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The Vikings used a special form of alphabet for writing. This alphabet was called the runic-alphabet and the letters - runes. It is believed that the runic-alphabet derived from the Greek or Roman alphabet and that the Vikings had changed it to be able to carve the letters on wood, stone or bones easier. Because the Greeks and Romans wrote on paper, it was easier for them to draw curved letters. Paper couldn't be found in Scandinavia and that's why the Vikings changed the letters into runes which were only made of straight lines.
There have been many versions of runic-alphabets. Those were: 'Urnordiska Runor', 'Normal runor', 'kortkvistrunor' and 'stavlösa runor'. The first and the oldest known has been in use from 200-800 AD. It had 24 runes and was called "The futhark". He was considered sacred and it was believed that the gods brought the runes to mankind by the sacrifice of Odin who hanged himself from the World Tree for nine days. The name of the alphabet comes from the first six letters in this alphabet: 'f', 'u', 'th', 'a', 'r' and 'k'. The runes were divided into three groups called families, each belonging to a god: Frey:s family, Hagals family and Tyr:s family.
From 800 AD, the Normal Runor became the most popular form of alphabet used by the Vikings. It only had 16 runes. This alphabet will be used in Scandinavia until the 16th century when it will be replaced by the Latin one. The other two versions, 'Kortkvist' and 'Stavlösa', are simplified versions and the second one resembles today's shorthand writing.
The word "rune" means "secret knowledge and wisdom" and it is because this that it is believed that the alphabet had been, at the beginning, a secret cipher and only priests and magicians knew how to read it. This would explain why the runic-alphabet doesn't start with "alpha" and "beta" as the Greek and Roman one does. This hypothesis is confirmed by the magical inscriptions on swords and shields that have been found.
The runes are made of straight lines as those are easier to carve on stone or wood and there are no upper and lower cases.
The letters of the runic-alphabet are associated with a number, a sound and a magical word. The letter "u" represents the number 1, "th" represents the number 2, "a" represents the number 3 and so on. The first letter "f" is the symbol of richness and that's why, it stands for the number 24. Each letter could have one or more sound assigned to it and would be read according to the context. Also, every rune had a name to be easier to recognize them. The one who knew how to use the runes, combined the sound, the number and the word represented by the runes so it was quite hard to understand a text.
Runic inscriptions have been found on gravestones, on weapons, on holly objects and on tablets serving for trade.
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The 16 runes from the Normal runic-alphabet, their
sound, number and meaning
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The Rune
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sounds symbolized
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number
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name
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f |
v |
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16 |
Feoh |
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u |
v |
o |
y |
ö |
1 |
Ur |
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th |
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2 |
Thorn |
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o |
a |
ä |
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3 |
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r |
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4 |
Rad |
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k |
g |
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5 |
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h |
g |
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6 |
Hagal |
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n |
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7 |
Nyd |
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i |
e |
ä |
y |
j |
8 |
Is |
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a |
ä |
e |
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9 |
Os |
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s |
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10 |
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t |
d |
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11 |
Tyr |
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b |
p |
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12 |
Beorc |
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m |
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13 |
Eolhs |
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l |
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14 |
Lagu |
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R |
e |
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15 |
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