The secret messages of Viking runestones - Jesse Byock

Learn the history of Viking runes, the ancient Norse language of symbols that make up an alphabet called the futhark.

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With their navigational skills and advanced longships, the Vikings sustained their seafaring for over 300 years. But for all their might, they left few monuments. Instead, fragments of stone, bark and bone found in the sites of ancient settlements provide the keys to their culture. Many of these objects are inscribed with Old Norse written in runic letters. Jesse Byock explores the ancient language.

Lesson by Jesse Byock, directed by Lisa LaBracio.

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[sploosh]

The runes on the Hagia Sophia basicly reads "halfdan was here"

[.-ug]

One of the rare channels where every name is correctly pronounced.

[charmemez]

Dear Ted-Ed Team, thank you for constantly creating wonderful visuals on educational topics. Thank you to your wonderful narrators. Your videos are always a comfort after a difficult day, week, month. I truly mean this and cannot tell you how your videos have helped me through tough times.

[Takeninthelight]

As somebody who cannot stand to listen to hour(s) long speeches or lectures, these nice bite sized animations of various topics have really helped in opening my horizons!

[RuriDaisy]

Whoa, so the original of Bluetooth logo came from this!!

[Giftedbryan]

The stones in Jelling are also known as the birth certificate of Denmark, as it is the first known record of the use of the name for the region. It's quite a pretty sight!

[sharminmalik]

2:55 I always wondered about the symbol of bluetooth but never searched for it, thank you so much TED for always sharing your knowledge

[dikshyamohapatra]

The use of animations to explain concepts is just, revolutionary. I believe that is what makes it so wonderful and interesting. 💞 The animations make it so...real. 💞💞💞

[anupriya]

Sorta make you wish you could decipher such age old languages... That's a superpower I'd want if I get to choose.

[torbjornlekberg]

Runes began to be used long before the viking age. In fact, the Futhark (alphabet, kind of) from the viking age was a simplification of two earlier versions. So there is the Older Futhark, replaced by the Younger Futhark, replaced by the Viking Age Futhark. A few other versions also eventually came to be, such as the British runes, the 'Short Stick' runes and (as late as the 1800's, in Dalarna, Sweden) the Dala runes.

[AnnakiVEVO]

I was just watching Vikings before this one and for the first time ever, it is not the Youtube algorithm because this video just got uploaded and I found it under subscription, this made me happy !

[feynstein]

The runes are shaped that way because straight lines and inclines are easier to carve on wood and stone. Vikings should have just gone with clay tablets. Much easier to work with, and much less restrictive.

[galleryg]

YES I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS!! UR TIMING IS PERFECT

[TheGhostOperative]

sure....when hafdan vandalized the hagia sophia by writing "hafdan was here" on the wall, he is immortalized. but when i did it, they banned me from the country. so unfair.

[YuvrajSingh-qygi]

Wanna hear a viking joke?

Never mind there's Norway you'll laugh at it.

[cynicalcenobia]

YES, YES, & 'JÁ'! This is the kind of content I'm here for! More on medieval Scandinavian myth and history, pls!

[havefunrr]

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[dikshyamohapatra]

I love you Ted-Ed. You make me happy. You make me wise. Your art is very pretty.

[lucybee]

This video came out just a week after my visit to the Jelling Stones! They are lovely 😊

[turtlesama]

The only thing that excites me anymore is when ted uploads a video