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Runic Alphabets

The document discusses several different runic alphabets used throughout Europe and their histories. It describes the Elder Futhark as the oldest version of the runic alphabet used by Germanic peoples in Scandinavia. Gothic runes were used for the Gothic language but few inscriptions survive. The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc added letters for Old English and was used in Britain until the 11th century. Younger Futhork evolved from Elder Futhark and was the main alphabet in Scandinavia during the Viking Age until being replaced by the Latin alphabet around 1200 due to Christianity.

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1K views4 pages

Runic Alphabets

The document discusses several different runic alphabets used throughout Europe and their histories. It describes the Elder Futhark as the oldest version of the runic alphabet used by Germanic peoples in Scandinavia. Gothic runes were used for the Gothic language but few inscriptions survive. The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc added letters for Old English and was used in Britain until the 11th century. Younger Futhork evolved from Elder Futhark and was the main alphabet in Scandinavia during the Viking Age until being replaced by the Latin alphabet around 1200 due to Christianity.

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sparecrap
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Runic Alphabets

Elder Futhark
Elder Futhark is thought to be the oldest version of the Runic alphabet, and was used in the parts of
Europe which were home to Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia. Other versions probably developed
from it. The names of the letters are shown in Common Germanic, the reconstructed ancestor of all
Germanic languages.

Gothic runes
Gothic, an extinct east Germanic language, was originally written with a Runic alphabet about which little
is known. One theory of the origins of runes is that they were invented by the Goths, but this is impossible
to prove as very few inscriptions of writing in Gothic runes survive. These runes were replaced with a new
alphabet in the 4th century AD.

Anglo-Saxon Futhorc
A number of extra letters were added to the Runic alphabet to write Anglo-Saxon/Old English. Runes were
probably bought to Britain in the 5th century by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians (collectively known
as the Anglo-Saxons), and were used until about the 11th century.

Runic inscriptions are mostly found on jewellery, weapons, stones and other objects. Very few examples of
Runic writing on manuscripts have survived.
Younger Futhork
Younger Futhork or "Normal Runes" gradually evolved Elder Futhark over a period of many years and
stabilized by about 800 A.D., the beginning of the Viking Age. It was the main alphabet in Norway,
Sweden and Denmark throughout the Viking Age, but was replaced by the Latin alphabet by about 1200
as a result of the conversion of most of Scandinavia to Christianity. After the arrival of Christianity in
Scandinaiva, the Runic alphabet was Latinised with 29 letters in Latin order and was used occasionlly,
mainly for decoration until 1850.

Thanks to Niklas Dougherty for this information

The Druidic Runes are used throughout the Ultima series of games
Rovas

Tolkiien Runic Alphabet

The runes on the chart below are peculiar to Kildonan. They were copied from ancient writings and
standing stones. Each rune is preceeded by its equivalent letter(s) in Kildonan Common

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