No edits were made.Īpproximately one hundred archaeological examples of rune carvings in Iceland have been unearthed or preserved to date. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Haukurth. So does the coexistence of the two writing forms suggest a peaceful coexistence between the two religions?

However, according to Norse mythology, runes were gifts from the heathen gods. They both had their particular merits and uses.įor a long time, historians have been fascinated by the fact that Icelandic runes are frequently found on Christian items and artifacts, such as church relics and tombstones. The runes' beautiful imagery was carved on doorways, weapons, and various relics, encompassing blessings and mythical meanings beyond what the Latin alphabet could provide.įor a long time in Northern Europe, both Latin and runic forms of writing coexisted. The continued practice of runic writing throughout history is largely the result of mysticism and aestheticism. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Schwerdf. In the new world order, the Latin alphabet simply proved more efficient and writing in ink on parchment largely replaced the practice of carving runes on hard surfaces. As such, the runes were perfect for marking or blessing objects and casting spells but could hardly be used to convey volumes upon volumes of the written word.ĭuring the Viking Age, stories were traditionally passed down verbally, which is why the Sagas were only written down several hundred years after their events took place. Therefore, there was no room for the ancient and mysterious runic writing system.Īdditionally, runic characters consisted of straight lines that made them ideal for wood, stone, and bone carvings-the very word 'rune' means to carve or cut. Fundamental to this vehement conversion was an ethnic cleansing that required the copying of large volumes and transcripts, such as the Bible, during the dark ages of the medieval church.

In a nutshell, runic writing was less straightforward and more cryptic than the writing systems we've grown accustomed to today.ĭuring the Christianisation of Europe, the church indoctrinated every single man, woman, and child with the word of God. Many runologists believe that these variants affected the meaning of the inscriptions. Sometimes, runes were written from right to left or top to bottom. They could furthermore change directions or be drawn horizontally as opposed to vertically, and often, strings of words would not be separated by spaces. In this way, they resemble other ancient forms of logographic writing, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs.Īdditionally, the characters weren't necessarily written from left to right. One symbol can have two or more sounds or even represent whole words or phrases. In the eyes of those accustomed to the Latin alphabet, runic symbols can appear perplexing. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Johan Peter Raadsig. The oldest runes found in Iceland date back to the 10th century, but since both the Eddas and the Sagas frequently mention runes, we know they've been here from the beginning. 870, the younger version is the Icelandic runic alphabet. Since the Icelandic Age of Settlement began around A.D. This shorter version became known as the Younger Futhark or Scandinavian Runes. Then, in the late eighth century-or around the beginning of the Viking Age-a shortened variant of only sixteen runes replaced the Elder Futhark in Northern Europe. The first fully-formed of these alphabets is the Elder Futhark, which consists of twenty-four symbols and was in use between the second and eighth centuries. They're known as Futhark because their first six letters appear alphabetically. Let's explore the history of Icelandic runes, their place in Icelandic culture, their symbols and meanings, and their place in local mythology and folklore. More than simply a writing system, the runes are infused with magic and mystery, and these qualities have long since fascinated modern enthusiasts. Runic writings were imported to Iceland by the country's first settlers and have remained, in some form or another, ever since. Runes, therefore, make up an integral and defining part of Nordic heritage and culture. 1100, and even longer for specific purposes. However, in the Nordic countries, the runes were still widely used until A.D. In Central Europe, this shift occurred around A.D. No edits were made.Īs Europe became Christianised, the Latin alphabet became the dominant form of writing. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Bloodofox. Runologists believe the system originated from earlier Old Italic epigraphs such as Old Latin or the Raetic alphabet of Bolzano. The exact origins of runes are debated, but runic archaeological findings date back as far as A.D.

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