![]() In the 1st and 2nd century AD, however, these divisions were only just beginning to form. A third group, the East Germanic family of the Goths and Vandals, is now extinct. Germanic languages today are split into two families: North Germanic, which includes the languages of Scandinavia, and West Germanic, which includes German and English. When the first Germanic runes were developed, the language family was much more unified than it is today. Early Latin, for example, also used diagonal lines for the same reason, but these were straightened in most of the upper case letters we use today. These features are common in European writing systems. ![]() Thus, runic letters could look different depending on the medium on which they were carved. These lines were often straightened when carved in stone or written on parchment. This was so that they did not run with the grain of the wood when carved, which would make them less legible and risk splitting the wood. Most often, these lines ran diagonally and vertically rather than horizontally. They consisted mostly of straight lines, although a few sounds were represented by circular shapes. The runes were, like other early writing systems, designed to be easily inscribed on wood and stone. There is evidence of Etruscan writing that documented Germanic names as early as 200 BC, but no writing from the Germanic tribes themselves has been found that dates earlier than 150 AD. A few, however, think that Germanic writing was more closely inspired by the pre-Latin writing systems of Northern Italy. ![]() Most scholars believe that this changed after these cultures came into contact with the Romans. The Germanic tribes had no way of recording their own history and mythology. Originally introduced by Phoenicians in the Bronze Age, it had been adopted and adapted by the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans.Ī system of writing had not yet been devised in Northern Europe, however. What Are Runes?īy the 2nd century AD, the use of writing had spread throughout much of Europe. After hundreds of years of practical use, runes are once again being written in charms, spells, and prayers. This connection has not entirely been lost in the modern era. Whether used on charms or invoked by gods, the Norse and other Germanic people believed that the runes were connected to divine powers. The runes were closely associated with magic. The secrets of reading and writing were also believed to hold deeper secrets. They were eventually used by the Norse, Anglo-Saxons, and Germans.įor over a thousand years, the runes evolved into writing styles that fit the needs of contemporary Germanic culture. The runes were created in the Roman era to write the earliest forms of the Germanic language. ![]() When it did, the Germanic people created their own form of writing. Like many developments, however, writing took longer to reach the people of Northern Europe. The letters devised by the Romans are still used in most of Europe today. Writing spread quickly throughout the Mediterranean. The ancient Mycenaeans, Minoans, and Greeks developed their own alphabets from the Phoenician system. ![]() Writing was introduced to the European continent by the Phoenicians in the Bronze Age. ![]()
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