooks. Ralph Blum’s 1982 publication, The Book of Runes: A Handbook
for the Use of an Ancient Oracle, has been credited with introducing modern readers to the method of using runes to answer personal life questions. Blum went on to write more
books on runic magic, and other authors helped contribute to the
trend. From 1996-1998, Blum published several books on runic magic in quick
succession, and started including images of the runes printed on card stock,
rather than traditional rune stones.

Runes have appeared in pop culture relevant to Dylan. German industrial
metal band Rammstein
incorporated what looks like the ‘Raido’ rune against an Iron Cross into
their famous logo (… or it could just be an ‘R’ ;)). The computer games Quake and Doom, both of which Dylan played, feature magic runes that players need to collect to ascend to the next level or attain a bonus.

We know how important symbology was to Dylan. Even a cursory look at his journal reveals his patented ever-lasting contrast symbol, downward spiral sketches, his fixation with
and drawing of the number 5, and various lost highway drawings. 

Other symbols he
drew include the Ancient Egyptian ankh hieroglyphic, which symbolises life, the
infinity symbol, and a
barbed wheel.

This final symbol is especially interesting in the context of this
post. Dylan used it to represent ‘fate’, as seen in this excerpt from his
journal (one of several examples):

… The thing i have concluded is that [fate] will decide when we should be together. [fate] decided when our existence started, it should end the same way with us…

Why is this symbol so interesting? Because it bears a striking
resemblance to a Vegvísir:
one of those previously mentioned Icelandic magical staves. The Vegvísir is meant to help guide people
through rough weather – a compass of sorts, but more like a runic talisman. It’s a
symbol of spiritual guidance and protection. Icelandic singer/songwriter Björk – who made the big
time in the 1990s – has
a Vegvísir tattoo on her upper left arm.

A Vegvísir

We can’t know for sure if Dylan ever saw a Vegvísir, but the similarity
to his own symbol for fate is striking. The fact that it has a different
significance is irrelevant; much as Dylan liked instrumental music because he
could create his own meanings for songs, he likely preferred to attribute his
own meanings to signs that caught his eye.

Given runes’ connections to Nazi symbolism, Rammstein, Quake and Doom, plus their connotations with fate and magic – it’s not unlikely that Dylan was aware of them and attracted to them as a way to understand his
existence. Did he own a set of rune stones or cards that he used as a divination tool? Or maybe use some mid-late ’90s online rune reading service to see whether the one he believed was his
love was true?

Fun little addition: Dyl’s patented personal rune (or maybe it’s just the Golden Arches) 😉

Very interesting read!  I’ve been pondering Dylan’s ‘the runes have shown it’ reference for quite some time. I’ve gone back and forth in my mind -as you’ve so aptly done here exploring possible options – as to what sort of ‘runes’ he meant – whether Dylan would’ve actually, somehow, acquired Runic prophecy stones and dabbled/messed around with them occasionally or not and counter that those would be quite a serious investment for him- and, wouldn’t we have heard him referencing them again in later writings?  But Dylan, tight on cash teenager that he was, seems somehow more simple in his brand of spirituality and mysticism. He wouldn’t need such trappings as tarot cards or rune stones – or would he?  It is entirely conceivable he went to a nineties runic website that you’d linked. I always tend to conclude feeling-wise that Dyl was referring to the gaming runes integrated into especially Quake, Hexen or maaaybe Doom. And so while he was playing the game at a particular point, those runes had aligned in a favorable manner, and he took that as sign from ‘Fate’ (along with his perception that ‘she has shone it’ ) that it was written in the stars for them to be together.  It’s similar to how he interpreted other ordinary things around him into ‘magical thinking’ in his life as ‘signs from above’ such as “the weather is a replication of our thoughts’.   He also could have fashioned his own runes too but here again, wouldn’t we have seen the evidence for it.  So, no. 

Then again: Hm.. there is one other clue in his writings which makes me still heavily consider that Dylan did possibly have some actual rune stones handy or perhaps crafted his own.  But ah, that’s another post – haha. 🙂  I would rather showcase your beautiful post with fine research and not digress into more pondering about The Ponderer. 🙂 

Btw, that ‘patented personal rune’ or supposed Golden Arches you reblogged at the bottom is actually the tip-end of his pointed Double Barrelled Shotgun or BFG (BIg Fuckin’ Gun).  😉  Gotta love the ingenuity of our at-first-glance, personal interpretations. Initially, I thought it was a Trident. lol 
Great INFP minds think alike! 🙂