A set of symbols often called runes served a number of functions all through historical past, appearing as an alphabet, a device for divination, and a system imbued with magical significance. These symbols, etched onto objects like stones, wooden, and metallic, have been employed by Germanic peoples, primarily in the course of the Migration Interval and the Viking Age. Runic inscriptions provide insights into the beliefs, practices, and each day lives of those cultures. As an illustration, an inscription on a comb may provide a easy dedication, whereas one on a rune stone may commemorate a big occasion or particular person.
As a writing system, runes offered a way of communication and record-keeping. Their symbolic nature additionally lent them to divinatory practices, the place castings of marked stones have been interpreted to supply steering or predict the longer term. This observe intertwined with the broader cultural context, linking the runes to Norse mythology and its pantheon of gods and goddesses. The examine of those symbols gives helpful historic information, shedding mild on historical Germanic language, tradition, and perception techniques.
