Viking Rune: History And Meaning Of The Viking Alphabet

Published on: 03/03/2023

Norse mythology is essentially marked by the Vikings, a barbarian people. The Vikings are ruthless warriors who love chaos and have spread terror throughout Europe.

Their ruthless domination and love of war was described by other civilizations of their time. They are also called pagans for their acts of piracy and for their brutal forces.

But make no mistake, Viking mythology has a rich history and a rich past. The life of the Vikings was not just about fighting. They also had a culture and even their own runic alphabet.

Viking Runes : what are they?

The Nordic people created their own alphabet which is called the runic alphabet. They used the runic alphabet to communicate with each other.

Originally, runes were created to symbolize letters, but over time research discovered that runes were more than just letters.

Indeed, each runic letter was an ideographic or pictographic symbol. By writing a rune from the Viking alphabet, one could invoke a "force", as each rune was closely linked to a cosmological force, perhaps even a power of divination.

Runes represent something magical. They come from Germanic languages and can refer either to a letter, to mystery or to secrets. The Vikings carved the runes into wood and used it to convey messages or invoke their gods.

Over time, the teachings of the runes have passed down through the ages to survive to this day.

In Scandinavia, archaic traces of this ancient practice can still be found and in modern Scandinavian culture they are still used to create a spiritual connection between our worlds.

Runes can give a comforting feeling of protection due to their mystical and occult power, making the mysteries of the universe intelligible.

Viking rune: the runic alphabet

Specific names were assigned to each Viking rune to designate its symbol (its visual form), its meaning and above all its "magic" or power of divination. We can for example take the case of the T-rune, also called Tiwaz in the proto-Germanic language. This runic symbol is related to the name of the Norse god Tiwaz, also known as Tyr in the age of the Viking gods. This rune takes on an arrow-like appearance pointing skyward, as the god Tyr refers to a house in the daytime sky. The protective power of this Viking rune was to ensure victory for warriors who carved this symbol on a stone or a pendant.

The runic alphabet is also called in Old Norse "futhark" just after the creation of the first six runes which are: The rune Fehu, the rune Uruz, the rune Thurisaz, the rune Ansuz, the runes Raidho and Kaunan. Archaeologists have discovered on ancient stones the division into three families of eight Viking runes. However, the true meaning of these symbols still remains unknown.

There are three main types of futhark alphabet:

– The first runic alphabet or the Elder Futhark which is composed of 24 runes (created in the first century AD and disappeared before the year 400)

– The youngest runic alphabet of the Viking age or the youngest Futhark which is composed of 16 runes. This runic alphabet comes from the ancient Futhark and succeeded in replacing the old Futhark among the Scandinavians.

- The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc alphabet composed of 33 runes.

Meaning of Viking runes

Name of the different viking runes	Meaning	Symbol
Uruz Rune	S ymbolizes the Force, the Will.
Fehu rune	Symbolizes wealth.
Rune Thurisaz - Thorn	Symbolizes suffering and danger.
Ansuz Rune	Symbolizes vitality.
Rune Raidho - Rad	S ymbolizes work and growth.
Kauna Rune	Symbolizes pain and mortality.
Gebo Rune	Symbolizes generosity.
Rune Wunjo - Wynn	Symbolizes joy and ecstasy.
Hagalaz Rune	Symbolizes destruction and chaos.
Naudhiz Rune - Hid	Symbolizes need and desire.
Isa rune	Symbolizes the unknown.
Jera rune	Symbolizes the reward.
Rune Eihwaz - Eohl	Symbolizes strength and stability.
Sowilo rune	Symbolizes success and comfort.
Rune Tiwaz - Tire	Symbolizes victory and honor.
Rune Berkano - Beorc	Symbolizes growth and sustenance.
Ehwaz Rune	Symbolizes trust and camaraderie.
Mannaz Rune - Mann	Symbolizes support and increase.
Laguz Rune	Symbolizes chaos, formlessness and the unknown.
Ingwaz Rune - Ing	Symbolizes fertilization and actualization of potential.
Othala Rune - Odal	Symbolizes tradition, heritage, heritage as well as nobility.
Rune Dagaz - Daeg	Symbolizes happiness and hope.
Rune Elhaz - Algiz	Symbolizes momentum and protection

Viking rune: supports

The Vikings engraved the runes on several supports like wood, metal, stone, but still on other similar surfaces. To write the runes on the parchments, the Vikings used the anchor and the feather, hence the shape of the runes which are angular and sharp.

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There were also the famous runestones, these large stones on which the runes were inscribed in large numbers. Indeed, this large stone had several runic inscriptions to pay homage to a man or a woman. In Scandinavia and some Nordic countries, one can find more than 3000 large stones or runestones engraved by Viking runes. Runic inscriptions can be inscribed on a tombstone, memorials, but also the Viking rune can be engraved in the stone of a cliff, on the stone of a building, on art objects such as a pendant, a bracelet designed by goldsmiths and wood carvers, markers noting the name of the owner of a pile of commercial products, religious objects, but these symbols can also be found on weapons such as swords and shields. age of the Vikings.

Viking runes: its use

According to history, the Vikings would have received the runes from the god of victory and wisdom who is none other than the god Odin. The Vikings used runes to decide between tribes that disagreed on certain points. To solve their problems, the Scandinavians used the runes engraved on stones that they had to draw to receive a divine answer to their problem. Thanks to the Nordic runes, the Scandinavians could easily agree and put an end to the problems.

A Viking druid also harnessed the magical power of runes. The rune stones could help him to do magic, but also for divination. At that time, the druid of the Viking village could help the inhabitants to predict their futures thanks to the rune stones.

But Viking runes are not only used for commemorative or religious purposes. Indeed, according to a major excavation in Norway in the 1950s, Viking runes were also used for everyday and professional purposes. The runic alphabet was also used as a protective power, for prayers, love letters and even jokes.

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Runic inscriptions are rarely inscribed on scrolls, as Norse culture was mostly an oral culture, despite some archaeological records. The old futhark was used for memorial events, for magical reasons as the druid did, but also to heal the sick.

Today we know the meanings of the runic inscriptions thanks to three poetic documents from Iceland, Norway and England. Indeed, they provide a short stanza of each Viking alphabet and the various symbols in their respective futharks. The Icelandic and Norwegian poems approach the younger Norse alphabet while the Old English "rune poem" approaches the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

Viking rune: the origin

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According to the story, it was the Germanic warriors who brought back the runic alphabet after their raids in today's southern Italy. Some scholars assume that the runes come from an Etruscan script or even from the old Italian alphabet.

According to Norse mythology, it was the god Odin who discovered the runic writings after he was pierced by his own spear and hung on the world tree which is none other than Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil, the tree of life, is a key figure in Norse mythology. It is said to be the tallest and largest tree in the world, stretching from heaven to earth. The tree of life is of great importance to gods and humans alike, as it provides food and shelter for all, it is a symbol of protection. The branches of the tree of life are home to many creatures, including eagles, deer, and hawks. The roots of Yggdrasil go deep into the underworld, it symbolizes the vital link between the world of the living and that of the dead.

Odin was hanged on the tree of life for nine days and nine nights. During this period, stuck in the tree of life, Odin was able to see into all the worlds and learn everything that exists in the universe. It was in this way that Odin, hanging from the tree of life, discovered the runes by staring at the well of Urd.

According to the archaeological findings of our experts, the oldest runic inscription comes from the brooch of Meldorf. This brooch was designed around the year 50 AD.

Additionally, the oldest known runestone of our time is the Kylver Stone which was inscribed in the year 400 CE. This stone was discovered in Sweden. However, several theories circulate that the inscription of the runes could be of Roman origin.

Today, the first and most distinct of the runic inscriptions discovered remain those inscribed on the comb of Vimose discovered in Denmark and on the spearhead OvreStabu discovered in Norway. They date from the 160s AD.