________________
508
THE ALPHABET prim being the equivalent of "golden Dumber"; those from Denmark are called Rimstocks, from rim, "calendar," and stock, "stick." They were a kind of perpetual calendar, and were used in some parts of Scandinavia as late as the beginning of last century. They are of various shapes, such as sword-shaped or plain staves which vary in length from a few inches to nearly five feet-walking sticks, oval rings or tablets of wood or bone. The days of the year were represented by runic characters, feasts and certain special days of the season were represented by
TipfOS
BRIT
Fig. 229-Early Runic inscriptions 1, Spearhead from Kovel (Volhynia), attributed to the fourth century A.D.; 2, Spearhead from Dahmsdorf near Muencheberu (Brandenburg). 3. Clasp from Vi.mose in Fyn (S.-W. Denmark), attributed to the middle of the third century A.D. +. The end-clasp of a sword-sheath from Torsbjerg, attributed to ca. 300; 5, The "Golden Horn" from Gallehus (northern Schleswig), of ca. A.D. 400. 6, The stone from Tube (S.-E. Norway), of the fifth century AD,; 7. The brooch from Charany (French Department of Saône and Loire; old Burgundian kingdom of the fifth century A.D.; 8-9, Bracteates from Vadstena (Sweden) and Tjorker (Sweden) of the sixth-seventh centuries A.D. 1o. Funerary inscription written from right to left, from Kyclevig, or Strind (Ryfylke, Norway)
of the sixth century A.D.
symbolic signs, for instance, St. Lawrence's Day, Toth August, by a gridiron, and St. Martin's day, 11th November, by a goose. The nineteen "golden numbers" for finding the full moon, were also inscribed in their places. These Scandinavian calendars were of pagan origin, but the earliest examples extant belong to the late Middle Ages. The English "clog almanacks," found in Staffordshire, resemble the later Scandinavian runic calendars, but they are not inscribed with runes.
