The Runic Alphabet

The runic alphabet is very old. People in northern Europe used runes more than 1,500 years ago. Vikings are the most famous users of runes. Runes are made up of straight lines that are easy to carve into wood or stone. Each rune is both a letter and a symbol.

Viking Runes

Vikings carved runes into stones, weapons, and jewelry. The runic alphabet is called the 'futhark.' The name comes from the first six letters: f, u, th, a, r, k. There are different versions of the futhark. The oldest one has 24 runes, and a later Viking one has only 16.

Why Runes Were Used

Runes were used to write names, messages, and stories. Vikings thought runes had magic powers. Some rune stones mark the graves of important people. Others tell about brave adventures. Today, people can still see these rune stones in places like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Fun Facts

• There are more than 6,000 rune stones in Sweden alone.
• Runes are easy to carve because they have no curves.
• J.R.R. Tolkien used runes in his book 'The Hobbit.'

Did You Know?

Some Viking rune stones have writing that scientists still cannot fully understand. They are like ancient puzzles.