Runic Alphabets
Runic alphabets provides a brief background about the mystical lettering systems used by the Germanic peoples in ancient and medieval times.
Variations of the Runes
The runes were a set of Germanic alphabets that were used by the North German tribes from the 2nd century BC to the 13th century AD. These runic alphabets were often called "Futhark", which is derived from the first six runic letters of the runic alphabets (F-U-TH-A-R-K).
There are three different variations of the Runic alphabets.
The Etruscan or the Latin alphabets probably influenced the runic scripts in the 2nd or 1st century BC, particularly since some of runes match the Latin alphabets in form. The Teutonic (Early or Common Germanic) scripts consisted of 24 characters.
These scripts were used in northern Europe right up to the 8th century AD. In the image below, I have shown the Early or Common runes, with the English equivalents to the sound, written in white.
The Anglian or Anglo-Saxon scripts, also known as Futhork, varied in number, from 28 to 33 characters. The additional characters in the Anglian runes were used to compensate for the Old English sounds that don't appear in the Early Futhark runes. These scripts were used in the British Isles, from the 5th to the 12th century AD.
There are two variations of the Anglo-Saxon scripts. With Frisian runes, 4 new scripts were added to the Early Futhark: ac, ae, o (os), and yr. Then another five were added to the Anglo-Saxon runes; the extra runes known as the Northumbrian runes included: q, k, st, and gar.
The third variation was the Nordic (Scandinavian) runes, and is called the Younger Futhark, which was used in Scandinavia, including Iceland, between the 8th and 13th century AD. More than half of the runic inscriptions discovered were found in Sweden.
The Nordic scripts originally contained the same 24 characters as the Early runes, but gradually reduced them to 16 characters.
There are two variations of the Nordic runes: Short-twig and Danish.
The illustration below is the Danish variation of the Nordic scripts. The following scripts have remained unchanged from the Teutonic scripts: f, u, th, r, k, n, i, t, b and l.
The Short-twig runes have the same number of characters as the Danish variation, yet it has simplified the Danish scripts. Simplified as in some strokes were truncated. For now, I don't have a diagram on the list of Short-twig scripts.
Rune Magic
Runes had magical significance, where certain arrangements of the rune letters would allow the person to wield sorcery. Runes were often used as a ward or charm. Odin tried to learn the magic of the runes, hoping to find a secret that would help at Ragnarok. (See Sacrifice: Hanging and Runes about Odin's sacrifice, in order to learn the secrets of runic magic.)
The Valkyrie Sigrdrifa in Sigrdrifumal (Poetic Edda) or Brynhild in Volsungassaga, taught the hero Sigurd some magic with the use of these runes.
Runes were often written particularly on swords and spears. There is archaeological evidence of such runes on weapons with the name of Tyr (Tiwaz), the god of war, which is similar to the English letter "t", or that of the name of Odin (Wodan) inscribed on blades, hilts or spear shafts. The rune Tyr signified victory in battle. Brynhild or Sigrdrifa told Sigurd about victory runes, inscribing the Tyr rune twice on the sword hilt and twice on the centre ridge of the blade.
Another recognisable rune ward was ale-runes, which were marked with the runic inscription naud - , which sounds like the English letter "n". This was marked on a drinking horn, and it would protect a man from being beguiled by another man's wife.
Other magic runes used by the Valkyries and mentioned in both works were speech-runes, mind-runes, helping-runes (most likely the same as aid-runes), healing-runes, cure-runes (botrúnar), branch-runes, beech-runes (bokrúnar), and wave-runes (used on a ship).
Runes could also be used as a warning, as was the case when Gudrun carved some runes onto her ring (Andvaranaut) to warn her brothers about the treachery of her second husband, Atli. (See Volsunga Saga.)
Runes were also used for divination. Runes could be used to foretell the future in much the same way as the method of casting lots, numerology and tarot cards. The Roman historian Tactius recorded that the Germanic tribes used casting lots for divinatory purposes. They used bark or small pieces of wood, which they marked with symbols (possibly runes?). These were then cast into a white cloth. Three symbols were chosen, and the priest or shaman would interpret these three symbols.
By Jimmy Joe
