A character in the earliest Germanic alphabets, used by Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon peoples from roughly 150-1600 CE for writing, divination, and magical purposes. Each rune had both a phonetic value and symbolic meaning, often carved on stone, wood, or metal.
From Old Norse rún meaning 'letter,' 'mystery,' or 'secret,' related to Old English rún (secret, council). The word reflects the belief that these letters possessed magical properties beyond mere writing, serving as tools for divination and spell-casting.
The word 'rune' literally means 'secret' because these weren't just letters—they were believed to contain magical power, with Odin himself supposedly discovering them through self-sacrifice! Viking Age runic inscriptions range from mundane 'Thorvald carved this' to elaborate curses, and some runestones were essentially ancient billboards advertising the achievements of wealthy families.
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