The Viking language is a unique phenomenon. This is evidenced by its distinctive features, the most important of which is accessibility to a wide range of users. It is also worth noting the unusual and simple characters, the order of their writing, the peculiarities of reading, as well as the wide possibilities in choosing materials for their cutting and inscription. Thanks to runic records dating back to the Viking Age, modern scientists have been able to learn a lot about the life of the ancient Scandinavians, about their migration, as well as about the origin and meaning of their names.

Under the concept of "Danish" throughout the Viking Age and for several centuries after its end, all the Scandinavian languages ​​\u200b\u200bunited. According to one version, this definition appeared abroad, and later was adopted by the inhabitants of the peninsula. This fact indicates that the ancient Scandinavian languages ​​did not differ much from each other, but did not have similarities with other European languages.

To this day, there is practically no information about how the Danish language sounded. Historians take meager information from words borrowed by other peoples. Also, skaldic poetry and inscriptions on old coins help them in learning the Viking language. Thanks to these artifacts, scientists were able to determine that the speech of the ancient inhabitants from different places in Scandinavia was not completely identical. Thus, the West Scandinavian language was spoken by the settlers of the territories where modern Norway and Iceland are located, and the East Scandinavian language was spoken by the ancient inhabitants of Sweden and Denmark. The Old Norse language has changed less than the others to this day, so scientists draw knowledge precisely from the modern speech of the Icelanders.

On the origin of runic writing

Despite the differences in languages, any Scandinavian can still understand most of the words from runic inscriptions on his own, without a dictionary and translator. Initially, this writing arose among the Germanic peoples several centuries after the birth of Christ. It included 24 signs made up of vertical and oblique lines. It was they who were most conveniently carved on a surface made of wood. Since the horizontal lines looked blurry due to the fact that they seemed to be lost in the fibers of the wood, they were not used.

With the beginning of the Viking Age, the number of runes decreased to 16 characters. In parallel, the spelling of some of them has also changed. The runes have been simplified to make them easier to apply to various surfaces. At the same time, reading the signs became more difficult, as many of them acquired additional meanings. In addition, one rune can represent several sounds. So, the rune "k" can be read in four versions: "k", "g", "ng" and "pc". At the same time, many signs were created to separate words and phrases.

The reasons for the appearance of the 16-digit runic alphabet are not known for certain. According to one assumption, these changes did not occur due to natural causes, but because of a "command from above." This version is confirmed by the fact that in those days the central government made many global changes in society.

The new alphabet was called "fupark" - it was these 6 characters that were at its beginning. It existed in 2 forms: Danish and Swedish-Norwegian. The first option included ordinary runes, and the second - "short knots", characterized by a smaller number of branches and their insignificant length. Both types of runes have found their application. So, solemn and commemorative inscriptions were more often cut with the help of ordinary ones, and simpler “short knots” were widely used by merchants and ordinary people.

Runic signs were written not from left to right, but from top to bottom. They were not suitable for writing letters on parchment. For this, the Latin alphabet was used, known at that time mainly to the clergy.

Application of runic inscriptions and artifacts

The majority of representatives of the nobility owned the reading of new signs. After all, runic inscriptions were applied to memorial stones in order to be read. The Scandinavians carved runes on the sides of ships, horse harness, crests, leather and bone products, etc. In some cases it was the name of the owner of the thing, in others it was a wise saying, in others it was magical writing. The most valuable finds include an inscription on a fragment of a human skull, which was found on the site of the Ribe shopping center. The artifact dates from the 8th century. It clearly shows the name of Odin, the supreme pagan deity worshiped by the Vikings. And someone, using the Old Norse language of runes, was satisfied with simply carving a word denoting the name of this item on an ordinary comb. Came across archaeologists and "love notes". For example, a piece of animal bone with the inscription "kiss me" was found. But there were also serious letters that were carved on wooden planks. So, a message asking to do something (what exactly - could not be read) refers to the 9th century and is addressed to a man named Oddulv.

Removal of runic characters in Latin letters

After the Christianization of Scandinavia, which took place in the last century of the first millennium, the Latin alphabet began to be introduced in these lands. This is confirmed by inscriptions on coins dating back to the 10th century, as well as by a letter from a high-ranking person, which dates back to the 11th century. But for laconic everyday notes, runes were considered more convenient, and they continued to be used until the late Middle Ages. After all, it is much easier to write a message with a knife and a bone left over from lunch than with an inkwell and parchment, which in those days were not available to everyone.

Scandinavian names

The inscriptions on the runic stones contain a lot of information, including the names common in Scandinavia. Many names were used throughout its territory (for example, Ulf and Thorstein), but there were also those that were found only in certain regions. So, Oddketil and Eyulf belong to the West Scandinavian, and Toke, Manne and Asved are common from the East Scandinavian. Thanks to "regional" names, historians are able to determine the origin of the representatives of a particular colony. For example, according to geographical names in Normandy, one can conclude that the bulk of the Scandinavian settlers were Danes. So, the name of the city Okeville comes from the Danish name Oge.

The Viking times are notable for the fact that it was during this era that many names appeared, including the name of the pagan deity Thor (Torkil, Thorstein, Toke, etc.). Many of them did not cease to be used after the Christianization of Scandinavia. The Vikings did not forget about the “smaller brothers”, giving people names that included the names of animals (Gunulf, Stigbjorn) and even assigning them the full names of one or another type of living creature (Urm is a snake, Bjorn is a bear).

The tradition of some noble families was to name their offspring only a certain minimum of names. For example, the Norwegian kings most often gave their descendants the names Olav and Harold. Some Scandinavians were assigned additional names. With their help, belonging to a particular genus or region was emphasized. So, a migrant from Denmark who settled in Norway could be called Ulf-Dane. In addition, the names included the main characteristics of a person, his profession, status, etc. For example, the name "Gorm Clan" meant "Gorm of the muddler." Many nicknames of famous personalities of the Viking Age have survived to this day: Ivar the Boneless, Harald the Fair-Haired, Ragnar Leather Pants, etc.

A large number of proper names that appeared in the Viking Age still exist today. Such ancient male names as Ulf, Ivar, Aslak, Knud, Eric and many others have not yet come out of the everyday life of the Scandinavians (and not only them). Of the female names dating back to the Viking Age, the following should be distinguished: Ingrid, Sigrid, Tora, Ose, Tuva, etc. After the introduction of Christianity, these names were somewhat "diluted" with biblical names. Many of the names that have survived to this day perfectly "get along" with each other even now, despite the fact that their roots go back to different religions.

Runes

Runes - the writing of the ancient Germans, used from the 1st-2nd to the 12th centuries AD. e. in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, X-XIII centuries in Iceland and Greenland, and in the province of Dalarna in Sweden until the XIX century. After the adoption of Christianity in the countries of Northern Europe, it was replaced by the Latin alphabet.

Alphabet and terms

Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon run, Old Norse runar and Old German runa are related to the Germanic root ru and the Gothic runa meaning "mystery", as well as the Old German runen (modern raunen) meaning "mysterious whisper". This name, apparently, is due to the fact that the ancient Germans attributed certain mystical properties to the runes.
The main distinguishing feature of the runic alphabet is the order of the letters, conventionally it is called futhark (more correctly fuþark) - according to the first six letters. Such an alphabetical order was not found in any other script. The alphabet was divided into three genera (Icelandic Ættir - Ettir, Norwegian Ætt - Att), each with 8 runes. The first ettir included runes f, u, þ, a, r, k, g, w. In the second - h, n, i, j, é (ih-wh), p, R (z), s. The third ettir included runes t, b, e, m, l, ŋ, d, o
Each rune had its own name. The original names of the runes have not survived, but here are their conjectural names, restored from the names of the runes in later alphabets:
Rune Name Translation Transcription

Fehu "cattle, property" f, v

Uruz "bison" u

Þurisaz "thorn, tours" þ

Ansuz "god" a

Raidu "way" r

Kauna "torch" k

Gebu "gift" g,γ

Wunju "joy" w

Hagalaz "hail" h

Naudiz "need" n

Isaz "ice" i

jara "year, harvest" j

Iwaz "yew" é (ih-wh)

Perþu Meaning not clear p

Algiz "moose" -R (-z)

Or Sowilu "Sun" s

Tiwaz "Tyur" t

Berkana "birch" b

Ehwaz "horse" e

Mannaz "man" m

Laguz "lake" l

Iŋwaz "Yngwie" ŋ

Dagaz "day" d,ð

Oþila "heritage" o

The direction of writing is from left to right, but boustrophedon is found in early inscriptions. So, on a spear from Kovel, the inscription is read from right to left, and the runes themselves are also turned in the opposite direction, like the North Etruscan letters and Greek letters in the early monuments of ancient Greek writing. Words were separated by periods, colons, or crosses.

Various symbols are found on runic stones: swastika shapes, four-segment symbols, triquetras, triskelions, pentagrams, spirals. The symbols on bracteates were much more diverse: they also had ornaments of three or more dots, triangles, circles, T-shaped, S-shaped, I-shaped symbols, and zigzags.

Runic monuments

In total, about 5,000 runic inscriptions were found, of which 3,000 were found in Sweden. The most ancient monuments of runic writing were found in Denmark, in total about 500 runic inscriptions were found there. About 600 runic inscriptions have been found in Norway, about 140 inscriptions have been found in the British Isles, about 60 in Greenland, and about 70 in Iceland. Several inscriptions have been found in Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, Austria. Runic inscriptions were also found in France, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and the Netherlands.

One of the earliest runic inscriptions is considered to be an inscription on a bone crest, preserved in a swamp on the Danish island of Funen. The inscription translates as harja (name or epithet) and dates from the 2nd half of the 2nd century. Until recently, it was believed that runic writing appeared in the 3rd century, but recent finds indicate that runes were used as early as the 1st century AD
A large number of runic inscriptions are carved on stones, bracteates are also known, which are round gold plates that originally imitated Roman medallions. Several runic manuscripts are known - Codex Runicus, Fasti Danici, Cotton Domitian, Codex Salisburgensis, 140. Very interesting are the runic inscriptions in the Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople, as well as the marble lion from the Athenian port of Piraeus, the shoulder of which is covered with runic inscriptions. In 1687, the sculpture was brought to Venice as a trophy. In Kensington, Minnesota (USA), a rune stone was found in 1898, but the question of its authenticity remains open.

Runic inscriptions were carved or carved on metal, wood, stone - among the ancient Germans, the art of wood carving was at a high level. Runic inscriptions were of the most varied content: there were various magical inscriptions, and appeals to the gods, but, for the most part, various memorial inscriptions were written with runes. A striking example of this is the runestone from Rök, praising King Tjordik, who lived in the 6th century, but the first lines of this inscription read “These runes speak of Vemud. Varin laid them down in honor of the fallen son, which may indicate the memorial significance of the stone.

Another runestone from Norway serves as an obituary. It says: "Engl erected this stone in memory of his son Thorald, who died in Vitaholm, between Ustaholm and Gardar."

Other runic monuments praised the prowess of the Vikings who returned from their travels. Here is a typical inscription on a stone from the city of Ash near Stockholm: “The runes were carved at the behest of Ragnvald. He was in Greece at the head of an army." Runestones, such as the stone from Hillersje, Sweden, speak of the exclusive rights of women among the Germans - the woman's right to own property. The names of the owner of the weapon, the artist, were carved with runes. But runic inscriptions of a domestic nature are also known. A large number of runic inscriptions represent bracteates, and runic calendars were also known.

Rune origin

Greek-Latin version

On the problem of the origin of the runes, there are a large number of hypotheses. The shape of the runes, elongated and spiky, led Isaac Taylor to the idea that the runes originated from the Greek alphabet used in the 6th century BC. BC e. on the coast of the Black Sea. Taylor attributed the role of creators to the Goths, who at that time allegedly inhabited Russia, although in fact the Goths migrated to the Northern Black Sea region 900 years later. A number of other scholars see the ancestor of runic writing in cursive Greek in the last centuries BC.

Ludwig Franz Adalbert Wimmer put forward a theory about the origin of the runes from the Latin letter of the end of the 2nd century. n. e .. Sigurd Agrell also adheres to the Latin theory, believing that the date of the appearance of the runes is the 1st century. According to Otto von Friesen, the runes were invented by the Goths in the II-III centuries. n. e. based on the Greek and Latin alphabets.

Bredsdorff believed that the runes come from the Gothic script. This version is rejected by other researchers, since the most ancient runic inscriptions are reliably dated no later than the 3rd century, while Gothic writing was invented only in the 4th century.

North Etruscan version

The most popular theory about the origin of the runic script from one of the North Etruscan alphabets, which was proposed in 1928 by the runologist Karl Marstrander.

This version is supported by most scientists. There is a theory about the mixed origin of the runes from the North Etruscan and Ogham alphabets (it was proposed by Hammerstrom), and also, according to Feist, in addition to these two scripts, the Latin alphabet could have influenced the runes.

Non-traditional versions

In the 1930s-1940s. in Germany, the Urrunen theory was developed, according to which the runes come from certain prarunas, from which the North Semitic alphabet, and, consequently, all the alphabetic scripts of the world, originated. This theory was developed solely for the purpose of "Germanization" of the alphabet and is not credible. It is still not known for certain for what purpose the runes were created: were they signs for divination, or were the runes originally conceived as writing.

Sigurd Agrell, a Swedish professor at the University of Lund, put forward an esoteric theory in 1932 that the f rune was the last, not the first, in the runic alphabet. He believed that by placing the runes in this order, it was possible to understand some secret meaning of the runic cipher. This theory was not accepted in the scientific world, but it found a number of followers, such as Thomas Karlsson. He published the first monographs on Uthark theory after Agrell's work. Another well-known follower of the Uthark theory is the occultist Kenneth Meadows.

Mythological version

According to Scandinavian mythology, the runes were revealed to Odin when he, pierced by his own spear, hung on the World Tree for nine days and nights without food or drink. After that, having quenched his thirst with sacred (shamanic) honey from his grandfather Bolthorn, he heard the runes and inscribed the first of them with a spear on the Tree with his own blood.

Early, all-Germanic, or Proto-Scandinavian runes

There were several different types of runes, the earliest being the early, common Germanic, or Proto-Scandinavian version. It was used from the 1st to the 7th centuries. n. e. and it is sometimes referred to as Elder Futhark or Elder Runes. In total, about 150 items are known (details of weapons, amulets, tombstones) with early runic inscriptions of the 3rd-8th centuries. Most inscriptions consist of a single word, usually a name, which, in addition to the magical use of runes, makes about a third of the inscriptions unreadable. The language of the oldest runic inscriptions is closest to the Proto-Germanic language and more archaic than Gothic, the earliest Germanic language recorded in other written monuments.

gothic runes

Gothic runes are also distinguished, which are an early variety of all-Germanic ones. They were used in Eastern Europe in the 1st - 4th centuries. n. e. Usually, Gothic runic inscriptions include an inscription on a spearhead from Kovel (Ukraine), an inscription on a gold ring from Pietroassa (Romania), and an inscription on a spearhead from Evre Staby (Norway). The inscription reads: raunijaz, that is, "testing." This inscription is considered the earliest runic inscription.

Anglo-Saxon runes

In connection with the resettlement of a number of Germanic tribes to the British Isles (Angles, Saxons, Jutes), phonetic changes took place in their language, a number of new vowels were added, as a result of which the common Germanic runic alphabet became unusable. This is how the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet arose. By the 7th century, two new runes were added - Ac, which denoted a long ɑ: and Æsc, which denoted the sound æ. Later runes were added Yr for y, Ior for io diphthong, Ear for ea diphthong, Cweorþ for q, Calk for k, Stan for st, Gar for heavy g. Lists of the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet are preserved in the Codex Salisburgensis, 140, Cotton Domitian (Codex Cotton) manuscripts, and on the Scramasax, a short sword found in the Thames. Several old runes changed their phonetic meaning: a began to denote the sound o, z - x. The names of the old runes were greatly changed, more precisely, translated into Anglo-Saxon. They became: Feoh, Ur, Þorn, Or, Rad, Cen, Gyfu, Wen, Hagl, Nyd, Is, Ger, Ih, Peorþ, Eohlx, Sigel, Tir, Beorc, Eh, Man, Lagu, Ing, Oeþel, Dæg.

The new runes were translated as follows: Ac - "oak", Æsc - "ash", Yr - "bow (weapon)", Ior - "serpent", Ear - "earth", Calc - "chalice", Stan - "stone" , Gar - "spear". The meaning of the Cweorþ rune is unknown.

"Marcomanniac Runes"

In the treatise "De Inventione Litteraum", which has been preserved in manuscripts of the 8th and 9th centuries, found mainly in the Carolingian Empire, a curious mixture of common Germanic and Anglo-Saxon runes is mentioned, which was called "Marcomannic runes", although it has nothing to do with the Marcomanni themselves and was probably created to make the runes fully equivalent to the Latin alphabet.

Northern or Scandinavian runes

By the beginning of the 9th century in the countries of Scandinavia, the all-Germanic runic alphabet went in the other direction of development. Some changes also took place in the Old Norse language, the sound range of the language was enriched, therefore, the general Germanic runes also began to insufficiently convey the sound composition of the language, but, unlike the Anglo-Saxon runes, the number of characters in the Scandinavian runes did not increase, but decreased. The runes g, w, ih-wh, p, z ŋ, d, o were excluded. The rune Yr was added from the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet, thus the alphabet began to consist of sixteen runic characters. The rune names have also changed a lot: Fe, Ur, Þurs, Åss, Reið, Kaun, Hagall, Nauð, Iss, Ar, Sol, Tyr, Bjarkan, Maðr, Løgr. As for the remaining Proto-Scandinavian signs, each of them began to denote several similar sounds: the Ur rune began to denote the sounds u, o, ø, w; þurs - þ, ð; Åss - å, ą, æ; Kaun - k, g, ŋ; Iss - i, e, ø, y; Ar - a, æ, e, ø; Tyr - t, d, nd; Bjarkan - p, b, mb. Two types of Scandinavian runes are usually distinguished - Danish and Swedish-Norwegian. Danish runes have undergone the least change in appearance, they were used in the 9th-11th centuries. The Swedish-Norwegian runes, on the other hand, had a tendency to graphically minimize the sign, so the s and y runes were reduced to one line. Swedish-Norwegian runes were used in the 9th-10th centuries. Later, the Norwegian version began to stand out, according to the outlines, it approached the Danish one. Scandinavian runes, as well as all subsequent ones, are also called Junior runes.

Helsing runes

The tendency to reduce the writing of characters in the Swedish-Norwegian runes manifested itself in the Helsing runes. These runes, although used in Helsingland (Sweden), were probably invented in the region of Lake Mälar. The Helsing rune inscriptions date back to the 11th century.

Manx runes

The downward trend continued in the Norse runes. So, in the XI-XII centuries. on the Isle of Man, a very curious variant of the Norse runes was used, called the Manx runes. Its distinctive feature is the absence of the 16th rune, the inscriptions made by this letter are divided into two types: where the fourth rune denoted the sound ą, and where it denoted o.

dotted runes

Dotted runes originated in the 11th century in Denmark and Norway. They were created in order to improve the Scandinavian runes, since they, due to the large number of phonetic values ​​for each rune, could not accurately convey what was written. Therefore signs for c, d, g, o, p, v, ð, æ, ø, z were added. The impetus for the expansion of the alphabet was the experience of the Anglo-Saxon runes. The dotted runes owe their name to the dots that were added to the runes when ð was formed from þ; p of b; y.

Icelandic runes in the early 12th century

Icelandic runes can be considered a developed variant of the dotted runes. They were used in Iceland in the 12th-14th centuries. In the late era, the forms of individual runes began to change dramatically in the Icelandic runes. “Abbreviated forms of runes” (Viktigste islandske særformer) appeared.

Greenland runes

The Greenlandic runes are also descended from the punctured ones, they were used at about the same time as the Icelandic ones. In total, about 60 runic inscriptions were found in Greenland, 35 of them were found in the Eastern Settlement, 20 in the Western Settlement. The oldest runic inscription in Greenland dates back to the 14th century and was found at Narsaq, northwest of Julianehob.

Dalecarlian, or Dale runes

Dalekarlian, or Dalian runes were used in the province of Dalarna (Sweden) from the 15th to the 19th century. In their styles, they came close to the Latin alphabet, purely Latin forms of letters appeared (Ä, Ö, Å, G). This version was the last used as a script and was finally supplanted by the Latin alphabet.

Influence on other scripts

Bishop Wulfila created the Gothic script based on the Greek alphabet using Latin and runic scripts. From runic writing, the Gothic alphabet inherited the names of the letters, although they were slightly changed: asha, bairkan, giba, dags, aihvus, quairtha, iuja, hagl, thiuth, eis, kusma, lagus, manna, nauths, jer, urus, pairthra, raida , sauil, teiws, winja, faihu, iggwis, hwair, othal. The Gothic letters urus, othal can be erected to runic writing. Also, the additional letter Þ in the Old English and Icelandic alphabets, based on the Latin alphabet, goes back to runic writing.

Runic calendars

There were also runic calendars, varieties of the "perpetual calendar". In Denmark they were called rimstocks (from rim - "calendar" and stok - "stick"), in Norway they were called proistavs (from prim - "golden number"). They most often took the form of a stick or staff from a few inches to 5 feet long. These calendars were used in Scandinavia and may have their roots in the distant past, but the earliest found date back to the 14th century. Of interest to science is Ole Worm's Computus Runicus, a copy of a 1328 manuscript in which the runic calendar was recorded in full. On one side were the numbers from April 14 to October 13 (Nottleysa, "nightless days", summer according to the Scandinavian calendar), on the other side, respectively, the numbers from October 14 to April 13 (Skammdegi, "short days", winter according to the Scandinavian calendar). ). Runic calendars originally used a repeating order of seven runes to designate days. Nineteen "golden numbers" were also noted for finding the full moon. Each of the nineteen numbers was marked with a rune, the numerical value was determined alphabetically, and additional runes were created for the three missing numbers: Arlaug stood for 17, Tvimaður stood for 18, Belgþor stood for 19. Holidays were marked with special signs. These signs were determined mainly by signs associated with a particular holiday, for example, June 9, St. Columba was designated by the image of a salmon, since, according to a sign, salmon spawning began on this day. April 14, the first day of the calendar summer, was designated by the image of a flowering bush. November 11, St. Martin, was designated by the image of a goose, since St. Martin, when he was chosen bishop, was frightened and hid among the geese. In a later era, the days began to be indicated by simple dashes, and the nineteen "golden numbers" - by Arabic numerals or other numerical signs.

Scandinavian runes are one of the most advanced systems used in divination practice. At the same time, they are quite accessible for comprehension, because this runic alphabet reflects the basic archetypes. Scandinavian runes and their meanings can be used to answer quite earthly, pressing questions that worry any person every day.

On the Scandinavian runes, they tell fortunes about love and the future, with their help they find out career prospects and analyze problem situations ... At the same time, runic layouts, like card layouts, can be both simple and complex. And the runes in them are considered in a direct and inverted position. By the way, the last aspect is very interesting and important, because it allows you to have not 25 variants of values ​​for the Futhark runes, but much more, specifically - 42. Why not 50, you ask? But because some of the runes look the same both in the upright position and inverted and, therefore, do not have a separate interpretation for the latter.

We offer you a detailed and comprehensive description for each rune. Here you will find all the Scandinavian runes: meaning, description and their interpretation, as well as interpretations for layouts for relationships and careers, and some characteristic or most interesting combinations of them, in a word, everything you need for a detailed analysis of any alignment on any topic.

Scandinavian runes and their meaning

One of the main features of any graphic system of written characters is the established order of arrangement of graphic characters adopted for a particular language. The alphabetical order of graphic characters adopted in runic writing is called Futhark (fuþark) - by the name of the first six letters. The established alphabetical order of letters in Russian is called by the name of the first two letters - ABC, and in Latin - from the first two letters Alpha-ἄλφα and Betta- β, βῆτα, βήτα, beta (vita), which conveyed the sounds [b] and [v], hence the name AlfaVit. Arrangement of graphic characters Runic Futhark not found in any other script.

The runic alphabet was divided into three rows, which are called ettirs (Isl. Ættir - ettir, Norwegian Ætt - att), 8 runes in each ettir.
The first ettir includes runes f, u, þ, a, r, k, g, w.
In the second ettir - h, n, i, j, é (ih-wh), p, R (z), s.
In the third ettir runes - t, b, e, m, l, ŋ, d, o.

As in Russian, each letter of the alphabet, each futharka rune has not only a special sound, but also its name. The original names of all Futhark runes have not been preserved, but their tentative names have been restored from rune names, preserved in later alphabets.

Everything, including the Russian language, comes from a single proto-language of Vedic Sanskrit, in which the ancient Rig Veda is written. Namely, in Vedic Sanskrit one should look for. In Sanskrit the word « rAsnA» - « secret, secret, any secret doctrine(dictionary: http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/tamil/recherche), in Gothic the word « runa" means "secret", in Old German runen , and in Old Norse runar - "mystery", in English: " Secret" -"hidden".

Meaning of Futhark runes.

The first ettir includes runes - f, u, þ, a, r, k, g, w.

1 rune - Fehu or Feu - FEHU, sound f, v. Late Scandinavian - fe / fa / - property, wealth, livestock.
Gothic language - possession - faihu. IE: feohspéd, feoh; British - feh. In Greater Frisia (Magna Frisia) - fee, among the Dutch - "cattle" - vee. The name of the rune means livestock, property; fire, flame.

Rune 2 - Uruz - URUZ, sound u. The name of the rune comes from the word "primal bull" - TOUR,. Late Scandinavian - UR- urr - bison
British - ur - bison
Gothic- uruz - bull.

3rd rune - Thurisaz - THURISAZ - sound þ;“turisaz or tours” = “like a tour” - means “giant”, “capable of TURNING”. In Sanskrit: (related words in Russian: vyTURit, TURnut, ...)
Sanskrit: Tur, turrate, turya, turana, turayat - tur, tur-rate, tUrya, turANa, turayate - turn, turite, vytury (use force), vyturyanny ... (expelled,). Late Scandinavian - thurs - tour - giant. Gothic - thaurls - taurls, gates.
British - torn - thorn
In the Viking era, this spike-like runic sign was called: Þorn("thorn/thorn"). In the Icelandic alphabet, it is still preserved in the form of a letter þ ("torn") and corresponds to English th.

4 rune. Ansuz - ANSUZ, sound a. The name of the rune comes from the word Asa. British - os - ac.
Gothic - ansuz - a message. Ases are brothers and children of Odin, personify "Good", oppose the forces of Evil. In Sanskrit: , immaterial, divine, supreme spirit; the epithet of the god Varuna is Varuna, in the Rig Veda (RV). But Ases are not only Good, they deliberately committed murders, deceit, forgery, perjury, considering these deeds to be just valiant daring. Odin - the father of the gods - is both wise and cruel, just and treacherous, the Driver of Rathey and the Traitor of the Warriors. Such is the dual nature of the ases - brothers and children of Odin.

5 rune - Raido - RAIDO (RAIDHO), sound r. The name of the rune means "riding". In Sanskrit: , wagon(related words in Russian: ratai, warrior, military, warrior, fighting, stand up, ally ...) Late Scandinavian - reio - road
British - rad - road, Gothic - raido - journey. Late Scandinavian - reio - road.

6 rune - Kenaz - KANO (KENAZ), sound k; dr.-germ. Kauna - "torch", Gothic - kanu - flame; Late Scandinavian - kann - Torch; Anglo-Saxon Cen, "Kaun er barna blockhead" = " Kaun er barna bǫlvan« = An ulcer is fatal to children; "Kaun er barna byul" - " Kaun er barna bol« = The disease is fatal for children. (Sanskrit: blockhead - bǫlvan- darling, child; - guy, boy from 5 to 16 years old))

7 rune Gebo - GEBO (GIFU); sound g \ w - g, γ. The name of the rune means "gift" - sacrifice . British - geofu - a gift;
Gothic - giba / zhiba —giba — gift, sacrifice(a related word in Russian: death)

8 rune Vunyo - WUNJO; w sound. The name of the rune means joy and happiness. British - guilt - wynu - joy. Gothic - Viña-winja - joy. Before the introduction of the letter W into the Latin alphabet, the Anglo-Saxons used the rune instead Wynn = Ƿƿ.

The second ettir includes runes - h, n, i, j, é (ih-wh), p, R (z), s.

9 rune - Hagalaz - HAGALAZ (HAGALL); sound h. Kagal(Kahal, Hebrew קָהָל‏‎ - “ meeting of the people, city meeting). The name of the rune means hail, Late Scandinavian - hagl - hail
British - hagl - greeting
Gothic - hagalas - hail.

10 rune - Nautiz - NAUTHIZ (NIED); sound n. The name of the rune means need, trouble; nied - "Nudga, trouble, need "
Late Scandinavian - nauo - need
British - nied - need
Gothic - nauths - need.

11 rune - Isa - ISA; sound i. The name of the rune means ice, although this runic sign expresses the word much more accurately. « « , after all, all the Celts and Scandinavians in the pre-Christian era were idolaters. Late Scandinavian - iss - ice
British - is - ice
Gothic - eis - ice.

12 rune - Yara, Jera - JERA; sound i — j. (Yara, , Yaroslav, Hercules - ). The name of the rune is from the word "year" and means the annual harvest. Late Scandinavian - ear - year.
British - year - year
Gothic - "yar" - jer - harvest, fertility ("dick"). Sign - "coition"

13 rune - Eyvaz - EIHWAZ; Iwaz - IVAz; sound é (ih). R una means yew. Late Scandinavian - ig - pine. British - eoh - yew; Willow - willow.
Gothic - eius - protection.

14 rune - Perth - Perþ (fart), PERTH, Pertro - PERDHRO; sound p. In Italian : perdere - to lose in French: perdre - to lose; fart - perdu - lost.
British - peoro
Gothic - painthra - "that which is hidden."

15 rune - Algiz - ALGIZ, EOLH = DEER, elk; sound -R (-z). The name of the rune comes from the word "elk" and means "protection". Late Scandinavian - elgr - elk
British - Elk - elk; eolhs
Gothic - algs - reed

16 rune - Sol - sol, Sovilu - SOWELU, Sigel - SIGEL; sound - s. The rune means the word " sun". (Sanskrit: (in Sanskrit, the Sun is feminine - she is Zarya, Zarya) Late Scandinavian - sol - sun
British - sygil - sun
Gothic - sauil - the sun.

The third ettir includes runes - t, b, e, m, l, ŋ, d, o.

17 rune - Teyvaz - TEIWAZ, shooting range - TIR; sound - t.
Late Scandinavian - tyr - one of the aces. Tour+ vaz - hero, warrior on horseback. Sanskrit: Ac + vaz - as + vas - horse. Ek + vos - hék + vos - horse, horse.
Gothic - teyvz - teiws. Means warrior, god Tyr, Tyr or , also Ziu) - in Norse mythology, the one-armed god of military prowess, son of Odin. The Fenri wolf bit off Turu's hand when the Æsir bound the wolf with a magic chain.

18 rune - Berkana - BERKANA; beorc - BEORC; sound b. Rune means "birch", "birch branch". (Sanskrit:)
Scandinavian - biarcan - birch
Gothic - bairkan - birch.

19 rune - Ehvaz, Evats - EHWAZ; sound e. The rune means horse. In Sanskrit:
Gothic - eihos - aihos - horse. In Sanskrit: Ac + vaz - as + vas - horse, l walk. The horse is the embodiment of God Agni (god of fire) and an intermediary between the two worlds, transporting the souls of the dead to the skies.

20 rune - Mannaz - MANNAZ; m sound. The rune means - hand, "man, man." In Sanskrit: Manas - manas - opinion.

Slavic runes are more than just symbols. The culture of every nation is not only in fairy tales, legends and traditions.

Writing is considered a sign of a full-fledged culture, with the help of which everything that happens to a separate group of people, people and civilization is recorded. And the Slavic-Aryan civilization is no exception - a lot of evidence has survived to this day that our ancestors were a highly educated race that knew, perhaps, even more than our generation.

Slavic runes, meaning, description and interpretation - this is part of the culture of the Slavs, and not only the ancients, but also the present. Slavic runic writing is a figurative writing of tribes belonging to the Slavic-Aryan race, used in pre-Christian times. Runes were known long before the appearance of the first variants of the Old Slavonic language based on Cyrillic and Glagolitic.

Some skeptics, especially from Christian circles, argue that Slavic runes did not exist, but how can one explain the strange symbols on the ancient temples located on the territory of our country. No one will argue that there are extremely few sources according to which it is possible to assert the existence of runic ancient Slavic writing, so the question still remains open. But at the same time, it is difficult to find another logical explanation for the symbols applied to the tools, weapons and household items of the ancient Slavs.

Protect Slavic runes - it is more than just symbols with which information could be stored. It is part of the culture, the knowledge preservation system. The symbolism of the Slavic runes consists of a special energy and information space in which the ancient Slavic peoples lived.

It is worth immediately stipulating such a moment that the very concept of “Slavic runes” cannot be considered absolute, since the Slavs are only half of the Race - Rasen and Svyatorus. The second half of the Race - Ha'Aryans and Da'Aryans have a slightly different name - Aryans. But this point is the topic of a separate discussion and even a scientific treatise, which can serve as the basis for writing a doctoral dissertation. Therefore, Slavic runes are a fairly general definition, which is worth discussing in more detail.

Runic writing was used for the first time by the Ha'Aryans, who compiled the first alphabet of runes - the Ha'Aryan Karuna. Simply put, karuna is a word inscription consisting of two runes, in which the rune “ka” means connection, and “rune” is the main element of such a peculiar writing. It is worth noting that each Great Family had its own script:

• The Da'Aryans have tragi,
• The Rasen have a gossip,
• The Svyatoruss have letters.

Today, there are no Slavic runes for writing symbols and letters, since all systems for tracing symbols are rather conditional. According to experts, Karuna was the most successful and perfect version of the letter, since it was simpler than other options in tracing and memorizing. An important feature of the Slavic runes is that their real number and full designation is unknown. For example, Pater Diy Svyatoslav knew about three million runic symbols.

Many people who are just beginning to be interested in Slavic culture mistakenly confuse Slavic runes with illiterate Vedic runes that have nothing to do with them, about which it is only known that they were primitive and practically did not carry any logical load. The ancient Slavs used their own runes for millions of years, and our contemporaries, who honor their roots, write or today.

Features of reading Slavic runes

It is important to understand that the standard 18 Slavic runes, which are most often found in many sources, are just a part of the runic symbols used by the ancient Slavs. Karuna had one feature that must be taken into account, the runes in it can have a variety of meanings - it can be a single letter, a syllable, a word, and even a whole image. It is worth saying that images in Slavic writing were a priority, and one rune could have up to three meanings, depending on the features of use (images that may be necessarily interconnected).

In order to write down the runes, slokas were used - 9 rows with 16 characters in each. Every 16 slokas formed larger letters - Santii. In order for Santii to be not just a series of symbols, but to carry an information and energy load, they were applied to precious metals (gold or silver) rolled onto plates. On a metal plate, up to 4 slokas were applied on both sides, such a plate was also called Santia. 9 Santi, gathered into a single whole, were the Circle.

One of the features of writing slokas can be considered the fact that there are not 16, but 32 runes in a row. According to this rule, each first rune is a commentary on the second, taking into account the context of the entire text. Quite often, 64 runes are used, which indicate a double translation of the previously applied text. In order to correctly read the sloka of runes, it is necessary to read from the first line from left to right to the last line. After that, the procedure is repeated in reverse order, rising from the last rune to the first. According to the research of scientists and archaeological excavations, it is possible to read the text in two ways - by letters or by images. In the first, everything is simple and banal - each sound is encrypted with a symbol. With a figurative reading, a key image is initially determined, to which the rest of the runes are attached, and then the reading goes according to the standard algorithm. The result of such writing and reading is a message that is received by letters and images. It is worth saying that quite a lot of specific narrow-profile literature is devoted to Slavic runes and their meaning, which is usually found in the closed funds of museums and central libraries not only in our country, but also in the world.

In order to understand the basic principles of reading runes, consider an example - the name of the well-known Slavic god Perun. If it is written in runes as letters, then everything is simple - the name "Perun" will turn out. But if you read it in images, then the phrase will be much more complicated - "The path is our military joy." At the same time, one should not forget that there is an even more complex version of reading, but it is more accessible to historians and researchers, although if there is a desire, then an inquisitive descendant of the ancient Slavs will be able to figure it out.

How many runes are there and what do they mean?

The standard Karuna contains 144 runes, in addition to which one can single out the runes of movement, time, figurative (they are quite difficult for modern people to understand). If we consider karunic records as a source of information, then they are not so difficult both when reading letters and images. For example, Veles is a two-runner, consisting of "ve" - ​​the knower, and "forest" - the Universe. When writing with a capital letter instead of "e" in the "forest" rune, it is inscribed as "yat", so the image of the Universe is obtained, and not green spaces. And there are several thousand such examples of words that were used by our ancestors today, but you can read more about them in special historical and philological literature or in special university courses.

Quite often, one can also find the mention of the Kha'Aryan Karuna as a Scandinavian utkharka, consisting of 24 runes. Slavic runes and the Scandinavian utthark can only be used in an esoteric context, since they are just a part of a general karunic or symbolic system. If you look at the runes from the point of view of modernity, then they have somewhat lost their expediency of use. They can only be used to learn the traditions and customs of our ancestors, touching the lost and lost knowledge.

The meaning of the runes of the Slavic peoples

Slavic runes and their meaning is one of the main issues that interest modern Slavs. Their values ​​can be obtained even without special knowledge, it is enough to know the gods and the names of the runes. The standard 18 runes, which are basic, are considered the most magical and are widely used in a variety of occult rituals. Runes are applied to any objects and surfaces, ranging from weapons to tattoos on the body. The decoding of Slavic runic amulets is closely related to specific Slavic deities, since each rune symbolizes one god. The simplest interpretation is:

• Wind - Veles;
• Bereginya - Mokosh;
• Ud - Yarilo;
• Need - King Navi Viy;
• World and Rod - Belobog;
• There is - Live.

An inquisitive descendant of the Slavs, who knows all the features of each god and their graphic interpretation, can make a charm on his own, partly fulfilling his purpose. The runes of the Slavs are part of the knowledge hidden from the average layman, they have a hidden meaning that allows you to use the traditions of paganism in order to improve interpersonal relationships, prosperity, and get a promotion. Amulets and amulets provide an opportunity to get the desired result, and to some extent remind you that you need to make decisions on your own in order to realize your plan. The popularity of Slavic symbols in the past few years is explained by the fact that more and more people dream of comprehending the secrets of the Aryan Slavs, learning more about their traditions, beliefs and rituals. Therefore, today it is not a problem to buy a Slavic amulet, which will bring good luck, to establish relationships. Silver amulets are most in demand, since it was this metal that was always considered magical from the very beginning.

Slavic alphabets based on runes

In order to correctly understand and use the runes of the Slavs, it is important to know that there are not many basic runic alphabets, each of which has its own characteristics of use and application:

1. Venedian (Vendian) runes are the alphabet used by the Slavs who lived in the south of the Baltic between the Elbe and the Vistula until the middle of the first millennium AD;
2. Boyanov runes - they wrote the Boyanov Hymn in the fourth century (one of the most famous ancient Slavic epics). These runes are similar to the inscription of the symbols of the peoples of Greece, Asia Minor and the Black Sea coast;
3. Veles runes - were used in the cultural and social relations of the Eastern Slavs. With their help, chronicles were kept until the 9th century in Russia. They wrote the "Book of Veles" - one of the main collections of rituals, legends and tales of the Slavs.
4. Runica - according to some scientists, this alphabet has existed since the Paleolithic, on the basis of which the Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets were compiled. At the same time, there is a theory that such a “rune” is the basis for the writing of Ancient Egypt and China.

It is worth remembering that Slavic runes are not just beautiful symbols, the application of which has become popular, it is part of our history. The issue of studying rune writing is a complex issue that requires not only basic knowledge of mythology, but also a fundamental study of cultural and social relations throughout the history of all civilizations that have contributed to the development and formation of mankind.

18 Slavic Runes used in modern times