I am a firm believer that without speculation there is no good & original observation.
Charles Darwin. Letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 December 1857.

Imprint

Franks Casket
Dr. Alfred Becker
Schönebecker Str. 30
28759 Bremen

It was made in the 1st half of the 7th century somewhere in the North of England, most likely in Northumbria. With its pictures taken from most different sources it is a testimony of a syncretistic era, the transition period from Germanic paganism to Christianity. Inspired by the new religion is the choice of some of the pictures and, in particular, the way of scenic depiction. Rather of pagan nature is the attempt to work magic with the help of pictures and runes, i.e. inscriptions, numbers and values. With the sequence of pictures the rune-master has developed a programme, designed to protect his client's way of life (wyrd) from birth to death and beyond. This programme starts - from right to left - on the front (F-Panel) with the picture of the Magi and continues with the depiction of the mythical smith, Welund. The inscription on this panel, the verses on the whale, does not seem to relate to the images, not at the first glance, at least. The left side (R-Panel) continues with the depiction of the Roman dioscuri, Romulus and Remus. Here the runic inscription comments dírectly on the scene. The back (T-Panel)shows the conquest of Jerusalem (70 A. D.) by Titus. This scene, too, is explained by the text on the edges, but after a first line, Anglo-Saxon words kept in runes, it changes into a text, mainly Latin in word and letter, the cryptogram of a Metonic Cycle . The programme continues on the right side (H-Panel) with a dramatic scene, the death of a hero, derived from Germanic mythology, commented on in runic cryptography. The sequence of pictures ends with the image of an archer Ægil on the lid (Æ-Panel). Actually, it depicts the Circle of the Year, understood as the fight for he Sun carried out by the Frost Giants versus the Æsir, basing on the mysterious 432.000 which make an Aeon. The runic texts seem to be meant to explain the pictures. But summing it all up the Conclusion shows that not only runes, but also their number and value are part of rune magic which is meant as a support to picture magic. The mathematical structure of all inscriptions and the interaction of pictures and runes can be proved, i.e. they are not just casual. Actually, while the number of runes seems to aim at a "solar" total, their value reflects their "lunar" equivalent, with both calendars harmonized by cycles of 8 and 19 years. This may be to keep the spell working. In further "supplements" annotations etc. may follow. I would be grateful for any help: Contributions, suggestions and other material at E-Kontakt

Introduction - The Casket - Northumbria in the 7th Century - Magic with Runes and Numbers - Programme: Ecclesiastical Reliquary or Royal Hoard Box? - The Casket, a Warrior's Life? Front (F-Panel) - Inscription: The Verses on the Whale - Picture: Adoration of the Magi - Picture: Welund, the Smith - Runic Numbers and Values Left Side (R-Panel) - Inscription: Romulus and Remus - Picture: The Roman Twins and Woden's Wolves - Runic Numbers and Values Back Side (T-Panel) - Inscription: Titus and the Metonic Cycle - Picture: Titus' Victory and Judgement - Runic Numbers and vValues Right Side (H-Panel) - Inscription: Herh-os; Death and Salvation - Picture: Valkyrie and Fylgja - Runic Numbers and Values The Four Panels (F R T H) - The Gods, their Seasons and Weekdays Lid (Æ-Panel) - Inscription: The Name of the Archer (Ægil) - Picture: The Fight for the Sun - Picture: Orion's Belt, the Pleiades and the circle of the year; - 432.000 make an Aeon - Runic Numbers and Values Synopsis - summa summarum - Inscriptions: Runic Numbers & Values - Inscriptions: A Magic Spell   "powered by" a Luni-Solar Calendar - Mythology: Fylgja and Valkyrie   The Warrior's Companions through Life&Death Supplement - Runic Calculator - People and Places - England's North-East - Weland Saga Tradition - Selected literature - Links to other pages - The Virgin and the Vamp - Anglo Saxon History - Icons, Runes, Numbers and Values - Iconography of the Magi images - Mjölnir: The Købelev Runic Thor's Hammer (Lolland) - The Chessel Down Bucket: A Runic Way of How to Kick It -Poetic Edda - Baldur's Dream - Grimnismal - Havamal - Lokasenna - Alvissmal - Vafthrudnismal - Vœlundarkviða - Vœlundarkviða Lieder-Edda (German version) Guest Contributions - Barthelmess, "Stranded Whales" - Szabo, "Bad to the Bone?" - Stone, "The Knots of Death"

A few copies are still available at E-Kontakt

NEW: Alfred Becker, Franks Casket: Das Runenkästchen von Auzon. Magie in Bildern, Runen und Zahlen (Berlin 2021);(301 S.)
ISBN 978-3-7329-0738-0.

NEW: Alfred Becker, The King's Gift Box: The Runic Casket of Auzon, (Witan Publishing, Troy, Al. USA 2023)
ISBN 9798354247431

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Alfred Becker, studied English and theology at the University of Göttingen. His fascination with the Franks Casket (also: Runic Casket of Auzon) has accompanied him since that time. Following a seminar paper on Old English poetry on the "Verses of the Whale", he was offered a dissertation on the Runic Casket. A DAAD scholarship enabled him to spend several months in London and thus visit the British Library, - at that time still in the British Museum with its historic library , the world-famous "Reading Room". From there he had access to the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities with Dr. Bruce-Mitford as Keeper and Ms. Leslie Webster at his side. She handed the visitor the small box to photograph The Magic Touch!!!.
Becker went to Regensburg with his Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Karl-Heinz Göller, was a research assistant at the newly founded university, and later accepted a call as a visiting professor at Midwestern University, Wichita Falls, Tex. USA. After his return to Germany, he worked as a high school teacher and private lecturer. Since his retirement, he has been working even more intensively on the subject. As a sum of numerous essays and the web site "Franks-Casket.de" the mentioned publication appeared in Germany (2021) and the USA (2023).

Alfred Becker 1970