![]() ![]() He is triumphant for having brought the best set of sacrifices.Īlso notice that the maypole itself looks like the rune Tiwaz, which means justice, sacrifice, or law. noted means prosperity for him in particular because by the end of the film-when all four of Pelle’s guests have been used by the pagan cult for their own purposes-Pelle is seen wearing a crown of laurels. Pelle is also wearing the Fehu symbol on his tunic, which as J.S. When Dani (Florence Pugh) arrives in the building where they’re staying and looks up, she sees myriad painted images you’ll see on the bottom the Fehu symbol and toward the top a series of maypole figures, including the one we see in the film. Once you see those two runes, you’ll see them everywhere. Placed together like that on the maypole, I think they refer to the cult’s belief that these rituals and the Midsommar festival will bring the Hårga 90 more years of life. In the second image, you’ll see on the left the rune Fehu, which can mean wealth, power, or charisma, and on the right, there’s the rune Raidho, which can mean journey or control, or growth or evolution. taught me that runes have one meaning when presented as intended and another meaning when reversed or merkstaved, which assigns them a “dark” meaning. Is that duel presentation of the pole purposeful? Maybe! J.S. In the trailer for Midsommar, the pole is shown flipped:īut in promo stills for the film, you see the pole head-on: ![]() Let’s start with the runes that are on the maypole, which is a major component of the Midsommar celebration. I’ve used J.S.’s interpretations of these rune meanings here, and also done some research on my own, but if you have any other theories, please share in the comments! So, first and foremost: Runes have both literal and figurative meanings, and some of the runes in Elder Futhark don’t exactly have direct meanings in our current times. suggested illuminate various Easter eggs and secrets Aster hid throughout Midsommar, and please know that basically every smart thing written in the following post came from J.S. put forth are fascinating and add so much context to the film. gave me a primer on them during our day-long chat, and I think the theories J.S. What the hell do they all mean? Well, J.S. Pelle’s “family” stitch the runes on their clothes, incorporate them into their artwork, arrange themselves into the shape of certain runes, and even put them on the maypole that takes up central space in the Hårga compound. When they arrive in Hälsingland, Sweden, Josh is curious to learn the secrets of the Hårga religion that Pelle and the others in their community (ahem: cult) follow, and Pelle informs him that their written record is in Elder Futhark, the oldest form of the runic alphabet.Īnd once you see those runes for the first time, you’ll realize that certain runes of the 24 in the Elder Futhark alphabet show up everywhere during Midsommar. ![]() ![]() In the film, anthropology PhD student Josh (William Harper Jackson, from The Good Place) decides to join Swedish friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) on the trip back to the compound where he grew up for research for Josh’s dissertation. SPOILERS FOR MIDSOMMAR FOLLOW, SO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THEM, YOU SHOULD GO AWAY NOW messaged me to talk through some plot points, and while talking spoilers, we started discussing runes, which are ALL THROUGHOUT Midsommar. Do you ever have a conversation with someone who is so hella smart that it kind of blows your mind? Friends, I have experienced that, and it is with our very own J.S.!īecause this is what happened the other day: I reviewed Midsommar, filmmaker Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary, for us, calling it “a ponderously paced but spooky and riotously colored acid trip.” Later that night, J.S. ![]()
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