CHAPTER XL 



RUNES. 



Early knowledge of the art of writing Knowledge of rune writing very 

 remote Archaic Greek characters Jewels with earlier runes Runes 

 on memorial stones Runic alphabets The origin of runes Their 

 mystical meaning Memorial runic stones Runic staves The Runatal 

 Archaic inscriptions compared with runes. 



As the early form of writing known as runes occurs so fre- 

 quently in connection with these Northern relics, it will be 

 well to devote a chapter to the subject. The written records 

 and finds in the North give numerous examples showing 

 that at a very early period the tribes of the North knew 

 the art of writing. The characters used were called " riinir " 

 runes. 



The knowledge of rune writing was so remote, that it was 

 supposed by the people to have come with Odin, thus showing 

 its great antiquity and possibility of the theory that the 

 runes were brought to the North by the people who had 

 migrated from the south-east, and who may have obtained 

 their knowledge from the Greek colonies situated on the 

 shores of the Black Sea or Palus Majotis. The numerous 

 runic inscriptions, showing in many cases the archaic form of 

 these characters, bear witness to the truth of the Northern 

 records, though it cannot be denied that they often closely 

 resemble the Etruscan letters. To corroborate these records 

 a considerable number of antiquities, the forms of which are 

 unknown in Italy and are similar to those of the North, have 

 been found in Southern Russia, and may be seen in the 

 museums of that country. 



At what early date the art of writing runes became known 

 in the North it is impossible to toll. From the Roman coins 



