An Introduction to English Runes

Raymond Ian Page

Boydell Press, 2006 - Literary Criticism - 249 pages

Runes are quite frequently mentioned in modern writings, usually imprecisely as a source of mystic knowledge, power or insight. This book sets the record straight. It shows runes working as a practical script for a variety of purposes in early English times, among both indigenous Anglo-Saxons and incoming Vikings. In a scholarly yet readable way it examines the introduction of the runic alphabet (the futhorc) to England in the fifth and sixth centuries, the forms and values of its letters, and the ways in which it developed, up until its decline at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period. It discusses how runes were used for informal and day-to-day purposes, on formal monuments, as decorative letters in prestigious manuscripts, for owners' or makers' names on everyday objects, perhaps even in private letters.
For the first time, the book presents, together with earlier finds, the many runic objects discovered over the last twenty years, with a range of inscriptions on bone, metal and stone, even including tourists' scratched signatures found on the pilgrimage routes through Italy. It gives an idea of the immense range of informationon language and social history contained in these unique documents.

The late R.I. PAGE was former Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge.

Contents

• The runes of the lost Bewcastle cross head British Library MS: 3
• The Manchester ring from Hickess Thesaurus: 4
• The Bramham Moor ring from Drakes Eboracum: 5
• The Chertsey bowl runes from Stephenss OldNorthern Runic: 7
• The Chessell Down scabbard mount runes: 11
• When and where: 16
• The CaistorbyNorwich astragalus runes: 19
• Pre650 runic monuments: 24
• Post650 runic monuments: 26
• The Bakewell stone fragment: 30
• The Leeds runic fragment from Stephenss OldNorthern Runic: 31
• The AngloSaxon runic letters: 38
• The Hartlepool I namestone: 50
• The Hartlepool II namestone: 51
• Reginald Bainbriggs drawing of the Ruthwell cross inscription: 53
• The Overchurch stone runes: 56
• The ChesterleStreet stone inscription: 59
• Runica manuscripta and the runenames: 60
• English and Norse runes on a page from St Johns College: 61
• The AngloSaxon Runic Poem from Hickess Thesaurus: 64
• The abbreviated name of Solomon in the Corpus Christi College: 78
• The divided futhorc and runic codes: 80
• The partfuthorc of the Brandon pin: 81
• Norse cryptic rune types from Bergen: 84
• How to use runes: 96
• Runic coins: 117
• Runestones: 130
• Runes elsewhere: 157
• The fragmentary Southampton bone plaque: 160
• The Keswick runic disc: 161
• The Manchester ring legend: 162
• The Derby bone plate: 164
• The Whitby comb: 165
• The repairers inscription on the Harford Farm brooch: 166
• The AshGilton pommel inscription: 167
• The Southampton Hamwih bone: 168
• The Wheatley Hill ring: 169
• The Whitby disc: 170
• Christ and Mary on St Cuthberts coffin: 172
• The Welbeck Hill bracteate: 180
• The Dover brooch runes: 181
• The Thames silvergilt mount: 182
• The Undley bracteate with a schematic drawing of its runes: 183
• The skanomodu solidus: 184
• More manuscript runes: 186
• Part of the runic passage from Solomon and Saturn I Corpus: 188
• AngloSaxon and Viking: 200
• The Penrith brooch futhark: 205
• The Bridekirk font runes: 207
• The Conishead Priory runes: 209
• New runic coin type from Billockby: 214
• Runes on a sherd from Worcester: 219
• Runic marginalia in Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS 41: 220
• The Orpington sundial: 223
• Runic graffito from Monte SantAngelo Italy: 224
• The study of runes: 226
• Indexes: 241

Bibliographic information

• Title: An Introduction to English Runes
• Author: Raymond Ian Page
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Boydell Press, 2006
• ISBN: 085115946X, 9780851159461
• Length: 249 pages
• Subjects: Literary Criticism / Medieval