FE (RUNE)

The 'Fe' rune '' (Old Norse ''; Old English '') represents the ''f''-sound. It is the first letter of the Futhark alphabet. Its name means "(mobile) wealth", cognate to English ''fee'' with an original meaning "sheep" or "cattle" (German ''Vieh'', Sanskrit ''pashu''). The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is '''
★ fehu''' (PIE ), loaned into Latin as ''feudum'' (see Feudalism).
The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan ''v'' , like Greek Digamma and Latin F ultimately from Phoenician wāw .
The name is recorded in all three rune poems:

★ Norwegian:
: Fé vældr frænda róge;
:føðesk ulfr í skóge.
: Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin;
: the wolf lives in the forest.

★ Icelandic, glossed with Latin ''aurum'' "gold":
: ''Fé er frænda róg''
: ''ok flæðar viti''
: ''ok grafseiðs gata''
: ''aurum fylkir.''
:Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin
: and fire of the sea
: and path of the serpent.

★ Anglo-Saxon
: ''Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;''
: ''sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan''
: ''gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.''
: Wealth is a comfort to all;
: yet must everyone bestow it freely,
: if they wish to gain honour in the sight of the Divinity.
The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is ''f'', called ''faihu''. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.