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Ancient runes text book
Topic Started: Sep 8 2013, 05:27 PM (164 Views)
Incendio
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Chapter 1. What are Runes?

Runes are an ancient Germanic alphabet, used for writing, divination and magic. They were used throughout northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Iceland from about 100 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E.

Since ancient times, runes have been used for divination and magic, in addition to writing.

You might be wondering; what does the word "Rune" actually mean?
Well, the word "rune" means mystery, secret or whisper. The definition of "rune" is mystery, because runes actually were a mystery to us until about the 16th century they where deciphered as an alphabet.

Runes are an alphabet, or several to be precise. Runic alphabets first appeared among german tribes in eastern and central europe. Some symbols of runes are quite likely to have been gained from other alphabets, such as; Greek, Etruscam and the early Roman. Like a normal alphabet, Runes are letters made up of lines. However, they are entirely straight, no curves what-so-ever. There is a reason for this. It is to make it suitable/east to cut these shapes into wood or stone. The earliest runic inscriptions are dated back to the late 3rd century AD. However, it is probable that runic alphabets had been used in some centuries beforehand. Some examples of runic alphabets are: The Elder Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

When we look into the runes, we study that:
First the rune name is given, then its phonetic value its symbolic image
and finally the esoteric meaning used in divination. Rune users disagree on whether or not to place a different meaning on a rune that falls in an inverted or reversed position. Some runes look the same upside down and right side up. These cannot be "reversed". Nevertheless, any of the runes may appear as a "merkstave". Merkstave literally means "dark stick" and implies a "dark" meaning, depending on how the runes are cast. Note that a "reversed" or "merkstave" meaning is not the opposite of its primary meaning, but usually has a more negative connotation.

Why do we study them?

- Historical
- Magical
- Recreational

we can study runes for historical reasons. If we can read runes, then we can learn about ancient societies. We can learn about the past, and gain more knowledge. Runes can tell us a story of what has been. We can learn about past traits, people, economy etc.

Runes give us the means to analyze our path that we are on and to gain our likely outcome. However, the future is not fixed, it changes with everything we do. If we do not like the prediction, we can always change our paths. In addition, the symbolic meanings of runes are used in runic magic. They are vital even. Runic divination can be used to solve problems. So, this can also be a practical reason.

the Recreational reason. Runic monuments and inscription are incredible. Each and everyone can tell a story. Runes are like a secret code in a way. There for anyone to find the hidden message.




Chapter 2. The Three Alphabets

Runic alphabets first appeared among German tribes in central and eastern Europe. Some runes symbols are likely to have been acquired from other alphabets, such as the Greek, Etruscan, and the Early Roman, as said in the previous chapter. The runes were made of straight lines to make the characters suitable for cutting into wood or stone. The earliest runic inscriptions on stone are dated to the late 3rd century AD, although it is probable that runic alphabets had been in use for some centuries before.

The three alphabets that we study are:
- The Elder Futhark,
- The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc
- The Younger Futhark.


The Elder Futhark

Firstly, The Elder Futhark is thought to be the oldest version of the runic alphabet, and was used in the parts of Europe which were home to Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia. It was used by Germanic tribes for Northwest Germanic and Migration period Germanic dialects of the 2nd to 8th centuries for inscriptions on artifacts such as: jewelry, amulets, tools, weapons and runestones. Other versions probably developed from it. The names of the letters are shown in Common Germanic, the reconstructed ancestor of all Germanic languages.

There are a total twenty-four Runes in the Elder Futhark. They are all split into three equal groups of eight Runes. These groups are called 'aettir'. We will be looking into the three aettir in the next chapter.

The general agreement dates the creation of the first runic alphabet to roughly the 1st century. Early estimates include the 1st century BC, and late estimates push the date into the 2nd century.


The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc was a runic alphabet used by the Anglo-Saxons, and it was descended from the Elder Futhark of 24 runes. Runes were probably bought to Britain in the 5th century by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians, and were used until about the 11th century.

It actually contains between 26 and 33 runes, it's not an exact number. A lot of the runes you will find in both the Elder Futhark, and in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, they are very similar. You will notice some are even the same, but the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc made way for new way to say things, and ways of writing things more simplistically. For instance the word stone in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc would be 4 runes, but 5 in the Elder Futhark. It was developed in the area of Frisia, of which we now call Holland. It was developed in the 5th century A.D and not long after this spread on to England, and even parts of northern France, although it didn't stick as much in France.

Upon its spread to England, carried by the invading Anglo Saxon hordes it would have encountered locals, and their words would have mixed with the Anglo Saxon language, which would form old English. This old English form, would make the need for a lot more sounds, and certain sounds that normally required two runes, would become more common, and be made into one rune, as it would be used more often.

Runic inscriptions would have been used for a number of different things. But, not many people would be able to write them so the local scribe, or mason would be a very important role in Anglo Saxon society. They would have been hired to make anything, from inscriptions on the kings jewelry and weaponry, and monuments commissioned by kings to grave stones.


The Younger Futhark

This version of the runic alphabet was used sporadically in Scandinavia, in particular in Denmark and Sweden, until about the 17th century. The Younger Futhark is basically a reduced version of the Elder Futhark.

It consists of only 16 characters, in use from ca. 800 CE. The reduction happened at the same time as phonetic changes. Which led to a greater number of different phonemes in the spoken language, when Proto-Norse evolved into Old Norse, a lot of languages around the world where developing, and the Younger Futhark was developed in an attempt to make a simpler more pure version of the alphabet, obviously this did not go as well as planned as dropping an entire Aett meant that it was a lot harder to write. Some letters had to be doubled up in order that a name could be written properly, for instance, where in the Elder Futhark, the easier to use of the two, you would have to write U U in order to acquire an O sound, and a k would replace the g, making reading it as difficult as writing.

The use of this is majorly found from the 9th century onward an was wide spread through the Scandinavian lands, thus the reason it was sometimes called the Scandinavian runes.

Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300.


Chapter 3. Runic Monuments

There are probably about 6000 runic relics and monuments in existence. They date from the start of the modern era 1-1200

The very oldest runic relics are name-markers or protective talismans dating to perhaps as long ago as 200AD. The earliest stone monument We know of is at Valsfjord, Norway. It is carved halfway up a seaward cliff face and may have been done from the deck of a boat. the inscription reads "ek erilaz" meaning "I am the earl" and uses two bindrunes. "Earl" is a loose translation, the true meaning of the word "erilaz" is a matter of some contention.

Most runic inscriptions are Death Runes, in other words, memorials. They are commonly referred to as runestones. It should be noted that casting runes for divining - whether they are made from stone or any other material - are called simply "runes" correctly "divining runes", but never "runestones".

Runestones in Britain date from about 450-1100AD. Strangely, the coming of Christianity did not completely eliminate the use of Runic inscription. It seems our early missionaries were more tolerant of Pagan culture than those in other areas of the Northern Tradition. So there is perhaps more runic survival in English culture than any other modern society, with the notable exception of Iceland.

A Twaystaved Inscription
This 6th Century fragment of a cross or grave pillar from Falstone, Northumberland, England is inscribed in both Roman lettering and runes.

The inscription may be translated: "Eomar set this memorial after Hroetbert his uncle. Pray-ye for his soul."

waystaved inscriptions are inscriptions that are written in two types of script. To make this concept more clear, let's look at a very famous example.

The Rosetta Stone is the most famous twaystaved inscription there is!
It's a big, grey stone. It's been in the British Museum in London since 1802. You can go there to see it. On the Rosetta Stone, there is written text. It contains three times the same story, with only small differences. So the texts are almost identical. But the scripts are not. It has been written in three different "alphabets".

The Rosetta Stone contains Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian demotic script, and lastly, the Greek alphabet. Because we were already able to read the last two scripts, we were able to decipher the first, hieroglyphic script. The is the advantage of twaystaved inscriptions. Twaystaved inscriptions enable us to learn to decipher and read other scripts. The same happened with Runic writings. Twaystaved inscriptions with Runic writing allowed us to decypher Runic alphabets.

The great stone of Jelling

This stone is located in the town of jelling
The first of the stones was raised by King Gorm the Old, and the second was raised by his son, Harald Bluetooth.

Gorm the Old, was born sometime near the end of the 9th century, and ruled over Denmark for forty years, after succeeding his father, Exactly how old Gorm is remains unknown

Gorm was married to Thyra, possibly the daughter of the King of England, Aethelred. When she died, she was put in one of the mighty burial mounds found on either side of the Jelling Stones, and Gorm erected a stone in her honor. Her stone reads, in a tight translation: Gorm king made these memories after Thyra his wife, Denmark’s ornament. A looser translation could read: King Gormr made this monument in memory of Thyrve, his wife, Denmark’s salvation. The title “Denmark’s Salvation” refers to her being ascribed the completion of the wall that separated Denmark from the invasive Saxons in the south.
Edited by Incendio, Sep 8 2013, 06:22 PM.
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Incendio
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This Book was written by me, with the use of SOURCES.
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/
http://www.wisegeek.com
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/
http://www.runemaker.com

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