185 
Tir the tliird; and that the classes to which the runes 
belonged, and their places therein, were denoted in the same 
way as in Germany and in England. So, though the number 
of characters was abridged, those which were retained had 
the same position in their respective classes as in the original 
system ; Yr only excepted, which was removed from the 4th 
to the 3rd class. This kind of writing, in use amongst 
distinct and remote peoples of the Teutonic race, clearly 
indicates the order and arrangement of the futhorc ; and as 
it is possible that inscriptions of this kind more perfect than 
that at Hackness may yet be discovered, the length to which 
I have gone in the assertion of these facts may be excused. 
Each character of the futhorc was distinguished by a sound 
expressive of some object, and instances are not infrequent in 
old English MSS. of the use of the symbol for the word 
which designated it. This nomenclature prevailed, as far as 
we know, amongst all the Teutonic nations. 
The Cotton MS. Otho., B. 10, now unfortunately lost, con- 
tained a poem explanatory of the names of the old English 
runes, and a similar explanation of those of the Norse runes 
is contained in a MS. at Copenhagen. These explanations 
cannot be relied on in every instance ; difference of opinion 
appears to have existed with regard to the meaning of some 
of the names ; and, perhaps, when a word was susceptible of 
more than one meaning, the author of the poem chose that 
which best suited his fancy. 
I. — (1.) Feoh; it is explained as money,'' fpecunia) ; its 
earlier sense was "cattle,'' fpeciisj; its primary perhaps an "ox." 
(2.) Ur; a "wild buU." 
(3.) Thorn; a "thorn tree." In the ^N'orse poem we have 
thurs, " a giant ;" and we have also the variations dour and 
thur, a " door." This last I prefer. 
(4.) (/s; SL "mouth." The Norse poem explains it as a 
" door " or " entrance." There is no such word for " mouth " 
