The word capital, as in "capitalism," comes from the Latin word for cattle.

We know this from etymology (it's not a conspiracy theory).

Fehu is the first rune of the Elder Futhark. Its meaning is usually simplified to “wealth," but its original context tells a more complete story, one that connects a 2,000-year-old Norse symbol to the function of economic value itself, and traces a straight line from cattle to capital to the debt-based system that replaced both of them.

I wrote this as a short visual essay for people who are curious enough to follow that line. It's free, it'll take you fifteen minutes, and it will reframe every conversation you've ever had about capitalism, greed, and money.

Get the PDF free when you join my list below.