900 it preserves an early complete Younger Futhark. The Gørlev Runestone from Sjælland (the island of Zealand in Denmark) dates from ca. This shortened alphabet is known as the Younger Futhark. From here on the lessons and exercises teach the Younger Futhark.Īround the start of the Viking Age in late 700s, the futhark was shortened to 16 runes. The Elder Futhark is given here in order to provide background for better understanding the Younger Futhark of the Viking Age. The 65 or so early inscriptions found on runestones appear mostly in the late Elder Futhark or Proto-Norse period and principally in Scandinavia. Presumably, there were longer inscriptions on wood, leather, and other organic materials, but most have been lost. Typically they are found in graves and bogs and on materials that have the best chance of preservation, such as bone and metal. Surviving inscriptions in the Elder Futhark are usually short and appear on artifacts such as jewelry, tools, and weapons. The remainder are from continental Europe, with some from as far east as the Black Sea. Roughly 260 of the approximately 350 known Elder Futhark inscriptions are found in Scandinavia. Its 24 letters were divided into three groups or families called ættir. This early futhark is known as the Elder Futhark. Into the 8th century, the basic Scandinavian futhark consisted of 24 letters. Different Germanic peoples, including Goths, Anglo-Saxons, Frisians, and early Scandinavians, used somewhat different runic alphabets. It originally appeared in the 1st century CE.

The Old Norse alphabet, which was called the futhark, had several regional variations.

Elder futhark runes translator