Pendant Futhark, bronze

Product description

The pendant displays the 24 runes of the Futhark alphabet. The Futhark, also known as the runic alphabet, is a writing system employed by the Germanic and Nordic peoples in the early Middle Ages. The term "Futhark" is derived from the first six letters of this alphabet, namely F, U, Th, A, R, and K. Several variants of the runic alphabet exist, amongst which the most common are the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The runes are probably derived from older Mediterranean or Middle Eastern writing systems. The runes were used not only as writing, but also as magical symbols and for divination. In mythology, the runes were even attributed to Odin, the supreme god in the Norse pantheon, who obtained them after a supernatural ordeal. The Elder Futhark, which dates from the 2nd to the 8th century, was mainly utilised by Germanic tribes in Northern Europe. The Younger Futhark appeared later and was mainly used by the Vikings. Both variants contained runes that were engraved in stone, wood, or other materials, and were employed for inscriptions on monuments, amulets, and for composing short texts.