Early Germanic script

The runic alphabet, also known as futhark, was a writing system used by Germanic peoples in northern Europe, Britain, Scandinavia, and Iceland from approximately the 3rd to the 17th century AD. Its origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have been developed by the Goths from the Etruscan alphabet of northern Italy, possibly with influence from the Latin alphabet.12

There are three main varieties:
* Early Germanic (Teutonic): Used before about 800 AD, it had 24 letters divided into three groups called ættir.1
* Anglo-Saxon (Anglian): Used in Britain from the 5th or 6th century to about the 12th century AD, it added letters to represent Old English sounds, eventually having up to 33 letters.1
* Nordic (Scandinavian): Used in Scandinavia from the 8th to the 13th century AD, it reduced the alphabet to 16 letters by using single letters for multiple sounds.1

Over 4,000 runic inscriptions and several manuscripts still exist, with the majority found in Sweden.12