Comments for The Viking Rune: Norse Vikings and All Things Scandinavian

Comment on Top Ten Viking Hoaxes by Tom Thowsen

Tom Thowsen — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:28:52 +0000

Aaron,
I like your attitude, there must be more solid evidence in this issue. There is more work to do – and the first thing we are agreeing on is that: Digging the site is a good start. So this is an aim. But there is more: unifying the people who are interested in the Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by Norsemen. In this matter many have worked isolated. Now we can unify and share our knowledge on this issue.
I talk to anyone out there who are interested: Please participate in our Facebook site for free. We were established Feb 3, 2010. To day we have already reach 79 members, pr Mars 12. There are people from all over Scandinavia and the United States of America.

Here is The Kensington Rune Stone International Supporters Club web site:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=287262734058&ref=mf

Comment on Magic Runes by admin

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:17:16 +0000

Hi Pyrhonik.
Tacitus (Germania, 10) gives the following account of divination rituals of Germanic tribes: “Augury and divination by lot no people practise more diligently. The use of the lots is simple. A little bough is lopped off a fruit-bearing tree, and cut into small pieces; these are distinguished by certain marks, and thrown carelessly and at random over a white garment. In public questions the priest of the particular state, in private the father of the family, invokes the gods, and, with his eyes towards heaven, takes up each piece three times, and finds in them a meaning according to the mark previously impressed on them. If they prove unfavourable, there is no further consultation that day about the matter; if they sanction it, the confirmation of augury is still required.”
It is not certain whether or not runecasting is implied here. However, it is a possible interpretation of the text.

Comment on Magic Runes by Pyrhonik

Pyrhonik — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:28:04 +0000

Thank you for this amazing website. I don’t believe I have ever commented before, though I have been visiting here for a long time!

I am curious if you have ever seen any reference to actual rituals from the Norse peoples? Rune casting is certainly supported by the sagas. However, there seems to never be any mention about ceremony from the pre-christian times.

Comment on Top Ten Viking Hoaxes by Steinar Skailand

Steinar Skailand — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:23:30 +0000

The enigmas of the engravings on a significant lot of “American “rune” stones” have been solved by the Norwegian Dr. pilos. Kjell Aartun. The solutions were printed in the book(s) “Studien zur ugatitischen Lexikographie”, published by the well known German “Harrassowitz Verlag”, in 2006.
The language is German. I have translated some engravings to Norwegian and English.

Comment on Top Ten Viking Hoaxes by Aaron Beal

Aaron Beal — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:44:09 +0000

Steiner,
Thanks …I was generalizing when I said Vikings reached the Americas first, I should have said before Columbus to be clear. My mistake.

Tom,
Agreed. Digging the site is a good start. In fairness multiple highly experienced archaeologists should supervise a dig, including some of the most hardened skeptics and believers, this would help strengthen the credibility of any finds. Preferably including experts who have experience getting their hands dirty (specifically with Nordic cultural digs). I understand much work has been done to authenticate the stone, but consider that history is being rewritten …facing a huge challenge here… as you know. I believe more convincing forensics is needed on the stone itself since it the only objective evidence that isn’t not buried. Here’s the challenge … indisputable scientific evidence of when the stone was made in needed, and less focus on the improbability of possessing knowledge to fake such a stone, and less on proper characters or translation (something a linguist doesn’t want to here). Only then will the most experienced archaeologist even consider risking his reputation on a dig of this sort. I am by no means a linguist expert, but it seems to me experts are hung up on the proper characters and/or translation of the stone. Even among the experts some of this interpretation is subjective. Where can I acquire written papers of others (outside of the US) who have evaluated this stone?

Comment on More on Max Payne Tattoos: Valkyrie Wings by shane

shane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:27:41 +0000

hey i like the valkyre wing designs but im wondering how accrute are these tattoos to viking history?

Comment on Odin as Weapon Dancer by Rahul

Rahul — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:48:14 +0000

Intriguing article. The one point I would remark is the heel-wounding motif: given the vast and internationally attested array of mythological and folkloric data pertaining to the sacred/vulnerable heels of gods, and of (euhemerized?) heroes/kings, this surely invites further research and speculation. As far as I know the sacred heel motif (that of Achilles being perhaps most traditionally familiar to the educated in modern Europe) while present in early Welsh literature is not – at least in literary sources -recorded in Germanic/Norse? I am aware that the likes of Frazer and Graves are currently discredited but they gleaned and gathered up an enormous catalogue of material on such things, and I seem to recall Graves (in the ‘White Goddess’) discussing the sacred heel specifically in the context of a limping dance. …

Comment on Convert Letters to Runes by elyar

elyar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:56:38 +0000

Im not sure about your S in elder futhark. and the other question is why it uses J for Y letter? for example in my nam. I have looked into a lot of wikipedia and other sites. it seems that there is not an absolute rule for any kind of Futhark or runic letters. I downloaded a bunch of Fonts either but they are different either! where I have to believe? Im lost. I wanna use it for tattoo I cant risk!

Comment on Convert Letters to Runes by Tre Jordan

Tre Jordan — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:46:11 +0000

Hi,
My sister and I are planning on getting Odin’s ravens as a tattoo. I would like to have Huginn and Muninn in rune, any suggestions?

Comment on More on Max Payne Tattoos: Valkyrie Wings by jiraiya

jiraiya — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:58:56 +0000

why do you refer to the norse as heathens? I dont see how anything they did was in anyway related to heathens