RUNIC .\ i. 1'H. i /;/;/>'. 



157 



coins, 1 Arc., there arc others engraved on rocks aiil memorial 

 stones, which are of very greai antiquity, some of which seem 

 to be earlier than the runes of the bo-/ tinds. 



i 



There are two alphabets ; the earlier one numbered twenty- 

 four, the later sixteen letters. 



f u th o r c g v h n i y vo p a s t b 



Karlii-r Rimes from the Ya Uteiia bracteate. 



in 1 n 



v r\ r> 



f n th 



KK:^f!'!'H:^^rYA 



r k h n i a s t b 1 m iu 



Later l{uiif>. 



The Vadstena alphabet is divided into three sections, each 

 containing eight letters or characters. The earlier runes were 

 written from the right to the left; the later runic inscriptions 

 are read from the left to the right, The later runes differ 

 considerably from the earlier ones, from the gradual changes 

 that took place, some falling out of use, till only sixteen existed 

 in later times. Their signification also changed. 



Were it not for the evidence of the finds having runic 

 inscriptions of the fuller runic alphabet, it would have seemed 

 more probable that the less developed one was the earlier ; 

 but in the face of the most indisputable proofs of the antiquity 

 of the fuller alphabet, such assertions cannot be made. The 

 only conclusion to which this leads us therefore is, that the 

 runic alphabet must in the course of time have become 

 simplified. There are runic inscriptions which contain both 

 earlier and later runes, but the former at last gradually 

 disappeared. 



It seems that the custom of having alphabets on objects 



1 Danish coins with runic characters 

 have been obtained from as early a 

 period as that of Svein Ulfsson, or the 

 12th century. A runic kcfli, according 

 to its contents, carved soon after 1200, 

 is preserved in the Danish museum. It 

 was found in Vinje church, Upper Te- 

 lemarken, of Norway. The in.-cription 

 thereon signifies: Xii/itrd Jurlson traced 

 these Runes the Saturday aftc'- Ilutolf's 



mass, if/ten he journeyed hither and would 

 not be reconciled to Sverre, th<- sl<ty/r of 

 his father ami broth*, r. Sigurd was the 

 son of the well-known Erling Skakke; 

 he lost, a battle against Sverre in 1'JOO. 

 As the latter died in 1201', it was be- 

 t uern these two dati-> that the unsuo 

 eesst'ul attempt at reconciliation cceurred. 



(Stephens, p. 515.) 



