The following is a list of rune-row inscriptions. These are runic inscriptions containing a sequence of runes in order. Based on the first six runes typically in the sequence, a rune-row may also be variously known as a fuþark (elder and younger fuþark), fuþorc (Anglo-Frisian) or fuþork (medieval).
Some inscriptions listed are complete, whereas others contains only short sections like fuþ, or are fragments of a larger sequences. Despite often being portrayed in a standardised manner, the orders and shapes of the runes in these sequences vary considerably.
Elder fuþark
Inscription Date Find location Object Runes Transliteration Comments Hole Runestone Norway Stone ᚠᚢᚦ fuþ The earliest datable runestone and possibly the earliest known runic inscription. It is unclear if there was a conception of a whole ordered rune-row at this time. Kylver Stone Gotland, Sweden Stone ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹᚺᚾᛁᛃᛈᛇᛉᛊᛏᛒᛖᛗᛚᛜᛞᛟ fuþarkgwhnijpezstbemlŋdo Lindkær and Over hornbæk bracteates Denmark Gold bracteates ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹᚺᚾᛖᛚᚨᛏᛒᛉᛋᚢᚨᛟ(?)ᚢ **ᚦ*ᚱᚲᚷᚹᚺᚾᛖᛚᚨᛏᛒᛉᛋᚢᛚᛟ(?)ᚢ fuþarkgwhn(ij)æptbzselo(?)d **þ*rkgwhn(ij)æptbzselo(?)d Both come from the same original design with anticlockwise writing but have unusual rune shapes and row order, likely from copying errors. Due to the unconventional inscriptions, they are not always interpreted as rune rows.IK 392 Gudme 2 bracteate Fyn, Denmark Gold bracteate ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱ fuþar The first rune has only one branch, resembling ᚴ, despite often being interpreted as f. The same design is seen in two other bracteates from Gudme.IK153,1 bracteate Skåne, Sweden Gold bracteate ᚠᚢᚦᚱ fuþr Vadstena and Mariedamm bracteates Östergötland and Närke, Sweden, respectively Gold bracteates ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹ : ᚺᚾᛁᛃᛈᛇᛉᛋ : ᛏᛒᛖᛗᛚᛜᛟᛞ fuþarkgw : hnijïpzs : tbemlŋod Both bracteates were made from the same stamp and their text is anti-clockwise, with the runes also facing this direction.Breza pillar Bosnia Marl column ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱ^ᚷᚹᚻᚾᛁᛃᛇᛈᛉᛋᛏᛖᛗᛚ fuþarkqwhnijïpzsteml The four missing runes from the row were likely on a fragment that broke offGrumpan bracteate Västergötland, Sweden Gold bracteate ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹ········ᚺᚾᛁᛃᛈ--····ᛏᛒᛖᛗᛚᛜᛟᛞ···· fuþarkgw········ hnijï(p)--····tbeml(ŋ)(o)d······ The ŋ has alternatively been interpreted as a bind rune with i.Aquincum brooch Brooch Budapest, Hungary ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹ fuþarkgw Charnay Fibula Burgundy, France Silver fibula ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲᚷᚹᚻᚾᛁᛃᛇᛈᛇᛈᛉᛋᛏᛒᛖᛗ fuþarkgwhnijïpzstbem Beuchte brooch Niedersachsen, Germany Silver-gilt brooch ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᛉᛃ fuþarzj Lány rune bone Břeclav, Czech Republic Bone fragment (ᛏ)ᛒᛖᛗᛞᛟ (t)bemdo This is the only known South-Germanic inscription with the end of the older fuþark rune row and, and the only found in a Slavic cultural context.
English fuþorc
Inscription Date Location Object Runes Transliteration CommentsMalton pin Yorkshire, England Pin ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳᚷᛚᚪᚫᛖ fuþorcglaæe Brandon pin Norfolk, England Pin ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳᛡᚹᚻᚾᛁᛄᛇᛈᛉᚴ fuþorcgwhnijïps Seax of Beagnoth London, England Seax ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳᚷᚹᚻᚾᛁᛄᛇᛈᛉᛋᛏᛒᛖᛝᛞᛚᛗᛟᚪᚫᚣᛠ fuþorcgwhnijïpxstbeŋdlmœaæy ea The order and form of the runestaves may suggest the inscription was based off a manuscript fuþorc.
Younger fuþark
Inscription Date Location Object Runes Transliteration CommentsPenrith brooch Cumberland, England Silver brooch fuþorkhniastbmm This inscription uses short-twig runes.
Medieval fuþork At least 70 partial or complete medieval rune-rows are known from the Bryggen inscriptions. These include:
Inscription Date Location Object Runes Transliteration CommentsN B17 Bergen, Norway Small stick ᚠᚢᚦᚮᚱᚴᚼᚿᛁᛆᛌᛐᛒᛘᛚᛦ fuþorkhniastbmly N B521 Bergen, Norway Small stick fuþ N B592 Bergen, Norway Small stick fuþorkhniastbmlyfuþorkhnia f fuþobkhniarmlyfuþorkhnisabmly
Other examples include: Inscription Date Location Object Runes Transliteration CommentsVr 4 Värmland, Sweden Sandstone font fuþorkhniastblmʀ fuþ
Function Rune-rows may have been tools for teaching and learning writing. This likely is the case with the Kylver stone, which has no commemorative function. Similarly, the Hole runestone has scribbled markings throughout the stone that may reflect use as a writing tablet. It has been suggested that it originates from an early period in which writing in runes was an emergent skill that carvers were learning to master. The sequences may also have been intended to have a magical or protective function, particularly in the case of bracteates, where they would have been worn and often have texts that suggest an illiterate maker copying designs.
See also Abecedarium, lists of letters in alphabets
Notes
References
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