Runes Notebook - a beginners guide by Alex Pidd

The Vikings used to sharpen their knife and sword on the small stone which we call the whetstone. It was in 2017 that the archaeologists found the Viking-era stone as the whetstone. What's special is that there is a runic carving on the stone. 

The whetstone was unearthed during the construction project of the railway in Oslo, Norway. After researching the stone, archaeologists concluded that the stone dated back to 1,000 years ago. 

 

The underside of the whetstone found in Oslo, Norway

In many Viking findings, especially the stones, we found the runic inscription which either tells a story or to honor someone in the Viking Age. Runes are the letters that the Vikings used to convey information or to cast the spell. Each rune had a way to pronounce and a specific sign. In Norse mythology, it was Odin who introduced runes to the world. But to gain the ability to decipher runes, Odin sacrificed himself on the Yggdrasil tree of life. 

In the Viking age, not many people could read runes. And this system of letters was not commonly used to communicate. Rather, the Vikings used runes to deliver their thought, desire, and call for the help from the gods. The runic letters were used in Norway and other Scandinavian parts from the 6th century to around 15th century.

Regarding the whetstone that found in Oslo, who carved the runes on the stones remained a mystery. 

 

Runic inscription on the whetstone found in Oslo, Norway

Archaeologists tried to decipher what was written on the whetstone. They agreed that they were the runes "æ, r, k, n, a". But this was not enough to know the meaning of the inscription. They believed that the runes were to spell a name or to spell "scared" or "ugly" in Viking language. One of the most interesting theorized meanings was the "pain". Some Viking enthusiasts believed the runes inscription read "feel the pain" which was closely related to the sharpening tool.

But because it was the runic letters and it was on the tool for sharpening, it might present the hope of cutting the things very well. It was kind of a magic word to convey the wish of the Vikings. 

The creator or the writers of the runic inscription on the whetstone didn't seem to be a trained rune carver. Though runes were widespread and respected on large scale in Scandinavia, many found themselves lack of knowledge to write runes. 

Viking runes are the letters of the runic alphabet. Germanic people with Vikings had developed this system of writing in the 1st or 2nd Century AD.

What is unique about the Norse culture is that it was more oral than written. That is why sagas were passed down orally. Old Norse was the oral language of Vikings. The Runic alphabet was widely understood, but the main idea of its usage was for memorial purposes – the proof of the fact that there are thousands of runestones, which can be found throughout the Scandinavian countryside. Norse runes were not only used as inscriptions on the runestones. They were also used for business. The runic inscriptions were frequently expressing jokes, love letters, prayers, gags, etc.

Runes are the mystical alphabet, used 2000 years ago to name things and places, provide protection, attract luck and fortune, and magically divine the course of future events. There were runes and spells to influence the weather, the seed, the tides, health, and love. The more interesting is the fact that there were runes to affect the fertility, the runes for the abortion of the curse, runes for death and birth. Nordic runes were carved on cups, amulets, the lintel of the houses, and at the bow of the Viking ships.

Of that time, such tools as knife, ax or chisel were not used to form the curved lines of the rune letters. That is the one and probably the main reason why the runic letters were created only with straight lines. In the Runic alphabet, each letter represents a sound that is why double consonants are not used.

The Nordic tribes of northern Europe created these unique Nordic runes especially to represent the forces of nature. In the ancient times, people believed that when the wearer or caster picked the right rune, he could harness the strength and power the rune represented. We can relate this to modern times, for example, choosing the best atv utv accessories guarantee driver’s safety.

Viking Runes’ History

One more exciting fact “futhark” – the name of the runic alphabet. It is known so because of the first six letters of the runic alphabet– f, u, þ, a, r, k.

There are three primary forms of futhark:

  • Elder Futhark – included 24 characters; was used between 100 and 800 AD;
  • Younger Futhark – included  16 characters (language was becoming more complicated); was used between the 8th and 12th centuries
  • Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) Futhorc– included 33 characters; was used mostly in England during the Viking Age (1100 to 1500 AD)

Because of the development of trading and interaction brought by the Vikings, the demand for oral and written language has significantly increased.

Reading and Writing in Viking Runes

The earliest runic inscriptions were found on the Vimose comb from Vimose in 160 CE. The first and the most initial carving was found on the Kylver stone from Gotland, Sweden in 400 CE. The transfer of writing language from southern Europe to the northern passed through Germanic warbands.

Writing and reading in Norse runes is a complicated process. The charts provided below will help those who want to get more details on how to transliterate their names or to find associations with a particular meaning related to nature and sustainability.