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Elder Younger Short-Twig Staveless Anglosaxon Medieval
Elder Futhark
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More about Runes
Runes are phonetic
This means you spell it as it sounds, instead of writing letter for letter. Spelling does not follow rules in the same manner as they do today. Words will look different depending on the carvers own dialect. Because we today know many of the sounds of the runes we can therefore read words that are the same, but "spelled" differently.

In this translator I've made it translated letter for letter as it is the easiest way for a modern human to translate it, but it does work best using Old Norse.
There are many dialects
Another thing to keep in mind is, is that there was not 'one' correct Old Norse language. It spanned over the whole of Scandinavia and even reaching far from the north at times

This means there can be differences in how certain things are spelled on a runestone or carving that come from very different places. Nowadays Icelandic is the closest to Old Norse
Futhark not alphabet
Runes werent written in the alphabetical order, instead they had their own order known as a futhark

We have numerous finds that have the futhark sequence written on them, thanks to this we know in what order they were usually represented. The order is unique and only occurs with runes, due to that it is speculated this sequence held some meaning.
Runes are letters & magic
Usually people fall into one of two schools. Either runes were the most-bland-boring just-letters or that runes were magical from every single angle you might ever turn history.

The truth is they were used for both, spells were written out in runes as well as things were decorated with repetitive runes that spell nothing, but instead are to invoke some sort of power we have still to figure out. Runes were also used for the most every day tasks such as Iron Age and Medieval chatting on wooden surfaces.
The gods gave us runes
While we ponder where the runes and their mystical whereabouts come from, we actually have stories of where they came from

One of these is found on the Sparlösa runestone, where it says the gods gave them to humans. Another story tells of Odin hanging from a tree for 9 days and 9 nights to learn the runes, after which he taught them to humans
Bindrunes were a thing
Nowadays bindrunes have become very esoteric, but they are not an entirely new invention

Back in the day bindrunes were used as signatures, to save space or to decorate pieces. There are numerous finds of bindrunes like the Gallehus Horns, a runestone in Bolum, the Rök stone etc
Hungry for more?

Well you are in luck! My wife Elin ( @Mooselady ), who is a BA in Cultural Heritage and BA in Archaeology, currently studying for her Masters from the University of Göteborg, Sweden has compiled a long blog post on the basics of runes.

The article features numerous pictures and examples, all the theories how runes reached the Germanic people and Scandinavia, the names of the runes and rune poems. As well as the magical uses that we have remaining from actual historical sources.

So if you dont feel like hanging yourself from Yggdrasil for 9 days and 9 nights, then check out this article as a bit of an easier start on the runes! And feel free to leave a comment there if you have any questions or ideas. See you there !
Learn The Runes
Lets go over where the runes come from, their uses in writing and magic, the history of runes and the science behind them
Names of the Runes and rune poems

An excerpt from the runes article about the names of the runes and the poems they come from.

Rune
Elder
Younger
Anglian
Poem
Fehu
Wealth, Cattle, The God Frey
Wealth
Feoh
Wealth
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen
the wolf lives in the forest.
Norewegian rune poem:
Fé vældr frænda róge
føðesk ulfr í skóge.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
Wealth
Source of discord among kinsmen
and fire of the sea
and path of the serpent.
Icelandic rune poem:
Fé er frænda róg
ok flæðar viti
ok grafseiðs gata
aurum fylkir.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
Wealth is a comfort to all men;
yet must every man bestow it freely,
if he wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;
sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
Ūruz
Aurochs
Úr
Iron, Rain
Ūr
Aurochs
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Dross comes from bad iron
the reindeer often races over the frozen snow.
Norewegian rune poem:
Úr er af illu jarne
opt løypr ræinn á hjarne.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
Shower
Lamentation of the clouds
and ruin of the hay-harvest
and abomination of the shepherd.
Icelandic rune poem:
Úr er skýja grátr
ok skára þverrir
ok hirðis hatr.
umbre vísi
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
The aurochs is proud and has great horns;
it is a very savage beast and fights with its horns;
a great ranger of the moors, it is a creature of mettle.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Ur byþ anmod ond oferhyrned,
felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum
mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.
Þurisaz
Jotünn, The God Thor, Giant
Thurs
Giant
Þorn
Thorn
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Giant causes anguish to women
misfortune makes few men cheerful.
Norewegian rune poem:
Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu
kátr værðr fár af illu.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
Giant
Torture of women
and cliff-dweller
and husband of a giantess.
Icelandic rune poem:
Þurs er kvenna kvöl
ok kletta búi
ok varðrúnar verr.
Saturnus þengill.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
The thorn is exceedingly sharp,
an evil thing for any knight to touch,
uncommonly severe on all who sit among them.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Ðorn byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe
manna gehwelcum, ðe him mid resteð.
Ansuz
Aesir God, The God Odin
As, Oss
God, The God Odin
Ōs
God, Or Mouth in Latin
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Estuary is the way of most journeys
but a scabbard is of swords.
Norewegian rune poem:
Óss er flæstra færða fǫr
en skalpr er sværða.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
God
Aged Gautr
and prince of Ásgardr
and lord of Vallhalla.
Icelandic rune poem:
Óss er algingautr
ok ásgarðs jöfurr,
ok valhallar vísi.
Jupiter oddviti.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
The mouth is the source of all language,
a pillar of wisdom and a comfort to wise men,
a blessing and a joy to every knight.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Os byþ ordfruma ælere spræce,
wisdomes wraþu ond witena frofur
and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht.
Raidō
Ride, Journey
Reið
Ride
Rād
Riding
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Riding is said to be the worst thing for horses
Reginn forged the finest sword.
Norewegian rune poem:
Ræið kveða rossom væsta
Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
Riding
Joy of the horsemen
and speedy journey
and toil of the steed.
Icelandic rune poem:
Reið er sitjandi sæla
ok snúðig ferð
ok jórs erfiði.
iter ræsir.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
Riding seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors
and very courageous to him who traverses the high-roads
on the back of a stout horse.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Rad byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte ond swiþhwæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.
Kaunan
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Kaun
Ulcer
Cēn
Torch
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Norewegian rune poem translation:
Ulcer is fatal to children
death makes a corpse pale.
Norewegian rune poem:
Kaun er barna bǫlvan
bǫl gørver nán fǫlvan.
Icelandic rune poem translation:
Ulcer
Disease fatal to children
and painful spot
and abode of mortification.
Icelandic rune poem:
Kaun er barna böl
ok bardaga [för]
ok holdfúa hús.
flagella konungr.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem translation:
The torch is known to every living man by its pale, bright flame;
it always burns where princes sit within.
Anglo-Saxon rune poem:
Cen byþ cwicera gehwam, cuþ on fyre
blac ond beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.
Gebō
Gift
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