"runa" means mystery  

mystery

   

What are runes?

The notion of "rune" may have a number of different meanings, but are most often given to forms of writing that were similar to the writing systems that were used in the Germanic areas from the period around 200 AD and up to around the time of the Reformation in the 1500s – and in some isolated places, they were in fact used right up until the 1800s.
Runic inscriptions are found on weapons, tools, jewellery, combs, gold bracteates and amulets. In the Nordic countries and England memorial stones have also been found. In Norway, runes are also found in later periods in stave churches.


   

What does the word mean?


The word "runa" has since ancient times also had a number of other meanings than "written character", and it has to some extent also kept these meanings up until today. In the saga literature, we can find the word used to mean a song, a magic formula, a magical symbol, a mystery, and a secret knowledge.

Runa may mean:

Mystery, secret knowledge, learning, skaldic art.
Secret or whispered conversation (in skaldic poetry)
Sign used in magic
Runic sign
Letter

 

   

When were they used?

The oldest runes that we know of are from around AD 200. We have no knowledge of any runes prior to this. Runes were in some isolated areas also used as a literary language up until the 1800s. But, strictly speaking, the period when runes were used in the Nordic countries ended in the 1300s.

 

   

Who used them?

The runes were in addition to the Goths, the Herules and other Germanic tribes, used by the Germans and the Frisians in the South and Central Europe, and by the English in the West. The Norwegians, the Danes, the Swedes, the Icelanders, the Greenlanders, The Sami, etc. were the users here in the North.

 

   

Where did the runes come from?

One theory proposes that the runic alphabet was modelled on the Latin alphabet, and that it originated from a Germanic tribe in South Europe, perhaps influenced by Gallic tribes in North Italy (Wimmer).
Another theory suggests that it originated from the Greek and Latin handwriting style, the minuscule script, which was used for practical purposes in everyday life. This theory holds that the alphabet came into existence in the Gothic kingdoms on the shores of the Black Sea in the 100–200s AD, and that it spread from here to the Baltic Sea. Several of the oldest runic inscriptions are found on objects imported to Scandinavia from the Continent (Friesen).
A third theory sets forth that the Runic alphabet already in its oldest form, presupposes a long, internal development that most likely is older than from the 100–200s AD, and that it consequently would have been used by the Goths. The runic alphabet builds according to this theory on a celtified Latin alphabet from the Celtic border belt between the ancient Germans and the Romans at Donau and adjacent areas (Marstrander).
A fourth theory assumes that the runic alphabet came into existences in South Scandinavia through a deliberate change of the Latin alphabet. (Moltke).

 

   

But what do you and I believe?

Some of the theories have more followers than others, but what they all have in common is that they cannot be proven with full certainty. There may well be reason to believe that the runes originated among the Goths and other Germanic tribes in the tracts around the Black Sea in the 2nd and 3rd century, and it is reasonable to believe that the runes, among other things, were inspired by the Greek and the Latin alphabets. The runes spread northwards with migrating tribes.

 

   

A bit more information...

Of all the inscriptions of older runes, as many as about 160 have been found in Scandinavia and around 80–90 in the rest of the Germanic area. So, here up north we were frequent users of runes!