I have read that they were used up until the dark ages, but i was wondering how you read words aloud. do you say each indevidual letter?
nordic runes
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forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Runes as a system of writing up until the dark ages? Only if you count the dark ages as starting around 1800, or even later. As a dominant system of writing they lost out here in Scandinavia sometime around 1100 or so.
They are letters, used to write words. Outside early reading class, how many read out each letter when reading?
They are letters, used to write words. Outside early reading class, how many read out each letter when reading?
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
No, no Wayland. You are supposed to sell him your pamphlet with the True! Age Old! Secret! Revealed! Just UKP 87, special price, offer good while suppies last.
Yes, I suppose I should just jump onto the gravy train really but I make my living from education, so I just hate misinformation.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Well, being a teacher myself I can't rreally fault your attitude in this case. But sometimes I wonder if I do the right thing? Abandon ethics, write some speculative books, get on TV, retire. Some days that plan sounds tempting.
This is the Germanic "Elder" Futhark dated to around 200ad (600 years before the Vikings.)
The Germanic settlers in England later adapted it into the Anglo Saxon Futhorc
While the Vikings adapted it into the "Younger" Futhork
(The runes bottom left are abbreviations and those bottom right were adopted when the Vikings came back into contact with the Anglo Saxons.)
The differences reflect dialectal and linguistic changes that developed in different regions and peoples.
There is more information here.
The Germanic settlers in England later adapted it into the Anglo Saxon Futhorc
While the Vikings adapted it into the "Younger" Futhork
(The runes bottom left are abbreviations and those bottom right were adopted when the Vikings came back into contact with the Anglo Saxons.)
The differences reflect dialectal and linguistic changes that developed in different regions and peoples.
There is more information here.
There's plenty of mentions of runes used in "new age twaddle" ways Wayland - Egil, Sigurd, the Sayings of Har.
New Age doesn't mean twaddle, nor are all New Agers fluffy bunnies with glitter and sparkles.
New Age doesn't mean twaddle, nor are all New Agers fluffy bunnies with glitter and sparkles.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
AFAICR we know that runes were used for magical purposes (to the extent you can trust fiction written a couple of hundred years after the fact). But, also AFAICR, we have no idea *how* they did it.
I have no problem with people believing whatever they want. I just wish they would leave history out of it.
There are a few references to the practice of Seiðr using runes, in the same way as there is reference to magic using Latin. It does not mean that either are imbued with mystical power, it just means that some form of writing was used.
That is precisely the problem. Despite what some New Age practitioners would have you believe, there is no continuous tradition or knowledge. It's all been made up since the 18th century from scattered references and dubious sources.
You might as well create a belief system from a science fantasy novel like L Ron Hubbard did.
I might have more respect for some of them if they actually did some proper research and got a few things right for a change. I well remember watching a "Druid" waving a knobbly stick around at 12 o'clock on the summer solstice at Castlerigg, before telling bemused members of the public that it was the perfect time for such holy practices because the sun was at it's highest and the stones were in perfect alignment.
He was laughed out of the field when I pointed out that It was clever of the Bronze age builders to account for British Summer Time when the circle was constructed.
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I never claimed there was an unbroken line, Wayland, but derision doesn't help matters. We are, as I said, not all fluffy bunnies. We do not all get our info from contemplating our navel. So you have no belief in it yourself - I do. I'll not debate it with you though, religion is one of those matters that should be kept off the forums I believe.
jimbo75
Settler
I dont believe this forum sometimes!! Just got back from a weekend away with the family, and thought to myself "I might just start a thread on nordic runes, as I'm hoping to use some in a tattoo design and maybe wayland could offer some advice???" Then hey presto! Who say's there's no such thing as `divine fluffy pagan intervention`!!
I want to learn runes, and old english, has anyone done it, and if so how easy is it and where would you start?
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The runes is simple (just look at the nice pictures Wayland posted). The language is basically a foreign language (I'm told slightly easier for us Scandinavians than for you British). I have no idea if there are self study courses, but any major university should have a course in it.
