- Also called:
- futhark
runic alphabet
-
What is the runic alphabet?
The runic alphabet is a writing system used by Germanic peoples in northern Europe from the 3rd to the 16th or 17th century AD. The origin of runic writing is uncertain, but it is likely derived from one of the alphabets of the Mediterranean area. The name rune likely relates to the mysterious symbols scratched on armor and tombstones, with Old Germanic and Gothic forms meaning "mystery, secret, secrecy".
There were three main varieties of runic script:
* Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic)
* Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian
* Nordic, or ScandinavianThe early Germanic script had 24 letters, with the first six letters (f, u, th, a, r, and k) giving the alphabet its name: futhark. Runes had magical and sacred significance and were used for charms and memorial inscriptions. Over 4,000 runic inscriptions and several runic manuscripts still exist.
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Where and when was the runic alphabet used?
The runic alphabet was a writing system used by Germanic peoples in Northern Europe, Britain, Scandinavia, and Iceland from approximately the 3rd century to as late as the 16th or 17th century AD.
There were three main types of runic script:
- Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic) in Northern Europe before about 800 AD
- Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian, in Britain from the 5th or 6th century to about the 12th century AD
- Nordic, or Scandinavian, from the 8th to about the 12th or 13th century AD in Scandinavia and Iceland
After the 12th century, runes were occasionally used for charms and memorial inscriptions until the 16th or 17th century, mainly in Scandinavia.
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Who used the runic alphabet and for what reasons?
The runic alphabet, or futhark, was a writing system used by Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 17th centuries in Northern Europe, Britain, Scandinavia, and Iceland. The Goths likely developed it from the Etruscan alphabet of northern Italy, possibly influenced by the Latin alphabet.
Runic inscriptions served various purposes, including dedications, commemorations, and magic, and were frequently used on sepulchral monuments. The longest runic inscription, found on the Rök Stone in Sweden, contains a catalog of epic deeds, possibly those of the Ostrogoth king Theoderic.
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What do the symbols or 'runes' look like and how are they written?
The runic alphabet is a writing system used by Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 17th centuries. Its origin is uncertain but likely derived from a Mediterranean alphabet. The angular letter forms and early right-to-left inscriptions suggest an ancient system. One theory suggests that the Goths developed it from the Etruscan alphabet, possibly influenced by the Latin alphabet.
There were three main types of runic scripts:
* Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic)
* Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian
* Nordic, or ScandinavianThe earliest Germanic script had 24 letters, divided into three groups. The first six letters—f, u, th, a, r, and k—gave the alphabet its name: futhark. The Anglo-Saxon script added letters, and the Nordic script compounded letter values, eventually reducing the futhark to 16 letters. Runes were used for magic, charms, and memorial inscriptions.
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How did the runic alphabet differ from other writing systems of its time?
The runic alphabet, used by Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 17th centuries, differs from other writing systems of its time in several ways. Unlike many contemporary alphabets, runes have angular letter forms, which some scholars believe link them to more ancient systems.
While most writing systems of the era were used for administrative, historical, or literary purposes, runes were often employed for magical purposes, as well as for dedicatory, commemorative, or sepulchral purposes. The origin of the name rune is related to the attribution of magic powers to the symbols.
The runic alphabet's structure also sets it apart. The early Germanic script, known as futhark, had 24 letters divided into three groups. Over time, Anglo-Saxon runes added letters to represent sounds in Old English, while Scandinavian runes reduced the number of letters, using the same letter for multiple sounds.
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How did the use and meaning of runes change over time?
The runic alphabet, or futhark, was a writing system used by Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 16th or 17th century AD. It likely originated from the Etruscan alphabet of northern Italy.
Initially, runes may have been used for magic purposes, as the word rune in Old Germanic means "mystery, secret, secrecy". The earliest runic inscriptions served to mark ownership or manufacture, and some were memorials or had magical content.
Over time, the Anglo-Saxon script added letters to represent sounds of Old English, while the Nordic script used the same letter for multiple sounds, reducing the number of letters. Although runes were eventually displaced by the Latin alphabet, they were still used for charms and memorial inscriptions, mainly in Scandinavia.
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runic alphabet, writing system of uncertain origin used by Germanic peoples of northern Europe, Britain, Scandinavia, and Iceland from about the 3rd century to the 16th or 17th century ad. Runic writing appeared rather late in the history of writing and is clearly derived from one of the alphabets of the Mediterranean area. Because of its angular letter forms, however, and because early runic inscriptions were written from right to left like the earliest alphabets, runic writing seems to belong to a more ancient system. Scholars have attempted to derive it from the Greek or Latin alphabets, either capitals or cursive forms, at any period from the 6th century bc to the 5th century ad. A likely theory is that the runic alphabet was developed by the Goths, a Germanic people, from the Etruscan alphabet of northern Italy and was perhaps also influenced by the Latin alphabet in the 1st or 2nd century bc. Two inscriptions, the Negau and the Maria Saalerberg inscriptions, written in Etruscan script in a Germanic language and dating from the 2nd and 1st centuries bc, respectively, give credence to the theory of Etruscan origins for runic.
There are at least three main varieties of runic script: Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic), used in northern Europe before about 800 ad; Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian, used in Britain from the 5th or 6th century to about the 12th century ad; and Nordic, or Scandinavian, used from the 8th to about the 12th or 13th century ad in Scandinavia and Iceland. After the 12th century, runes were still used occasionally for charms and memorial inscriptions until the 16th or 17th century, chiefly in Scandinavia. The Early Germanic script had 24 letters, divided into three groups, called ættir, of 8 letters each. The sounds of the first six letters were f, u, th, a, r, and k, respectively, giving the alphabet its name: futhark. The Anglo-Saxon script added letters to the futhark to represent sounds of Old English that did not occur in the languages that had used the Early Germanic script. Anglo-Saxon had 28 letters, and after about 900 ad it had 33. There were also some slight differences in letter shape. The Scandinavian languages were even richer in sounds than Old English; but, instead of adding letters to the futhark to represent the new sounds, the users of the Nordic script compounded the letter values, using the same letter to stand for more than one sound—e.g., one letter for k and g, one letter for a, æ, and o. This practice eventually resulted in the reduction of the futhark to 16 letters.
Other varieties of runes included the Hälsinge Runes (q.v.), the Manx Runes, and the stungnar runir, or “dotted runes,” all of which were variants of the Nordic script. More than 4,000 runic inscriptions and several runic manuscripts are extant. Approximately 2,500 of these come from Sweden, the remainder being from Norway, Denmark and Schleswig, Britain, Iceland, various islands off the coast of Britain and Scandinavia, and other countries of Europe, including France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia.
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