One rune is carved into a bow that will outlast the archer. The other is scratched onto a shield to catch the first light of dawn. Eihwaz is the rune of the yew tree, endurance, and the axis mundi. Sowilo is the rune of the sun, success, and the will to victory. They are not opposites. They are two forces on the same vertical axis: one roots, the other rises.
Where Each Rune Comes From
Both runes belong to the Elder Futhark, the oldest Germanic runic alphabet used from the 2nd to the 8th centuries CE. Their names are reconstructed from later rune poems and linguistic evidence.
Eihwaz (pronounced AY-waz) derives from Proto-Germanic *īhwaz, meaning “yew.” The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem gives its verse: “Eoh byþ utan unsmeþe treow, heard hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres, wynn on eþle.” (The yew is a rough tree without, hard and fixed in the earth, a keeper of fire, a joy on the estate.) The poem emphasizes toughness, rootedness, and the tree’s role as a guardian of the hearth flame.
Sowilo (pronounced SO-wee-lo) comes from Proto-Germanic *sōwilō, meaning “sun.” The Norwegian Rune Poem says: “Sól er landa ljóme; lúti ek helgum dóme.” (Sun is the light of the land; I bow to the holy judgment.) The Old English version calls it “sīġel” – a word that also means “jewel” and “victory.” The sun is not just light; it is the source of triumph.
Archaeologically, both runes appear on the Kylver stone (c. 400 CE) from Gotland, Sweden, which lists the entire Elder Futhark. Eihwaz is the thirteenth rune, Sowilo the sixteenth. Their positions in the sequence matter: Eihwaz sits at the center of the first aett (the group of eight runes ruled by Freyr and Freyja), while Sowilo opens the second aett, ruled by Heimdall and the sun itself.
What Each Rune Actually Means
Eihwaz is the yew tree. Yew wood is extraordinarily dense, rot-resistant, and flexible. English longbows were made from it. The tree lives for centuries, often outliving the buildings around it. In Norse mythology, the yew is associated with death and rebirth: its needles are poisonous, but its wood gives life to the bow that hunts. The rune also represents the axis mundi, the world tree that connects the nine realms. Yggdrasil itself is sometimes described as an ash, but many scholars argue the yew is a better fit for the evergreen, death-defying tree at the center.
Sowilo is the sun wheel. Its shape is a stylized sunburst or lightning bolt. In the Viking Age, the sun cross (a circle divided into four quadrants) was a common symbol for Sowilo. The rune represents success, honor, and the will to achieve. It is the force that drives the sun across the sky, the energy that makes crops grow and battles turn. Unlike the passive endurance of Eihwaz, Sowilo is active, radiant, and directional.
The key difference: Eihwaz holds. Sowilo moves. One is the pillar that does not break; the other is the light that does not stop.
How They Were Used in Practice
Runic magic was not theoretical. Carvers chose runes for specific effects, often combining them into bindrunes or inscribing them on objects.
Eihwaz was carved on weapons for defense, but not aggression. A bow made of yew already carried the rune’s essence; adding the symbol was a reinforcement of the wood’s natural toughness. On house posts, Eihwaz protected the threshold. In divination, drawing Eihwaz meant endurance through a difficult period, not escape. The rune demanded patience.
Sowilo was carved on shields and swords for victory. The Lindisfarne stone (c. 700 CE) shows a Sowilo-like sun wheel carved beside a cross, blending Christian and pagan symbols of triumph. On amulets, Sowilo was used to attract success in legal disputes, trade, and travel. In the sagas, heroes who carved Sowilo on their weapons before battle were said to be “sun-blessed.”
We light ours in a fireproof bowl on the balcony when we need clarity. That is not a historical practice, but it follows the logic: Sowilo is the rune of illumination, and the flame is its closest earthly form.
How Eihwaz and Sowilo Compare to Other Runes
Eihwaz is often confused with Algiz (ᛉ), the elk rune of protection. Algiz is active defense, a shield raised against attack. Eihwaz is passive endurance, a tree that does not flee. Algiz says “stop”; Eihwaz says “stay.”
Sowilo is compared to Tiwaz (ᛏ), the rune of the god Tyr and martial victory. Tiwaz is victory through sacrifice and law. Sowilo is victory through will and radiance. Tiwaz wins because the god gave his hand. Sowilo wins because the sun cannot be hidden.
Together, Eihwaz and Sowilo form a bindrune that appears in some medieval charms: the yew’s endurance under the sun’s direction. The result is a symbol of sustained success, not a flash of triumph but a long, steady climb.
What People Get Wrong
The most common mistake is treating Eihwaz as a rune of death only. Yes, yew is poisonous and grows in graveyards. But the rune is about the cycle: death leads to rebirth. The yew’s branches root into the ground and grow new trunks, creating a grove that is one organism. Eihwaz is the continuity of life through death.
Another error: assuming Sowilo is always positive. The sun can burn. In the Norse myth, the wolf Sköll chases the sun, and at Ragnarök he catches it. Sowilo’s power is overwhelming if not balanced. A Sowilo-heavy reading in a rune cast can mean burnout, overconfidence, or a victory that costs too much.
Some also confuse Sowilo’s shape with the swastika. The sun wheel and the swastika share a common origin as solar symbols, but they are distinct. Sowilo in the Elder Futhark is always a straight S or zigzag, never a hooked cross. The swastika was adopted by the Nazis and has a separate history. We do not conflate them.
FAQ
What is the difference between Eihwaz and Sowilo? Eihwaz is endurance, defense, and the axis mundi. Sowilo is success, will, and the sun. One holds; one moves.
Can Eihwaz and Sowilo be combined? Yes. A bindrune of Eihwaz and Sowilo is used for sustained success, protection during a long endeavor, or grounding solar energy.
Which rune is better for protection? Eihwaz is better for passive, long-term protection. For active defense against immediate threat, Algiz is more appropriate.
How do you pronounce Eihwaz and Sowilo? Eihwaz is AY-waz (rhymes with “day was”). Sowilo is SO-wee-lo (stress on the first syllable).
Closing
The yew and the sun do not fight. The tree stands in the light, and the light passes over it. That is the relationship between Eihwaz and Sowilo: one gives the strength to endure, the other gives the direction to rise. For more on how runes work together, see our guide to bindrunes. Explore the full Elder Futhark in our runes hub.