Alphabet Key To History Of Mankind

Author(s): David Diringer
Publisher: Hutchinsons Scientific and Technical Publications

Page 510

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 1X
509 RUNIC MANUSCRIPTS
There is no certain evidence of wide literary use of runes in early times, but some scholars hold that the runic writing was widely employed for all kinds of secular documents, such as legal provisions, contracts, genealogies, poems, etc. However, the manuscripts extent are rare and relatively late. Amongst the more important runic manuscripts are: the old Danish Codex Runricus written in runes, dating from the end of the thirteenth century, which is a legal manuscript; the 50-called Fasti Danici of ca. 1348; the Codex Leidensis, at Leyden, Holland; the Codex Sangallensis 878, at St. Gallen; the Codex Salisburgensis 140, now in Vienna, etc.; there is also a runic prayet-book extant written probably for a layman who did not know Latin. The earliest MS. version of the later Old English runes now extant is MS, No. 17 in the Library of St. John's College, Oxford, dated 1110: see C. L. Wrenn, Late Old English Rune-names, "MEDIUM AEVUM," I, 1932.
Inscriptions found in Sweden
On the whole, ca, four thousand inscriptions are extant;thegreater part of them, about 2,300, come from Sweden, They belong mainly (ca. 2,000) to the eleventh and early twelfth century, whilst only about 25 inscriptions, including a few bracteates, belong to the early period (Fig. 229, 8-9). About half of the inscriptions discovered in Sweden were found in Upland, and about 250 in the island of Gothland. The stone-inscription from Ræk, (Estergatland, belonging to ca. 900 A.D., is the longest of all the runic inseriptions; it is also most interesting, being inscribed in four varieties of runic writing (Fig. 233, 4. see below).
Denmark and Schleswig: the cradle of knowledge of runes
There are over fifty inscriptions extant, including some 40 bracteates, dating between the third and sixth centuries A.D., while about 200 stone-inscriptions date mainly from the ninth to the middle eleventh century. The clasp (Fig. 229. 3) from Vi-mose in Fyn, S.-W, Denmark, attributed to the middle of the thin! century A.D. is considered as the earliest runic inscription extant. The end-clasp of a sword-sheath (Fig. 229, 4) from Torsbjerg in Schleswig, attributed to ca. A.D. 300, is another very early runic inscription. The Golden Hom (Fig. 229. 5) from Gallehus (northern Schleswig) of ca. 400, found and published in 1734. but since (in 1802) stolen and melted for the sake of the gold, is also remarkable.
Nortay
About 60 inscriptions, including ro bracteutes, belong to the early period. but relatively very few monuments are attributed to the later period. One of the longest inscriptions of the earlier period is that on the Tune-stone (S.-E. Norway) (Fig. 229. 6), belonging to the fifth century. The Einang stone-inscription is attributed to ca. A.D. 400. The longest runic inscription discovered in Norway is the stone from Eggjum ca. .D. 700, still presenting over 170 readable letters.
The British Isles
There are extant about go runic inscriptions upon raised stones, mainly stone crosses, and upon loose objects, but very few have been found in England proper, The most artistic are the celebrated Northumbrian crosses, dated about A.D. 670680, at Bewcastle, near Brampton, Cumberland, and Ruthwell, near Dumfries in Scotland, the latter containing part of the poem on the Crucifixion by Cadmon,