HISTORY OF THE RUNES
 
 
 
 

The term rune is derived from the Indo-European root ru, which means mystery or secret. Runes were at first ancient Norse and Teutonic alphabets, and symbols that were ascribed with various magical, mystical, and divinatory properties. These various alphabetical signs have been passed down through the centuries and were thought to possess religious and magical meanings. Personal runes can represent letters, deities, qualities, events, and natural forces.

Runic symbols have been found carved on rocks dating from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, (c. 8000 BC - 2000 BC). Continuing discoveries showed they had been carved by tribes in Northern Italy; they were also present in Sweden, and among the Germanic people. Though there are differences of opinion about when Runic writing began, there is general agreement that the runes were used by pagan tribes over a vast area of northern Europe. Some historians say that the Runes had their birth among the Teutonic (German speaking) tribes of northern Europe as long ago as 500 BC. Others say the Goths of Scandinavia adapted the Greek cursive script during their contact with the Hellenic culture around 200 AD. Still others speculate that they originated much later in northern Italy and that they were derived from the Latin alphabet. And some take the view that they were invented during the Viking civilization around 800 AD.
   Oden hung on the Yggdrasil tree nine days and nine nights  .According to myth, the runes were created by the Norse god Oden (also Woden or Woten), the one-eyed chief of the gods, also the god of wisdom and war. Odin acquired the forbidden and mystical knowledge of the runes by impaling himself by his own spear to Yggdrasil, the World Tree, for nine days and nights.

Runic carvings were found throughout western Europe, Runes are actually alphabetic symbols used for writing.  They were found of door posts, property markers, swords, shields, tombstones and even on Viking warships.

In England the Anglo Saxon  alphabet  increased the runes to thirty-three characters from its original twenty-four.  The Celtic alphabet increased the runes to 27.. .The original Viking  alphabet was called "futhorc" after its first letters F, U, TH, O, R, K.  Most commonly  used today is  what's  known as the Elder Furthorc which is 24 runes.  The 25th rune or the rune of Wyrd which is a modern invention sometimes called the .karmic rune or rune of fate.  The runes coexisted for centuries along with Christian symbols such as the cross. One of the earliest historical references to them is in the 4th. century AD when the Gothic bishop Ulfilas in devising the Gothic alphabet borrowed the U and O from the runic alphabet.

   Norse use of magic with runes. Runes were used also as a divinatory tool and for spell casting until the advent of Christianity whereby they were deemed an "evil" by the Church and fell into disuse were forgotten until the they regained new popularity as a New Age tool in the 1980s with Ralph Blum's book "The Book of Runes" and clay rune set.  Since then there has been many good books written on runes and runic history and sets are now made in almost every material  available.

Now follow the Stone Speaker  to find out more about the runes today and where they are waiting for you.