Want to learn more about Norse Vikings? We provide information and insight for people interested in Viking Age Scandinavia. The present web site is a dynamic resource that treats on current and past issues related to Norse cultural heritage. The Viking Rune offers unique online features: free Rune Converter and Motto Generator. We are committed to greater access to knowledge about the Vikings, which is the only way to dispel the myth about Norse warriors as cruel and bloodthirsty raiders who did nothing but kill, pillage and rape. The Viking Rune is always up-to-date with the latest developments in North Germanic studies, including hot archeological finds in Scandinavia and elsewhere.


Norse Runes

Runestones of the Viking Age

July 8, 2010 Rune Stones
Runestone

Runestones are stones with runic inscriptions. The eldest runestones, inscribed with Elder Futhark inscriptions, date from the 4th century. However, the most of the runestones were created during the late Viking Age and thus inscribed with the Younger Futhark runes. The runestones were usually erected to commemorate one or several deceased kinsmen, and in most [...]

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Germanic Names in the Eldest Runic Inscriptions

July 6, 2010 Elder Futhark
Vadstena bracteate

Male Names Ado – Gammertingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany), ivory box. Adujislu – Westeremden A (Groningen, Netherlands), weaving-slay of yew-wood. Meaning: ādu- < *auda, ‘wealth’ and -jīslu < *gīsalaz, ‘hostage’ or ‘offspring’. Aebi – Schwangau (Bayern, Germany), gilt-silver buckle. Æko – Chessel Down II (Isle of Wight), silver plate. Æniwulufu – Folkestone (Kent, England), gold tremissis. Meaning: [...]

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Rune Stone Used as Parking Lot Border

May 20, 2009 Rune Stones
Rune stone

Last fall an area near a church outside Stockholm, Sweden was excavated in order to lay some cables. The workers dug out some rocks, which were left on the plot. One of these rocks covered with mud and earth was thought to be quite fitting for use as a church parking lot border. Week after [...]

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Viking Graffiti in Hagia Sophia

March 30, 2009 Vikings History
Viking graffiti

Tagma ton Varangion, the Varangian Guard, was first created in the Byzantine Empire under Basil II Bulgaroctonus (Slayer of the Bulgars), one of the outstanding Byzantine emperors. After the death of John I Tzimisces in 976, who governed the empire before Basil, two powerful generals revolted and received military support from Georgia and Baghdad. Basil [...]

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Jelling Rune Stones Remain Outdoors

March 29, 2009 Rune Stones
Jelling runestones

The Jelling stones are two massive runestones standing in a churchyard in Jelling, Denmark, between two large mounds. Both date to the 10th century. The older and the smaller of the two was erected by Gorm the Old in memory of his wife Thyra. The Larger stone was erected by Harald Bluetooth in memory of [...]

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The Rune Converter

March 26, 2009 Old Norse
Runes

Just added a page with a new feature: the Rune Converter. One can input a word or phrase, press the “convert” button and get the same sequence of signs in runes. So the converter transforms the letters of the Roman alphabet into runic writing. What distinguishes it among similar scripts is its extended functionality: there [...]

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Elder Futhark – Inner Structure

December 17, 2008 Elder Futhark
Thumbnail image for Elder Futhark – Inner Structure

Countless “introductions to runes” each represent the Germanic Elder Futhark in a standardized form, both as for the appearance of the individual runes and the order in which they are arranged (my earlier post on the Elder Futhark is no exception). However, we should be aware of the fact that getting the real picture implies [...]

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Magic Runes

December 13, 2008 Elder Futhark
Magic runes

Among the most ancient Elder Futhark inscriptions there are a few words that appear pretty often, but what they actually mean is unclear. According to a subtle remark by R. I. Page, in runology, like in too many other knowledge areas, the following principle has been extensively used as a guideline: “Whatever cannot be readily [...]

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Runic Love Quotes

December 1, 2008 Medieval Runes
Runic love quote

The fire of 1955 destroyed part of Bryggen, the old quarter of Bergen (Norway). This made possible large scale excavations of a medieval town. Archeologists brought to light over 550 objects with runic inscriptions, dating to 1150-1350. The most of them are on wooden sticks with flattened sides. At a time when everyone had a [...]

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Younger Futhark Runes And Later Developments

November 29, 2008 Medieval Runes
Younger Futhark

At the end of the 8th century an unknown rune-master reformed the Elder Futhark having reduced it to 16 runes. By the 10th century the new form of writing was accepted in the whole of Scandinavia. This variant of runic alphabet is known as the Younger Futhark. It is this set of runes that may [...]

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Elder Futhark Runic Alphabet

November 16, 2008 Elder Futhark
Elder Futhark

The elder Futhark is the most ancient Germanic runic alphabet. The word futhark is formed after the first six runes in it, the same way as the Greek word alphabet is formed after the first two Greek letters, Alpha and Beta. See below which signs represented which sounds: The order of the runes has nothing [...]

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Viking Runes on the Piraeus Lion in Venice

November 9, 2008 Runic Inscriptions
Piraeus Lion

The Venetian Arsenal is guarded by four statues of lions. One of them, a nine feet high marble beast, bears on its mighty shoulders two lengthy runic inscriptions. These are carved within the intricate ornaments that represent writhing lindworms, characteristic for classical runestone design. The holy patron of Venice is St. Mark; the vicissitudes of [...]

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