It appears that this notion originated among von List Wiligut or the NSDAP Most likely it s just an extension of what von List has come up with above perhaps by analyzing the Younger Futhark out of context with the Elder Futhark and deciding that Ma r Old Norse man represents life and thus that its pictographic inversion Yr Old Norse yew must therefore mean death One could produce more association with the death associations with yew as well However to my knowledge there is no evidence for such concern with the orientation of runic staves in the historical runic record In the Elder Futhark mannaz is the man rune and eihwaz means either yew or horse