Elder Futhark

Overview

Elder Futhark is the oldest known runic alphabet, used by Germanic tribes from around the 2nd century to the 8th or 9th century AD. Although runes from the Futhark system remained in use much longer, some of them evolved into the Younger Futhark, which is considered to have developed around the 8th to 13th century AD and later. The alphabet consists of 24 runes, each representing a specific sound or phoneme, and it was primarily used in what is now Scandinavia and northern parts of Germany.

Elder Futhark runes are typically divided into three groups of eight runes called “Aettir.”

Elder Futhark runes were used for various purposes, including inscriptions on stones, personal items, and even for ritualistic purposes. The Elder Futhark eventually evolved into other runic systems, such as the Younger Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

Elder Futhark is of interest not only for its linguistic significance but also for its original purpose, as it was used in ancient times for magical rituals and divination practices in Norse and Germanic traditions.