Ancient Runes 201 Notebook
written by Charlie Conner
My notes from Ancient Runes 201 - Information from class written by Headmistress Oshiro and Professor Wessex. I will occasional include information from my own independent study of the Elder Futhark, but will note this when relevant
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
8
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Week 2 - Elder Futhark - History and Runes
Chapter 2
*Brief History
~Oldest of all runic scripts - not oldest "magical writing"
~2nd-8th cen. CE
~Developed into Younger Futhark and Anglo-Saxon Futhork
~Translated for Muggles - Norwegian scholar Sophus Bugge
~Originated from Old Italic - Etruscan or Raetic w/ Roman influences
-developed as an aid to memory - trade and travel
- Found on jewellery, amulets, rune stones: longer pieces of writing typically
memorials to fallen heroes
~Muggle world - revival in Norse mythology and runes: some with divination
talents have a set for practice
~ Runes as Wizards currently have them - Schreiber's corrections - from Sophia
Schreiber
~Power within runes often recognized - etched into many devices, doorways,
books
~Have manuscripts from Norse priests - transcribed runic magic
-forced into hiding by conversion to Christianity in 8th cen. --> Tomes given
Rowena Ravenclaw - stored in Hogwarts Library
~Elder Futhark
-phonetic script - first 6 sounds spell "f-u-th-a-r-k"
`every letter one word
`no set writing direction
`double letters represented with one rune
`no spaces between words
` combine last and first letter of neighboring words
-Ideograms - representation of sound and idea
`Thurisaz: "th" and Thor
`write just one rune for whole word
`just as important as phonetics --> will study after transcriptions
-The names we have are reconstructions - words that have been
reconstructed back to their probably original forms based on later versions of
the language
*Handout - Quick Reference for runes *this won't include what the rune actually looks like, just name, latin equivalent, and meaning*
-Fehu - f - wealth/cattle
-Uruz - u - Aurochs - water
-Thurisaz - th - Thor/giant
-Ansuz - a - One of the Aesir
-Raido - r - ride/journey
-Kenaz - k - ulcer/torch?
-Gebo - g - gift
- Wunjo - w - joy
-Hagalaz - h - hail (precipitation)
-Naudiz - n - need
- Isa - i - ice
- Jera - j - good year/harvest
- Eihwaz - long i/ae/ei - yew-tree
- Perthro - p - pear-tree/ *not from class, from own knowledge - empty cup
-Algiz - z - elk
-Sowilo - s - Sun
-Tiwaz - t - god Tiwaz
-Berkano - b - birch
- Ehwaz - e - horse
-Mannaz - m - man
-Laguz - l - water/lake
-Ingwaz - ng - god Ingwaz
-Othala - o - heritage/estate/possession
-Dagaz - d - day
~mostly made of lines meeting at 45 or 90 degree angles because they were usually carved, not written
*Names and Meanings
~each rune associated with sound, name, and meaning
~most sound like beginning of name - not sure what came first, sound or
name
-not all - some can't be the beginning of words
*Variants - some runes have multiple forms/shapes
*Ligatures - combinations of runes - two runes combined into single symbol
~rare - may be in magical work
~Oldest of all runic scripts - not oldest "magical writing"
~2nd-8th cen. CE
~Developed into Younger Futhark and Anglo-Saxon Futhork
~Translated for Muggles - Norwegian scholar Sophus Bugge
~Originated from Old Italic - Etruscan or Raetic w/ Roman influences
-developed as an aid to memory - trade and travel
- Found on jewellery, amulets, rune stones: longer pieces of writing typically
memorials to fallen heroes
~Muggle world - revival in Norse mythology and runes: some with divination
talents have a set for practice
~ Runes as Wizards currently have them - Schreiber's corrections - from Sophia
Schreiber
~Power within runes often recognized - etched into many devices, doorways,
books
~Have manuscripts from Norse priests - transcribed runic magic
-forced into hiding by conversion to Christianity in 8th cen. --> Tomes given
Rowena Ravenclaw - stored in Hogwarts Library
~Elder Futhark
-phonetic script - first 6 sounds spell "f-u-th-a-r-k"
`every letter one word
`no set writing direction
`double letters represented with one rune
`no spaces between words
` combine last and first letter of neighboring words
-Ideograms - representation of sound and idea
`Thurisaz: "th" and Thor
`write just one rune for whole word
`just as important as phonetics --> will study after transcriptions
-The names we have are reconstructions - words that have been
reconstructed back to their probably original forms based on later versions of
the language
*Handout - Quick Reference for runes *this won't include what the rune actually looks like, just name, latin equivalent, and meaning*
-Fehu - f - wealth/cattle
-Uruz - u - Aurochs - water
-Thurisaz - th - Thor/giant
-Ansuz - a - One of the Aesir
-Raido - r - ride/journey
-Kenaz - k - ulcer/torch?
-Gebo - g - gift
- Wunjo - w - joy
-Hagalaz - h - hail (precipitation)
-Naudiz - n - need
- Isa - i - ice
- Jera - j - good year/harvest
- Eihwaz - long i/ae/ei - yew-tree
- Perthro - p - pear-tree/ *not from class, from own knowledge - empty cup
-Algiz - z - elk
-Sowilo - s - Sun
-Tiwaz - t - god Tiwaz
-Berkano - b - birch
- Ehwaz - e - horse
-Mannaz - m - man
-Laguz - l - water/lake
-Ingwaz - ng - god Ingwaz
-Othala - o - heritage/estate/possession
-Dagaz - d - day
~mostly made of lines meeting at 45 or 90 degree angles because they were usually carved, not written
*Names and Meanings
~each rune associated with sound, name, and meaning
~most sound like beginning of name - not sure what came first, sound or
name
-not all - some can't be the beginning of words
*Variants - some runes have multiple forms/shapes
*Ligatures - combinations of runes - two runes combined into single symbol
~rare - may be in magical work
