How did runic inscriptions become Denmark’s earliest surviving literary records?

Runic inscriptions became Denmark’s earliest surviving literary records because they were the primary medium for writing before the introduction of the Latin alphabet and the subsequent shift to parchment manuscripts.12

Beginning around 250 CE, these inscriptions were scratched onto stone or carved into metal, such as armor, jewels, and tombstones. While many served as epitaphs for kings, warriors, and priests, they occasionally featured short, unrhymed alliterative verses that reflected the Viking spirit. The most famous examples of these records are the 10th-century Jelling stones, which commemorate Danish royalty and the transition to Christianity.134

Although some scholars suggest that runes may have been used for broader secular purposes like legal documents or genealogies, the majority of extant inscriptions are epigraphic. The transition away from runic writing occurred as the Roman Catholic Church established itself in the 10th and 11th centuries, introducing Latin-based literacy and more sustained literary efforts on parchment.23