stafir

Stafir is the Old Norse and modern Icelandic word for a stave or staff, and in runic contexts it denotes a rune glyph—the individual characters of runic alphabets. The term derives from a root meaning staff or post, and in Norse linguistic and manuscript traditions a rune is often simply called a stafr. The plural form stafir appears in Nordic languages to refer to multiple runic characters.

In runic writing, stafir are the signs that make up runic alphabets. The main families used in the Germanic world are the Elder Futhark (the oldest form), the Younger Futhark (used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age), and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Each rune is traditionally described as a distinct staf or sign carved onto materials such as wood, bone, stone, or metal. Runes served practical purposes—inscriptions on monuments, weapons, jewelry, and everyday objects—while also carrying symbolic or magical significance in some contexts.

In Icelandic tradition, the term stafir also appears in the compound galdrastafir, referring to magical staves or sigils used in folk magic. Galdrastafir are signs drawn for protective, curative, or other purposes, with some famous examples like Vegvísir or Aegishjalmur appearing in modern retellings and cultural references. The concept reflects a historical belief in the power of written signs, alongside practical literacy in runic writing.

Today, stafir are discussed in runology and Norse studies as the individual runic signs of the various alphabets. The word emphasizes the material and graphic aspect of runes—the straight, staved forms carved into objects—while also linking to broader cultural practices surrounding writing, inscription, and mysticism in the Norse world.