The Names of the Runes (Elder Futhark)

A look at the runes of the Elder Futhark and how we can figure out their names.

Logos by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).

[jaime_]

When you realize that Odin gave an eye and hanged himself as a sacrifice to learn those runes, and now you can learn them from a good-looking Colorado cowboy on the internet.

[itsemmallright]

I would never guess in a million years that I would be learning about runes from a cowboy

[kimberlysamuel]

You make the pronounciations seem so easy. It's incredible just watching you talk in Old Norse with such ease.... Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you and your sharing your knowledge with everyone?

[stormsa-coming]

I learned all 24 runes in 4 days (6 at a time) and this video was my go to. Thank you Jackson.

[xiongrey]

I've been learning and writing in the Elder Futhark since I was 13 over a decade ago. Subbing to your channel to continue my knowledge!

[geoffgjof]

(I also messaged this to you on your website, but I don't know if it's better to post it here if you get inundated with messages on your site...)

Dr. Crawford,

I love all your videos. You know so much and I am always pleasantly surprised at the things I learn when I watch you videos.

I recently watched your video on elder futhark runes again, and I came to an interesting hypothesis.

I believe kauna actually means "knowledge".

If true, the Old Icelandic rune poem would say something like:

"Knowledge brings the death of childhood
through suffering and the realization of death."

Throughout Germanic poetry and mythology, knowledge is talked about as a "burning" sensation, so ulcer and torch being used, respectively, to describe the pain of uncomfortable realizations, and the illuminating feeling of introspective realizations, makes sense.

I believe the meaning of "knowledge" would also work for the Old Norwegian and Anglo-Saxon rune poems as well, but those ones are harder for an amateur linguist like myself to translate in the 15 minutes I spent looking up support for my hypothesis (haha). I'll definitely have to spend more time translating the other two to see if it works. But based on the translations I see on Wikipedia, it seems like we could be lighting a new fire in linguistics with this epiphany. (Ok, that's laying it on a little heavy. I'm probably wrong about this because if it's true, it's weird that no one's figured it out yet...)

Here's an important question moving forward: is there a linguistic tie between kauna(n) and kunnan (and modern day words, like the Scottish word ken and the modern German word können)?

I appreciate your time helping me ponder this,

Geoffrey Kuth

[homopopsie]

"I like your funny words, magic man"

[TimSmithWordSmith]

‘As in an unpleasant form of precipitation’
Excellent.

[thehealingrose]

I absolutely enjoyed listening to your audio of the Peotic Edda. It is fantastic to have a source for these old stories where I am able to actually hear the pronunciations instead of always trying to decide how I think it should be said. Your work is really fantastic for the amateur researcher that has more restricted access to the academic writings on the subject. Thank you so much for your work.

[amye]

My boyfriend is Danish, Ice landic and swedish, from arizona . He absolutely loves watching your videos jackson.

[hamsterama]

"Ehwaz, " the word for horse, sounds an awful lot like the Latin word for horse, "equus." It's interesting to see the Indo-European relationship here.

[nickc]

Incredible how there’s only one horizontal line in the whole list! And even that, as you said, was sometimes inscribed differently.

[JonBA]

In the 1920's (on the farmland that now belongs to my aunt, in west Iceland) a tombstone was discovered from the late 17th century (it's currently in her possession). It was very elaborate and had runic inscriptions, which means Icelanders actually used that alphabet for quite a long time!

But it may have been the younger futhark, don't remember it vividly enough.

[amandavaldorian]

5:55 is when he starts talking about the alphabet and the pronunciations

[scarface]

Started learning today and i found this to be the most useful source more than any website so far. Thank you sir i cannot begin to guess where you gained such knowledge.

[cipheroth]

Your version of the Poetic Edda is simply magnificent. Thank you.

[nothingoldcanstay]

Pretend someone else’s hand is holding the whiteboard

[brick]

Great job, dude. I’m just getting in to Futhark, and this is a big help. Looking forward to the rest of your videos!

[lauraturner]

I just read your edda and it was amazing. I highly recommend your translation!

[infinite]

This needs to be used again!
We Odias from India had been writing in an independent Brahmi derivative called Kalinga abugida since the 3rd century, until our royalty went for the present Odia script in the 12th century, which descends from Siddham script, a far relative of Brahmi. There are many temples where it is written in Kalinga abugida, it is still legible but couldn't be read by common people until recently, when many Odias are learning the Kalinga abugida as well to read these old inscriptions. Same with the Tamils and Kannadigas of Southern India. I hope that this script is taught in schools, atleast secular literature like the Sagas are printed in this script and read in language classes( it will be nicer in showing the evolution of your languages) and some signboards should also start featuring this script along with Roman script.
Honestly, we don't have any lessons about the Germanic and Scandinavian history, only Roman history is relevant in schools while talking of Europe and Egypt for Africa, apart from the Sanskrit and Dravidian heritage of India.