So, while you might be inclined to think that there is a world of difference between the symbols used to write ‘ᚺᛖᛚᛚᛟ’ and ‘hello’, the symbols used in the former may be derived from an ancestor of the latter! (I love writing systems, have I ever said so? Well, it’s worth saying again). Some even believe that runes might actually derive from the Latin alphabet itself. Etruscan or Raetic, share this angular property with the Runic alphabets, and some scholars argue that the Runic alphabets are derived from these, probably through early contact between the Germanic languages and the Old Italic ones. Some argue that the lack of rounded shapes in the Runic alphabets may be an indication of an Old Italic origin (remember, Latin is an Italic script). That, however, may be far from the truth (though, as in most things concerning historical linguistics, we simply can’t know for sure). You might be thinking, “it must be somewhere in Scandinavia” because you got hung up on Vikings. One could argue that this may just have been easier to carve into the hard surface, but some believe that the angular shape actually reveals something more about the origins of the runic writing system. Now, this is where the material becomes important: runes distinctly lack a rounded shape, most of them being angular. This may just be due to easy access it was certainly a lot easier to get a hold of a piece of rock than parchment in the days when runic writing was used. Let’s start with looking at the material on which most Runic inscriptions are found (it’ll be important in a sec, I promise): Rather than paper, most runic inscriptions are found on wood, stone, or even metal. There are, of course, a number of them, but let’s check out some basic differences for now. Though it might make quite a bit of sense to think about Vikings when seeing a runic inscription, the runic writing system actually comes in many varieties and was used in a number of Germanic languages before the Latin alphabet.įirst off, let’s check out some things that differ between the Runic writing systems and the one we are using here today (i.e. For me, runes were the initial introduction to linguistics (though I didn’t realise that at the time), and they are still very dear to my heart, so if I get a bit caught up in it, please forgive me. Today the Elder Futhark runes are used as a way to connect with an individual's higher self, intuition, or a method of fortelling what the future will hold.Welcome back from summer vacation! Sabina here and, boy, do we have a treat for you today! Today, we’re going to talk runes! When people see this fascinating little writing system, they tend to think of Vikings, so I guess it makes sense that one of our nordic contributors write this post. The word rune comes from the Germanic word for mystery or secret, and it was believed the runes held divination powers and were taken very seriously in the Norse culture. The runes were believed to be used for practical and magical purposes, with many believing the runes were used in rituals and fortune telling. The third group was ruled by Tyr, the god of war and justice. The second group was ruled by Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, who lived at the entry to Asgard (home of the gods) and guarded the Bifrost (rainbow bridge). The first group of eight was ruled by Freyr and Freyja, the gods of fertility, love, and battle. The 24 runes are typically arranged in three groups of eight, known as an ætt (similar to clan or family), ruled over by a Norse god or goddess. There are 24 runes in the Elder Futhark, representing a phoneme (sound). The Elder Futhark rune writing system has been found on artifacts including weapons, jewelry, tools, plates, amulets, and runestones. The runic alphabets are called “futharks” after the first six runes (Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz), in the same way that the word “alphabet” comes from the names of the first two Semitic letters (Aleph, Beth). The Elder Futhark is the oldest form of the runic alphabets, and primarily used by the Germanic tribes, including those in Scandinavia, between the 2nd and 8th centuries. South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (GBP £)
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