Nook of Names

Jera is one of those runes which features only in a couple of alphabets — the Elder Futhark and the Anglo-Frisian.

• Eldar Futhark: *Jēran/*Jēraz
• Anglo-Frisian: Jera

The runic alphabet shifts again with Jera, with what at first seems an inexplicable leap from the depths of winter to the other side of the wheel of the year and the harvest.

Or is it?

For after the hardship and difficulties of the last three runes, Hægl, Nyd and Is, Jera represents the fulfillment of hope, the rewards of perseverance against all the odds. With Jera, we reap what we have sown, and reminds us that all things have their season.

Change — for good, for bad — is inevitable. Enjoy the fruits of Jera while you can.

Literally, it means “year” and “harvest” — and carries the sense of “prosperity”. Interestingly, it is etymologyically related to the Slavic words for “the spring,” and the Greek for “hour.”

Jera itself certainly has fairly good name potential, Jeran possibly even more, while Jeraz offers that slightly more exotic edge. With its meanings and associations of prosperity, there are lots of other names in harmony with Jera, such as those I listed under Feoh, and Wynn.

And I’ve already covered some harvest-related names in my post on the Equinox.

Some other names, and name suggestions, which resonate with Jera:

• Aika — Finnish: “time”
• Amser — Welsh: “time.”
• Anna Perenna — Roman Goddess of plenty, who presides over the wheel of the year. Both this Anna and Perenna may have links to the Latin for “year”: annus. It also means “circuit.” Perenna is usually derived from perennis “through the year.”
• Annona — another Roman Goddess, who personified a year. Also from annus “year.”
• Berry
• Calendula — the botanical name for the English marigold. It acquired its name, from the Latin kalends, used of the first day of a month, because it has the ability to flower all year.
• Carme — Cretan Goddess of the Harvest
• Chakana — ancient Incan symbol of the Wheel of the Year.
• Chronos — the Greek God of time.
• Consus — Roman God of the harvest
• Crop
• Denbora – Basque: “time”
• Ekin — Turkish name: “harvest.”
• Gather
• Harvest
• Hour
• Idő — Hungarian: “time”
• Kausi — Finnish: “season”
• Mimela  – Lakota: “to be round,” “to be circular.”
• Ona — Hebrew: “season”
• Pomona — Roman Goddess of fruit.
• Reap
• Saison — French, German: “season.”
• Season
• Sezona — Latvian: “season”
• Teamhair — Old Irish: “time,” “season”; this is the Irish name for Tara — Teamhair na Rí, and the name of the Goddess who presides over that place.
• Tempest  – derives ultimately from Latin tempus “time.”
• Tempo
• Tempus — Latin: “time.”
• Time
• Tími — Icelandic: “time.”
• Tymor — Welsh: “season.”
• Zaman — Persian, Turkish: “time”
• Zeit — German: “time”

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