The History of Runes

Write Your Name in Runes

The runic alphabet, used by early Norse peoples including the Vikings, has no clear origins; in fact, the word "rune" derives from the Gothic word runa, meaning "mystery." The runic alphabet is called a "futhark", and gains its name, like the word "alpha-bet," from the first few symbols in the series. Runes had no lowercase, and could be written in any direction, from left to right or right to left.

Runic alphabets first appeared among German tribes in central and Eastern Europe. It is known that the Germanic peoples in Europe used pictographic symbols that were scratched into rocks. By 400 A.D., use of a common set of 24 runes had spread across northern Europe, based on Etruscan and possibly Greek and Latin origins. This alphabet is known as the "Elder Futhark." As time passed, new runes were added on as the need arose, and various versions of the futhark emerged, including up to 38 symbols. The fact that runes consisted of straight lines made them easier to carve into wood or stone.

Wood tag identifying property, reading "Thorgrim's pile"

The runes were never the basis of a spoken language, but in addition to their written use they were believed to be sacred and very powerful magical symbols, each linked to a god and a specific meaning. They were a means of divination. Rune casters, whom were often women, used runes to cast lots and tell fortunes. Modern versions include a blank rune, which symbolizes the Unknowable.

As Christianity--and with it, the use of the Latin alphabet--spread throughout Europe, runes became less common and were eventually banned by the Church. But survived in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, and have been revived by the modern New Age movement.