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Runic

The 2,000-year-old iron knife, found near Odense on the island of Funen, Denmark, carries the oldest runic inscription known.  Source: Rogvi N Johansen/© Museum Odense

Denmark’s Oldest Runic Inscription Found on the Blade of a 2,000-Year-Old Knife

The discovery of a runic inscription on an almost 2,000-year-old knife sheds light on Denmark's early written language and cultural history – it’s the oldest runic inscription found so far in the...
Representational image of a magical Viking rune or Viking Code. Source: Artur / Adobe Stock

Unlocking the Cryptic Viking Code Using Runic Writing and Ancient DNA

Runic script is an alphabetic system based on a non-alphabetical order row. This means that it has letters, like in many languages, but the letters are not arranged in a standard alphabetical order...
The futhark on the Vadstena bracteate.

Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers

The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the...
The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

The existence of mystery schools in the Viking Age (800-1200 CE) is deduced from myth and folklore. The poems of the Edda display the structure and content of cultic texts used within the framework...
Representation of Vikings in South America. Source: Nejron Photo / Adobe stock

Were Vikings in South America Over 400 Years Before Columbus?

Here is presented the widely dismissed account that probably sometime in the mid-11th century, Danish Vikings from Schleswig and the Danelaw (as ascertained from runic rock inscriptions) arrived at...
Close up of the Viking runestone (‘the Rök Stone’) from the 9th century, features the longest known runic inscription and is considered the first piece of Swedish literature.        Source: rolf_52 / Adobe stock

Viking Runestone Uncovers Climate Fears That Fed Ragnarök Myth

Much of the modern world is very worried about climate change and it appears that Vikings were also very concerned about changes to the climate. Researchers now argue that one of the world’s most...
Red runes carved from wood on the ground. There are 24 runes in the Elder Futhark.

Futhark: Mysterious Ancient Runic Alphabet of Northern Europe

Runes are the characters of the earliest written alphabet used by the Germanic peoples of Europe called Futhark. The runic alphabet was used within Germanic languages but primarily in Nordic...
The brooch found at Værløse Airfield has been inscribed with Norse runes and the ancient sun symbol, the swastika, which the Nazis used to further their horrifying ideology.

Unearthed Brooch Tells of the Nazis’ Abuse of Ancient Norse Runes to Spread Their Dark Ideology

During the Second World War a brooch inscribed with ancient Norse runes (letters) was discovered in a field at Værløse Airfield in Denmark telling a sinister story of the Nazi’s efforts to abuse...
 Bone found in Namsky district with runic writing.

Boy, 11, Finds 1,000-Year-Old-Message Written in Runes on Pendant Made of Mammoth Bone

A fifth-grade student has discovered a piece of ‘jewellery’ decorated with ancient Turkic runic inscriptions. Pavel Yakovlev made the ‘great scientific discovery’ near his village in Yakutia. The...
The comb was discovered in Ribe, West Denmark.

Objects with Viking Rune Inscriptions Unearthed in Denmark’s Oldest Town

Ancient objects with rare Viking rune inscriptions have been discovered in Denmark. Experts suggest that the runic inscriptions could possibly shed new light on a very important period of the early...
Runic inscription found in Bergen.

Erotic Medieval Runic Inscriptions Found in Bergen

By ThorNews A runic inscription found in Bergen is quite long and the author must have had a lot of “erotic energy” when he carved these runes into the 33 centimeter-long (13 inches) wooden stick: “I...
Drone aerial shot of the ancient Turkish ruins on Dongoin shiree. (North at the top.) Segments of the inscriptions and sarcophagus excavated from the hole at the center of the ruins can be seen.

Monumental Mongolian Burial Discovered Includes 14 Giant Inscribed Pillars

A joint excavation team from Osaka University and the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences discovered the ruins of a unique monument surrounded by 14 large stone...
The engraved whetstone found in Oslo, Norway. Credit: Karen Langsholt Holmqvist/NIKU

Puzzling Medieval Runes Found on Stone in Norway

A rare find of a stone bearing engravings of runes that date back to the Middle Ages has been unearthed recently at an excavation near Oslo. The relic is a whetstone which was a tool used for...
On the Origins of the Runes - Symbols, Mysteries and Magico-religious Concepts

On the Origins of the Runes - Symbols, Mysteries and Magico-religious Concepts

One of the most shrouded mysteries of the rune alphabet is its early history. As a matter of fact, no-one really knows how the Elder Futhark came to be. We know that the runes exist and were used by...
Detail of the runic inscription found on the 6th- or 7th-century Björketorp Runestone located in Blekinge, Sweden

Discover the Hidden Roots of the Runes

A long time ago, runes were used by the Shamans of Scandinavia and the word “rune” at its origin made reference to mystery. Runes were used as protective symbols and were carved in wood, bone, or...
800-year-old message carved into Rune Stick Shows Ancient Code still used in Middle Ages

800-year-old message carved into Rune Stick Shows Ancient Code still used in Middle Ages

An 800-year-old enigmatic message has been found inscribed on a small wooden stick which was dug out of the ground in Odense, Denmark. The delicate stick is marked with 13 th century runic...
One of the Spirit Pond rune stones

Do Spirit Pond Inscriptions show that the Holy Grail was taken to North America?

Forensic geologist, Scott Wolter, has put forward a radical new theory concerning a set of three inscribed stones found near Spirit Pond in Phippsburg more than 40 years ago. According to Wolter, the...
900-year-old secret Viking code - Runic Experts

Runic expert cracks 900-year-old secret Viking code

Researchers have been trying for years to crack a little-known runic code called Jötunvillur, which has only been found in nine inscriptions in northern Europe. However, a runes expert has finally...