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Lesson 8 - Runes

Komið þið sæl,

This week’s lesson will explore the history of runes during the Viking Age. The younger futhark will be the prime focus of discussion, since those were the runes used throughout the Viking Age, but I will still touch on each set of Futhark during this lesson. I am by no means an expert, but this lesson should prove to be suitable for getting a hang on the basics. This is a much more detailed lesson than normal (in fact, it is the longest single-post lesson yet) and I do hope that I did a decent job with the material.

If you have not done so already, check out last week’s lesson on Viking Spirituality. Visit “Viking History” on my blog for all of the lessons.

Contents:

Foreword (feat. Hávamál, st.138-144)

Background

The Futhark

The Elder

The Younger

Reading and Translating

Writing and Usage

Examples

Key Terms

Wrap-up

Sources

Foreword

I hung, I know, on the wind-tossed tree for nine nights in all, suffered the spear wound, was offered to Odin, —myself to my self— tormented on the tree which rises from roots hidden from human kind.

No one brought me bread, drink was denied me, groundward I gazed, raised up the runes, screaming I sought them, but fell back from there.

Nine savage spells I fetched from the famous son of Bolthorn, Bestla’s father, and I drank deep of poetry’s precious mead, the outpourings of Odrer.

I began to bear fruit, and welcome wisdom, began to burgeon and flourish; word after word led me to more words, work after work led me to more works.

Learn to recognize runes, cleverly ordered characters, signs with great significance, characters of colossal power woven by the wisest one, made by the greatest gods, engraved by Odin the god.

Odin cut them for the Æsir Dain etched them for the elves Dvalin for the dwarfs Asvid etched them for the giants, I myself made some for mankind.

Do you comprehend how runes are cut? how to comment on the characters? how the characters must be colored? how to test their truth? how prayer is to be practiced? do you understand how offerings are made? how the sacrifice is sent on its way? how the sacrifice is slaughtered?

Runes are wrapped in myth and mystery. Even today, questions still swirl around them like a violent wind. Who carved them? Were they a sacred knowledge reserved for those who devoted their life to them? Or could anyone carve runes and still retain their integrity? No matter the question at hand, one thing is certain: words have power, and runes were the vehicle used to be able to wield such a power.