Runes by Ancientskin is a part of my work, where I create usable Fonts for your digital and print use. You will get a completely usable Elder Futhark Rune Font made by me. Works on any device: Computer, tablet or smartphone.
I share this Font for free. As it is a lot of work to create a font like this I am happy about any donation.
The Elder Futhark (or Fuþark), also known as the Older Futhark, Old Futhark, or Germanic Futhark, is the oldest form of the runic alphabets. It was a writing system used by Germanic peoples in the Migration Period. Inscriptions are found on artifacts and of course runestones, from the 2nd to the 8th centuries. It is the oldest known runic alphabet, consisting of 24 runes used between approximately 150 and 700 AD. The runes are divided into three groups of eight, called ættir, and are named after the first six runes: F-U-Þ-A-R-K. While the alphabet‘s phonetic values are well-established, the symbolic meanings often associated with the runes are largely modern interpretations, as original meanings are not consistently documented.
Runes were used to represent the sounds of spoken Germanic languages, and different variations of runic scripts existed across different regions and time periods. Runes are phonetic, meaning you should write the word as it sounds rather than copying the conventional spelling. For example, „cat“ would be broken into the sounds /k/, /æ/, and /t/.
How we interpretate and work with Runes nowadays is a personal thing with a lot of symbolic approach. I think you need to have at least a basic knowledge of Runes and how they work. But in my eyes working with Runes is a form of art and a reinvention of a culture, which is beautiful.
Image: Ancientskin – Björketorp Runestone (DR 360 U) in Blekinge, Sweden
Some of my inspiration for this Font came from the Björketorp Runestone (DR 360 U) in Blekinge, Sweden. I am fascinated by this Stones. The Runes on it were carved with a type of runes that form an intermediate version between the Elder Futhark and the Younger Futhark. Although, this Font is my interpretation and contains only Runes from the Elder Futhark. This Runestones are stunning, the biggest one is one of the world’s tallest runestones measuring 4.2 metres in height.
Be aware how you use the Runes and this Font. You need to know at least a little how to set Runes and write with Runes. Runes are phonetic symbols that represent sounds,not letters in the modern sense. When writing in runes, you spell a word based on its pronunciation, by breaking it down into its individual sounds (phonemes) and finding the corresponding rune for each sound. This is different from a modern phonetic transcription like the International Phonetic Alphabet, but it is the basis for how they function as an alphabet. Many people still use runes today, but they may not always follow the original phonetic principle. A modern phonetic transcription aims to represent sounds accurately, but with the limitations of the runes available for a particular language.
I hope you enjoy the Font and I’m happy to see what you creat with it.
Lukas from Ancientskin
