Runes and the Vegvísir in Silver Nitrate: Symbol Analysis

What Are the Runes and the Vegvísir in Silver Nitrate?

In Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Silver Nitrate, runes and the vegvísir function as the visible grammar of Wilhelm Ewers's occult system—markings that can both protect and summon, depending on who wields them and for what purpose. The novel opens with an epigraph from M. R. James's story “Casting the Runes,” in which two men examine a sheet of paper covered in characters that resemble runes rather than ordinary writing. Neither man can decipher them, and both hesitate to copy them, fearing that doing so might perpetuate a harmful purpose. That epigraph establishes the runes as objects of suspicion and dread, a tone that carries through the entire narrative.

The vegvísir, an Icelandic magical stave traditionally used as a compass or wayfinder, appears in the novel as the final rune in a six-rune sequence that Ewers designed to be projected during the credits of his unfinished film. It is the capstone of his spell, the symbol that completes the ritual. But as the story unfolds, the meaning of these symbols shifts: what Ewers treats as a fixed, racially charged language of power becomes, for Montserrat and Tristán, a flexible tool that they must learn to bend to their own will.

The Runes in Ewers's Magic System

Ewers's book, The House of Infinite Wisdom, organizes magic into a system of levels and elements, each with corresponding runes. According to Montserrat's reading, Ewers divides magic into water, earth, fire, and air, with air as a wild card that cannot be controlled alone. Water is associated with death and the past, earth with minerals and visions, fire with passion and transformation, and air with amplification. Ewers believed that films were the perfect amalgam of these elements: silver nitrate comes from the earth, the spooling film is like a river of images, carbon arc lamps connect to fire, and sound—the air element—amplifies the spell.

The runes themselves are not arbitrary. Ewers claims to have studied runic alphabets, including Guido von List's magical runic system, and he draws parallels between European runes and Aztec and Maya glyphs. But his understanding is filtered through Nazi occultism and racial hierarchies. As Urueta explains, Ewers believed Aryans were a superior race endowed with spellcasting ability, though he also thought Mexicans, due to their indigenous ancestry, could achieve a certain level of mastery. This racialized framework is central to Ewers's magic: runes are not neutral symbols but markers of a supposed ancient Aryan inheritance.

The vegvísir, in this context, is the ultimate symbol of Ewers's ambition—a wayfinder that he believes will guide him back to power. In his diary, Ewers describes filling pages with runes during his time in South America, and he later incorporates them into his film project. The runes are meant to be projected during the credits, turning the audience into a battery that powers the spell.

Recurrence and Transformation

The runes appear at key moments throughout the novel, each time with a slightly different resonance.

The Epigraph: The opening passage from “Casting the Runes” introduces runes as dangerous, indecipherable markings that inspire fear.
Urueta's Explanation: In Chapter 5, Urueta tells Montserrat and Tristán about Ewers's study of runes and his connection to Nazi occultists like von List and Krumm-Heller. This frames the runes as part of a racist magical tradition.
Montserrat's Defensive Charm: In Chapter 16, Montserrat crafts a protective charm using a handkerchief, blood, and incense. She deliberately does not draw Ewers's rune, instead tracing the word “shield” on a cloth napkin. She reasons that magic is an exercise in belief and the self; runes are important to Ewers, but they mean nothing to her. This moment shows her rejecting the fixed symbolism of the runes in favor of her own intention.
The Séance: In Chapter 24, Tristán participates in a séance with José López. Through automatic writing, he produces a sequence of runes: air, earth, water, life, the opener, and finally the vegvísir. The séance is interrupted when Ewers's handwriting takes over, revealing that the runes are not just tools but also a conduit for Ewers's malevolent presence.
The Climax: In Chapter 27, during the screening of Ewers's film, Montserrat and Tristán must redraw the runes on the floor using blood. Montserrat initially draws the fire rune instead of the vegvísir, and Tristán must correct it. When he does, he draws the vegvísir and then, at Montserrat's command, draws “our runes”—a line that represents their own will, not Ewers's. This act transforms the runes from Ewers's rigid system into a personal, improvised gesture of resistance.

The meaning of the vegvísir changes accordingly. For Ewers, it is the key to completing his spell and achieving immortality. For Montserrat and Tristán, it becomes a symbol of their refusal to let Ewers control the narrative. They do not abandon the runes entirely; instead, they repurpose them, infusing them with their own intent.

Character and Theme Connections

The runes are deeply tied to the novel's major characters and themes.

Montserrat: She approaches the runes with skepticism and pragmatism. She studies Ewers's book to understand his logic, but she refuses to adopt his symbols wholesale. Her decision to write “shield” instead of a rune demonstrates her belief that magic is about focus and belief, not the inherent power of a symbol. In the climax, she uses the runes because she has no other choice, but she also modifies them, showing that she can adapt Ewers's system to her own ends.
Tristán: He is initially afraid of the runes, telling Montserrat that talk of runes scares him. During the séance, he is possessed by Ewers's handwriting, and he struggles to maintain control. His growth comes when he learns to draw the runes himself, even using his own blood, and ultimately draws “our runes” as an act of defiance.
Wilhelm Ewers: For Ewers, runes are a language of power rooted in racial superiority. He sees them as the inheritance of an Aryan master race, and he uses them to justify his exploitation of others. His obsession with the vegvísir reflects his desire to find his way back to dominance.
Abel Urueta: Urueta provides the historical context for the runes, explaining their connection to Nazi occultism. He is also the one who originally worked with Ewers on the film, and his guilt and grief over that collaboration drive much of the plot.
José López: López serves as a counterpoint to Ewers. He uses protective wards and salt to repel Ewers's influence, and he warns Montserrat and Tristán about the dangers of magic. His own protective tattoo suggests that symbols can be used for defense as well as offense.

The runes also connect to the novel's themes. They are a key element of film as a magical conduit, since Ewers designed them to be projected on screen. They embody Nazi occultism and racial hierarchies, as Ewers's system is built on racist theories. They are tied to grief and the haunting presence of the dead, as the séance with Abel shows. And they highlight the exploitation and precarity of creative workers, since Ewers uses the film industry to exploit others for his own gain. Finally, the runes become a site of friendship as resistance and salvation, as Montserrat and Tristán work together to subvert Ewers's spell.

Study Questions

Why does Montserrat choose to write the word “shield” instead of drawing a rune in her defensive charm?

Montserrat explains that runes are important to Ewers but mean nothing to her. She believes magic is an exercise in belief and the self, so she uses a word that carries significance for her. This shows her rejection of Ewers's fixed symbolism and her willingness to adapt magic to her own needs.

How does the vegvísir function differently in the séance and in the climax?

In the séance, the vegvísir appears as the final rune in the sequence, but the séance is interrupted by Ewers's presence. In the climax, Montserrat initially draws the fire rune instead of the vegvísir, and Tristán must correct it. When he draws the vegvísir, it completes the spell, but then he draws “our runes” to override Ewers's control. The vegvísir thus shifts from a symbol of Ewers's power to a tool that the protagonists repurpose.

What role do runes play in Ewers's racial ideology?

Ewers's runes are tied to his belief in Aryan superiority. He draws on Nazi occultists like Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, who conceived of runic alphabets and racial hierarchies. Ewers sees runes as the inheritance of an ancient Aryan race, and he uses them to justify his exploitation of others. This connection is made explicit in Urueta's explanation and in Ewers's diary.

How does Tristán's attitude toward runes change over the course of the novel?

Tristán initially fears the runes, telling Montserrat that talk of them scares him. During the séance, he is possessed by Ewers's handwriting and loses control. But in the climax, he draws the runes himself, using his own blood, and ultimately draws “our runes” as an act of defiance. This change reflects his growth from a passive observer to an active participant in the fight against Ewers.

For further exploration, see the main book page, the analysis of film as a magical conduit, and the character studies of Montserrat and Tristán.