The history of Runes, as with our own language, draws together aspects from several paths and cultures, with some symbols being remarkably similar to Italic and Latin scripts, whilst others are entirely unique when compared to letters from any modern language. It is often the case that these unique symbols reflect aspects of the natural or spiritual worlds in ways which we are only recently beginning to piece together.

The Runic alphabet is more often referred to as the Futhark, and this is the more accurate term for the collection of Runic symbols. The word ‘alphabet’ simply derives from the first two letters of our own alphabet – alpha, beta. In the same way, the Futhark is also derived from the first few letters of the Runic sequence of symbols. However, there do appear to be a number of different Futhark variations, and if you are investigating Runic history you will notice that the two main versions are the Elder Futhark and the Younger Futhark.

The Elder Futhark is, and the name suggests, the older version which consists of 24 letters of symbols, although in Medieval Europe, and England in particular, this was extended to 33 symbols. The Younger Futhark, predominantly developed around the 17th century, is a much reduced form, comprising only 16 symbols.

The history of the Runes reveals that, unlike Tarot cards, Runic symbols provide far more than merely a means of divination, but that they hold secrets impenetrable even to today’s scholars, and a mystery which has existed for thousands of years. Whether as a fascinating relic of a culture and language long gone, a symbol of the mystery and magic which has threatened the establishment across half the civilised world in its time, or as a means of divination which harnesses visions of a natural and spiritual realm realised by its creators, Runes today are more popular than at any time in their history.

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