Runes: A Free Course, pt 1

A Complete Course in Runes starts with establishing what languages were historically written in runes, and considering what the word "rune" might have originally meant.

[JacksonCrawford]

One other word I ought to have mentioned in the section about words related to "rune" is Finnish "runo, " apparently derived directly from the Proto-Germanic word, except that in Finnish it means "poem" (note that each of the individual constituent poems/stories of the Kalevala is called a "runo"). Finnish isn't related to the Germanic languages, but it has borrowed words from them at every stage of their development, including Proto-Germanic. Anyway, this meaning adds one more wrinkle to the surprisingly complex picture of what this word might have originally meant.

[fugithegreat]

I'm fascinated by the idea of writing being an almost magical secret to the masses in a world where most people were illiterate. The idea of writing being a metaphorical whisper is also intriguing.

[lkjh]

Runes are just as associated with magic, as the Roman alphabet it is ~ meaning, under almost every doorsill in the Roman Empire you would find a small rolled-up piece of lead or copper foil with a spell to ward the home against evil. Indeed, sometimes those same rolled-up pieces of foil have been found with curses, tugged into a crevice near the home of someone a Roman sought to cause misfortune.

That it, it's the WORDS that are magical ~ NOT the individual characters of the alphabet.

[hakon_dlc]

Fascinating video, my Old English course at uni only touched this subject only very briefly so I am grateful for you covering it completely free of charge! A huge shoutout to the Patreon supporters who enable Dr. Crawford to share his knowledge publicly!

[XianVivre]

I'm glad you cover these concepts in depth, and make your knowledge available to the public.

[ahnraphel]

Doc I know you're not a Heathen yourself but your work helps those of us trying to be historically accurate in our faith practice as closely as we can and I can't thank you enough. I feel it in my gut that you are good people and I wish you the very best in life.

[marionl.]

Hi,
I've been learning Old Norse and everything you've talked about for over 4 years now. Is there any other way than patreon to support you?
You're a star made of gold and we need more people like you! Thanks for all you're doing to spread the knowledge!

[solveigw]

Thank you. This is interesting.
As a Norwegian we learn about the runic alphabet in school. I was taught about them, and now my teens have been taught as well.
I can't say I know them, because I can't write the Futhark just based on memory, but in most generations of Norwegians alive today, there will be someone who have used runes as a secret code language :) Myself included!

[Spectre]

The whispers/secrets correlation makes sense given that the Old/Proto Norse societies would have been semi-literate. So you would only know what was said if you had been taught to read.

[phinicebear]

So interesting to hear actually professional discussion about runes as an actual language. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and thoughts.

[jonaslundman]

As a swedish history teacher I very mutch like this! This notion that the runes are some sort of a Taro deck is very irriting… thanks doc!

[tertia]

Thanks to very generous patreon supporters & Prof. Crawford for making free course available to Internauts.

[margomaloney]

Thanks Doc for offering this college level lecture on YouTube! I really appreciate it and look forward to the next! :)

[moonsixr]

I appreciate the time you take to make these available to everyone. You've helped me understand more about Norse Mythology then I ever thought possible. Please don't stop posting 💜

[a.s.]

In Latvian language we have a word "runa", which means "speech" and "to speak" - "runāt". These words sound very similar to the Old Norse "rúnar" and have a similar meaning - they are related to speech, talking.

[MacNab]

As someone with no academic background - indeed, I'm not even a college graduate - these videos have been invaluable to my personal studies and deep interest in this and related subjects. The Patreon is a pittance for the knowledge gained.

[janach]

I remember when I was on a pagan bulletin board on the web back in the Nineties, people were outraged when I claimed that the main purpose of runes is writing, and that everything else (i.e. the magic stuff) is gravy. They thought I meant the use of runes in magic was bunk, whereas I meant it was a rare and secondary use, like modern pagans writing their magic spells in the Latin alphabet. I was surprised at how many people got angry at what I considered an entirely reasonable statement.

[Martzoerst]

Great work! As a swede learning this it is a huge help. When I hear "ek erilaz" it says "I the jarl". To me it fits, the strong and learned man wrote what few can read.

[theogeitondasamphilochos]

I found your idea absolutely poetic and beautiful that letters are "language without sounds" like whispering in council! Good job👍

[jeffatwood]

I appreciate your presentation. Thank you .
I look at the evolution of writing from the “mystical” perspective of, what is a word?
It begins as a spark of inspiration, presumably due to some stimulus.
It manifests as a thought, which births another….
The thought is expressed in a word, which also begets offspring.
Who knows all the echoing whispers? Writing was the way to remove the corrupted loyalty relying on messenger memories…as long as literacy segregated the classes.