Runes

Reading the Past

by R.I. Page

In Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish Islands, in Ireland, the Isle of Man and above all in Scandinavia, travelers still come upon great memorial stones, inscribed with the curious angular alphabet called runes. This is the story of these inscriptions from the earliest Continental carvings of the late second century A.D. through to the Viking age.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Language, Linguistics, Witchcraft

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Raymond Ian Page (1924–2012) was a British historian of Anglo-Saxon England and the Viking Age. As a renowned runologist, he specialised in the study of Anglo-Saxon runes.

[From Wikipedia]

Reviews

[Jöran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Van dit boek heb ik de Nederlandse vertaling gelezen ->

Een goed boek als je wat meer te weten wil komen over de verschillende soorten runen, hun voorkomen en hun ontwikkeling. Het boekje is vrij dun, maar bevat voldoende informatie om je wegwijs te maken in de wereld van het runenalfabet. Soms beschrijft de tekst behoorlijk "droge" stof en voelt daardoor wat langdradig aan, maar dat is niet zodanig dat het moeilijk leesbaar wordt. De afbeeldingen zorgen bovendien voor wat "rustmomenten" en illustreren het verhaal op een efficiënte manier.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a tad more dense than I would have liked it to be, but Page does an incredible job of presenting what is known of the various futharks, or alphabets of the runes currently recorded. This book is probably a tad outdated by now, but anyone who's interested in the linguistics and history or runes, rather than the pseudo-mysticism that surrounds them, is sure to enjoy this read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice overview of runes. Different chapters by country/region, which gave me a far more complete picture overall than some other, more English-centric runic books I've read. This is a quick read that packs a lot of information into a few pages. Not dry, not dense, and filled with clear photographs and large drawings, this book is sure to interest anyone who is curious about this ancient writing system.

[Patricia Woodruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good small book on the Runes. I would say that it is pretty accurate and really well researched. The only place I would disagree with the author is on a conclusion. He finds the belief that runes were magical is only for the "fluffy minded". I would assert that this is a narrow minded view that doesn't comprehend that ALL things are magical, especially words and *most especially* words put into solid form! His proof is that runes were used for imminently practical reason of wooden "tags", attaching one's name to items. However, if you look at the beliefs in the surrounding lands, putting a "name tag" on something creates a magical attachment that will always bring the item back home to you. (for example Estonian "homestead signs" attached to nets, tools, etc.)

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely dry, but informative.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short but also very engaging history of the writing system, clearly written for a British audience of interested laypeople.

[Mark A.]

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[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, no nonsense (i.e. no magic) history of runes

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very short book. Pretty dry, but the author has some humor that pops up every now and again. He's openly disdainful towards modern rune divination and magic, but if you read this book you'll find some ancient inspiration for magical techniques you can use today. I found the evidence and historical guidance through language changes and script use very helpful for understanding how the different runic letter rows came to be. This and Complete Illustrated Guide - Runes: How to Interpret the Ancient System of the Runes together make me feel much more informed about interpreting runes as a script.

[Beau Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I wanted to know a little more about the evolution of the alphabet as we know it today.

The book might be a little on the thin side, but that ensures I pick it up on a semi-regular basis and flip through its pages.

In many ways, the Futhark alphabet makes more sense than the Latin based alphabet we use (they didn't have the letter "C", it serves no purpose. They did have the letter "ch", as well as a few other combined letters).

If the history of runes is of interest to you, this book is a great starting place. It deals with historical data only, none of the mythical or magical properties attributed to the letters.

[Katie Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to study runes, this is the book for you. It gives a history of the various futharks, changes in the lettering system over time, example inscriptions and translations, and a regional overview of where runes are found and what they might have been used for.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please read my review at Celtic Scholar's Reviews and Opinions

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice scholarly work on the old alphabets and extant pieces. I liked how he straight up says we have no idea what some of these mean.

[SA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, brief introduction to runic inscriptions across Northern Europe and the Futhark alphabets. Great starting point.

[Wilhelmina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast read, not very in depth but it gives you a solid overview on various topics related to runes. The author had an amusing sense of humor as well, which helped.

[Kevin K. Gillette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of six volumes collectively entitled "Reading The Past." It was my first introduction to runes, long before the Internet and Wikipedia.

[Queer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent historical, linguistic, and archeological overview. Super boring.

[David Scarratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

About as sober an introduction to runes as you could wish for.