Haglaz


*Haglaz or *Hagalaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the h-rune, meaning "hail".
In the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is continued as hægl and in the Younger Futhark as hagall The corresponding Gothic letter is ? h, named hagl.
The Elder Futhark letter has two variants, single-barred and double-barred. The double-barred variant is found in continental inscriptions while Scandinavian inscriptions have exclusively the single-barred variant.
The Anglo-Frisian futhorc in early inscriptions has the Scandinavian single-barred variant. From the 7th century, it is replaced by the continental double-barred variant, the first known instances being found on a Harlingen solidus, and in the Christogram on St. Cuthbert's coffin.
Haglaz is recorded in all three rune poems:
Rune Poem:English Translation:

Old Norwegian

Hagall er kaldastr korna;

Kristr skóp hæimenn forna.

Hail is the coldest of grain;

Christ created the world of old.

Old Icelandic

Hagall er kaldakorn

ok krapadrífa

ok snáka sótt.

Hail is cold grain

and shower of sleet

and sickness of serpents.

Anglo-Saxon

Hægl byþ hƿitust corna;

hƿyrft hit of heofones lyfte,

ƿealcaþ hit ƿindes scura;

ƿeorþeþ hit to ƿætere syððan.

Hail is the whitest of grain;

it is whirled from the vault of heaven

and is tossed about by gusts of wind

and then it melts into water.