The darker mood of Hægl and Nyd remains as we reach Is — Ice — in the runes.
The forms it takes in the various runic systems are:
- Eldar Futhark: *Isaz
- Anglo-Frisian: Is
- Marcomannic: His
- Younger Futhark: Isa
In the runic poems, the focus is on ice’s appearance and nature — it is “the bark of a river,” and “a floor forged by the frost.”
But emphasis is also placed on the danger it brings, both tangible (such as slipping on it), and more metaphorical (for the perils that cold presents, both to the body and environement).
But ice also stands for winter, and as well as its dangers (so real and frightening in those days when famine was always a hair-bredth away), it is a time of rest and introspection.
Nature turns inwards, and so must we. After its sleep beneath the ice, new life will come in the spring.
Modern rune interpretations follow on from all this. Is is a distinct, virtually physical obstacle placed before us. It can represent sudden frustration in endeavours, something that stops us in our paths and threatens to prevent us from moving forward.
Indeed, to some extent it is actual tells us that we might need to stop and take time to think. Time to allow what will be to be. Just like Nature in wintertime. The spring will come. We just need patience…
And so to the names…
Is is, of course, identical to “is”; I have encountered it as a nickname for Isabella and all her forms, and, after all Will’s resemblance to “will” hasn’t hindered him. Isaz is distinctly exotic, though not a thousand miles from Isis and Isaac.
His? Maybe, maybe not.
But lovely Isa has to be one of the best “rune names” of all. An old short form of Isabella, etc, particularly in Scotland, it has that “great-granny” charm going too, but has yet to be rediscovered in her own right (only 5 in 2010 in the UK), though it features in a lot of other names. In addition to all the variations on Isabella, there’s all these among the girls:
Aanisah, Alisa, Anisa, Anisah, Annalisa, Arisa, Beatrisa, Denisa, Elisa, Elisabeth, Elisabeta, Elisabetta, Ellisa, Eloisa, Elouisa, Erisa, Faisa, Ibtisaam, Ibtisam, Isadora, Isatou, Isatu, Larisa, Lisa, Louisa, Luisa, Khalisa, Khalisah, Maisa, Maisarah, Mandisa, Marisa, Melisa, Nafisa, Nafisah, Nisa, Nisanur, Parisa, Raisa, Ramisa, Romaisa, Risa, Rumaisa, Temisan, Tulisa, Unaisa, Unaisah.
Then there are all the great names beginning with Is-. As well as Isaac, the Isabellas and Isadora, there’s:
Isabèu, Isaiah, Isambard, Isamu, Isao, Isca, Iseult, Isfael, Isfandiyar, Ishaq, Ishara, Ishkur, Ishtar, Isidore, Isioma, Isis, Iska, Iskander, Iskra, Isla, Islay, Islwyn, Islyn, Isra, Issachar, Issoria, István.
Then there’s the meaning; and what leaps out first is Ice itself, along with Icie and Icy and “ice” or “icy” in other languages:
- Ais — Malay: “ice”
- Akull — Albanian: “ice”
- Akulli — Albanian: “icy”
- Bīng — Mandarin: “ice”
- Buz — Turkish: “ice”
- Duramen — Latin: “ice”
- Eis — German: “ice”
- Eisig — German: “icy”
- Gelido, Gelida — Italian: “icy”
- Gelu — Latin: “ice”
- Glace — French: “ice”
- Glacial — French: “icy”
- Glacies — Latin: “ice”
- Hielo — Spanish: “ice”
- Iâ — Welsh: “ice”
- Izotz — Basque: “ice”
- Jää — Estonian, Finnish: “ice”
- Jäine — Estonian: “icy”
- Jäinen –Finnish: “icy”
- Jaleed — Arabic: “ice”
- Jég — Hungarian: “ice”
- Jeges — Hungarian: “icy”
- Kerakh — Hebrew: “ice”
- Kori — Japanese: “ice”
- Kryeros, Kryera, Cryerus, Cryera — Greek: “icy”
- Krymos, Kryma, Crymus, Cryma — Greek: “icy”
- Krystallos, Crystallus — Greek: “ice”
- Kryos, Krya, Cryus, Crya — Greek: “icy”
- Led — Croatian, Czech: “ice”
- Ledas — Lithuanian: “ice”
- Ledovy — Czech: “icy”
- Ledinis — Lithuanian: “icy”
- Ledus — Latvian: “ice”
- Lód — Polish: “ice”
- Lyed — Russian: “ice”
- Oighreata — Irish: “icy”
- Oighir — Irish: “ice”
- Pegylis — Greek: “icy-cold”
- Rhew — Welsh: “ice”
- Stiria — Latin: “icicle”
- Thalj — Arabic: “ice”
- Xeado — Galician: “icy”
- Xeo — Galician: “ice”
- Yax — Persian: “ice”
- Yelo — Filipino: “ice”
It also inspires the following in English:
Nook of Names
Some great ideas here! But I think Ledovy could steal my heart.
Isa is a lovely granny name, also a place name in Queensland.
I think Kori could work wonderfully well.