BindRunes: Crafting Personal Sigils from the Elder Futhark Runes

BindRunes - Personal Sigils for Purpose, Identity & Ancestral Power

There’s something undeniably powerful about a symbol that’s built for you, not pulled from a Pinterest board or copied from someone else’s tattoo. That’s why BindRunes have become one of the most meaningful forms of Nordic tattoo work I do at Ancient Marks.

A BindRune is simple on the surface; a combination of two or more runes merged into a single form. But the process of creating one with intention is far from casual. It’s part language, part archetype, part magic, part design. You’re weaving meaning together and locking it into a symbol that becomes yours alone.

This article is for people who want their tattoo to carry purpose. For people who feel tied to ancestry, identity, healing, strength, or transformation. And for anyone drawn to the runes but wanting something deeper than a single character.

In Norse mythology, the runes were not invented by humans at all, they were found. According to the Hávamál, Odin sacrifices himself on the World Tree, hanging for nine nights “wounded with a spear, given to Odin, myself to myself.” In this trance between life and death, he glimpses the runes in the depths below, seizes them with a scream, and rises back to the world with the secrets of writing, magic, and meaning. In the mythic worldview, runes are gifts of insight pulled from the fabric of the universe — symbols of wisdom earned through sacrifice, suffering, and deep personal transformation. That’s why so many people today connect to runes not as simple letters, but as signs tied to resilience, shadow work, and awakening.

Hand Crafted Sigils and Bindrunes

Powerful and personalized to you. This is a DotWork style Bindrune tattoo… often called a Sigil with its radial symmetry. if you look close, you can pick out the individual runes used here.

Hello, World!

What Exactly Is a BindRune?

A BindRune is a combined symbol made by stacking, merging, or intertwining Elder Futhark runes to express:

• A personal intention

• A long-term goal

• A value or trait

• A relationship bond

• A protective function

• An identity theme

• Or a story from your life
  
  

Think of it like taking the raw building blocks of Norse symbolism and forging them into a single, personal mark.

BindRunes were used historically — not often, but enough to see that runes were sometimes combined for magical or practical purposes. The exact methods weren’t standardized, which actually gives us room to design them intentionally for modern tattoos without breaking historical integrity.

A BindRune is not:

• “Writing your name in runes”
  

• A random string of letters stacked together
  

• A New Age sigil
  

• Something to rush into without meaning
  

A good BindRune is art + intention + structure + respect.

How a BindRune Functions Symbolically

Each rune carries layers of meaning — literal, symbolic, mythic, and energetic.

When you combine runes, the meanings interact.

A BindRune can:

• Amplify the traits you choose
  

• Balance opposing energies
  

• Carry a narrative\
  

• Represent a personal transformation
  

• Protect or fortify parts of your life
  

• Mark a long-term commitment or identity shift
  
  

The magic of a BindRune lies in its unity.

It’s not just “Rune A + Rune B.”

It becomes something else — Woven together into a single symbol with a new identity.

Customized Bindrunes

They can be as simple as 2 runes as seen here, or include complex arrangements of dozens of runes.

We work together to make a mark thats yours.

Common Intentions for BindRune Tattoos…

Strength + Protection

Uruz + Algiz

For people rebuilding their life, recovering, or standing strong after hardship.

Love + Partnership

Gebo + Wunjo

A BindRune for balance, harmony, trust, or long-term commitment.

Direction + Purpose

Raidho + Sowilo

For people changing their life path or seeking clarity.

Healing + Renewal

Laguz + Berkano

A deeply emotional combination used by people overcoming trauma, grief, or illness.

Courage + Victory

Tiwaz + Sowilo

A warrior’s combination — for those facing challenges head-on.

Ancestry + Identity

Othala + Mannaz

Rootedness, cultural connection, understanding your place in the world.

Transformation + Breakthrough

Eihwaz + Dagaz

The “rebirth” combination — letting the old self fall away.

These are only examples.

The right BindRune depends entirely on your story.

How I Create BindRunes for Clients at Ancient Marks

My approach is different from what you’ll see online.

I don’t just stack runes because they look cool — and I never use a template.

Here’s the actual workflow I use in the studio:

1 - We talk about your story

Not just the tattoo — the reason behind it.

Where you’ve been. Where you’re going. What you’re trying to carry with you.

2 - We explore the runes themselves

Each rune’s meaning, shadow side, strengths, and how it interacts with others.

3 - We choose the runes based on intention

Authentic, aligned, and accurate Elder Futhark selections.

4 - I draft multiple structures

• Vertical stack.

• Mirror symmetry.

• Interlocked shapes.

• Radial layout.

• A core line with branches.

• Something more abstract if the meaning calls for it.

Each version explores:

• Line weight

• Balance

• Legibility (runes should still be recognizable)

• Tattoo longevity

• Flow with the chosen placement
  
  

5 - We refine until it feels like YOUR mark

Your story.

Your intention.

Your energy.

Your meaning.

That’s what makes a BindRune powerful — not just the lines but the lived meaning behind them.

Personalized Bindrunes

Crafted with intention, style, and meaning. Individual, yours alone.

Design Styles for BindRune Tattoos

A BindRune can stand alone or integrate into a larger piece.

Dotwork - Blackwork with ancient texture

Mimics what hand-poked tattoos would have looked like in the distant past

Often placed on:

• Inner forearm

• Spine

• Wrist

• Chest

• Behind ear

• Ribs

Minimalist Black Linework

Clean, sharp, timeless. Modern Black lines. no texture.

Ritualistic or “Carved” Style

Aged or stone-carved texture, giving it an old-world, ritual feel.

Looks incredible on forearms, calves, and often on the stomach or upper back.

Knotwork Integration

BindRune sits at the center of an interlace pattern — armor-like, ancestral, bold.

Vegvísir or Helm of Awe Integration

BindRune placed in the center of:

• Vegvísir (direction, clarity)
  

• Ægishjálmur (fearlessness, protection)
  
  

Part of a Jörmungandr Circle

The serpent encircles the BindRune — symbolizing protection, eternal cycles, and personal power.

Inside a Yggdrasil Composition

Roots below, branches above, and the BindRune at the heart of the tree.

Very powerful for identity, ancestry, or healing.

How to Know If a BindRune Is Right for You

• You want a tattoo with personal meaning
  

• You’re drawn to Norse history, magic, or symbolism
  

• You’ve been through something transformative
  

• You want a symbol that represents inner strength or direction
  

• You want something ancestral without copying someone else’s design
  

• You want a Nordic tattoo that’s truly yours
  

If any of that resonates, a BindRune might be exactly what you’re looking for.

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Sources & Citations

Primary & Historical Context

• R.I. Page — Runes and Runic Inscriptions

• Snorri Sturluson — The Poetic Edda & Prose Edda (general rune lore references)

• Elder Futhark inscriptions catalogued in Scandinavian runographic studies

• The Ribe skull fragment (rune combinations)

• Runic amulets showing bind forms (Bergen and Ribe finds)
  
  
  

Scholarly & Academic Works

• Simek, Rudolf — Dictionary of Northern Mythology

• Davidson, H.R. Ellis — Gods and Myths of Northern Europe

• Flowers, Stephen — Runes and Magic

• Neil Price — The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
  
  
  

Linguistic & Symbolic Commentary

• Jackson Crawford, PhD — academic commentary on Elder Futhark usage

• Mindy MacLeod & Bernard Mees — Runic Amulets and Magic Objects (definitive work on magical runic usage)
  
  

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Author Bio - Jon Poulson, Ancient Marks

Jon Poulson is the founder of Ancient Marks, and one of the few tattoo artists in North America specializing in historically grounded Norse, Celtic, and ancestral tattoo styles. With over 20 years of experience in this style, Jon creates custom story-driven designs rooted in authentic symbolism, cultural respect, and artistic excellence. Clients travel nationally for Nordic-inspired work, bind-runes, and large-scale, geometric inspired and Tribal style tattoos.