Скачать или смотреть Early Modern Runes in Scandinavia: Post-Medieval Dalecarlian Literacy (Modern Erilar Ep. 21)

In this episode, we explore the fascinating survival of runic literacy in Scandinavia during the early modern period. While the majority of runic usage declined after the 14th century, inscriptions from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and the Faeroe Islands demonstrate that runes persisted in isolated pockets well into the 17th century and beyond. This video examines the continuity, evolution, and scholarly interest in runes after 1500 CE.

We begin with a close look at Dalecarlian runes in Sweden, where over 350 inscriptions have survived, particularly from Älvdalen. These inscriptions reveal continuity from medieval practices, including the use of dotted runes for voicing distinctions, star runes for fricative sounds, and acrophonic principles applied in local dialects. We also discuss the gradual shift to Latin letters for recording personal names during the late 17th century, illustrating the transitional nature of early modern rune use.

Next, we consider Norwegian and Icelandic examples, including tombstone inscriptions and manuscript runes, showing that runic literacy extended into the 17th century in specific communities. We examine evidence for continuous literacy versus revivalist or antiquarian interest, highlighting the work of scholars such as Johannes and Olaus Magnus, who documented rune rows and bind-rune practices in printed books.

The episode also investigates post-medieval adaptations and innovations, including unique rune forms in Norway and the influence of runic publications on later users. Personal letters and regional traditions in the 18th and 19th centuries indicate that runes remained a functional writing system in some areas, and even traveled with immigrants to the United States, preserving knowledge of the runic alphabet far beyond Scandinavia.

Key topics covered:
1. Dalecarlian runes and early modern Swedish inscriptions
2. Continuity versus revival of runic literacy
3. Early modern Norwegian and Icelandic runes
4. Influence of printed rune tables by Johannes and Olaus Magnus
5. Evolution of runes, bind-runes, and Latin integration

By tracing the evolution of runes from medieval to early modern Scandinavia, this episode offers a nuanced understanding of post-medieval runic literacy, bridging the gap between historical usage and scholarly revival. Viewers will gain insight into how runes adapted to changing linguistic, cultural, and technological contexts while remaining a part of Scandinavian identity.

1:20 Examples from Iceland and the Faeroes
2:38 The Swedish runes might have been an unbroken tradition
5:43 Dalecarlian rune evolutions
11:08 Futharks printed in early modern books
15:00 How the Norwegian early modern runes match the books versus medieval practice
18:15 Runes from a 19th century letter
20:15 Further reading

I use the Gullhornet and Gullskoen (https://folk.uib.no/hnooh/runefont/) runic fonts made by Odd Einar Haugen of the Universitet i Bergen, which are free to download (https://folk.uib.no/hnooh/runefont/).