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.

Elder futhark rune for healing