The Runic Alphabet — Saga And Historical Fact

The Runic Alphabet — Saga And Historical Fact

Runic is an alphabet, a means of communication, and a set of symbols carved onto objects for magical
purposes.

Nobody is totally certain where runes originated, or what the word ‘rune’ means. Whilst most
runemasters suggest that the name means ‘mystery’ or ‘holy secret’, it is also worth considering that it
may come from the German raunen, a word which has a variety of meanings, including ‘to cut or
carve’. Runes were most probably cut or carved and not written by the Norse who used them in
ancient times. Other students of language suggest a link with the Anglo-Saxon word secgan, ‘to say’,
and the Latin secare, ‘to cut’, whilst others suggest a link with the Old Nordic run, the Gothic runa and
the Icelandic runar, all of which mean ‘whisper’.

What is obvious from looking at the runes is that they…