Similarly, modern experts have termed runic alphabets futharks (or futhorks), based on the first six letters of Elder Futhark which roughly correspond to our F, U, Th, A, R, and K. Our word alphabet comes from the Greek letters alpha and beta. While evidence suggests that most Vikings could read the runes on at least a basic level, for them the true study and understanding of these symbols was a pursuit fit for the gods. Rather than being penned on vellum or parchment, runes were usually carved on wood, bone, or stone, hence their angular appearance. It is obvious to see how many of these runes were an influence on our English letters used today, such as the T, O, F and S seen in these pendants.Ĭarved on sticks or other objects, they could be cast and deciphered to discern the present or predict the future. Because they had inherent meaning, they could be used as a means of communication between the natural and supernatural, and could thus be used as spells for protection or success. They could be carved into rune stones to commemorate ancestors and mark the graves of heroes. Instead, runes were for inscriptions of great importance. However, they did not use this writing the way we do now, or even the way Mediterranean and other neighboring cultures did then. The Norse and other Germanic peoples wrote with runes since at least the first century. So we see from this story how the Vikings thought of runes not merely as letters but as having potent virtues within themselves of a metaphysical or even magical nature. Odin made his sacrifice at great anguish and risk to himself because he knew that the runes conveyed deep meaning, and if he could understand their meaning he would gain profound wisdom and power. The runes were symbols that sprang from the Well of Urd – the source of fate – and the Norns used these runes to carry that fate up the trunk and branches of Yggdrasil to the nine worlds amidst its boughs. In Norse lore, the god, Odin, impaled his heart with his own spear and hung on the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nights all to perceive the meaning of the runes. Welcome! After reading this article, please check out our online Viking store with over 800 unique items including jewelry, drinking horns, shirts, home decor and more.įull tables of the Elder Futhark and Younger Futhark are available below this article. Updated on 5/21/18.