Regal Runes: A history of the Germanic and Norse alphabets

                                    The earliest accepted example of Germanic runic writing is the inscription found on the Meldorf Brooch (dated to around 50 CE in northern Germany). It possibly reads "Hiwi" meaning spouse or husband. I theorize that this might have been a wedding gift or a "bride price" of sorts or perhaps a good luck charm/talisman for al  newlywed couple.

The ancient Germanic Tribes and their Norse cousins who followed their example centuries later are unfairly characterized as barbaric, ignorant, and illiterate. This couldn't be any more untrue than it already is. For quite some time the peoples of Germania and Scandinavia had knowledge of a functional alphabet long before the introduction of Christianity into Northern and Central Europe. While in its early stages it wasn't as sophisticated or as legible as the Roman and Greek alphabets the development of the "Futhark" script was still a significant cultural achievement (besides the Celts, the Norse and the Germanic Peoples were the only "Barbarian" group to develop their own writing system independent of Christian missionary activity).

This is the Negau helmet which was found in Slovenia and was dated to 400BCE . This is the earliest example of the Germanic language being put in writing. It reads "harikastiteiva" it is generally read as Harigast the priest. The helmet itself dates back to 400 BCE but the inscription itself was most likely added around 200 BCE.

The First example of a Germanic language being written down is inscribed on the Negau helmet. It is written in the Etruscan Alphabet which Germanic Runes likely evolved from. There are artifacts of a similar type scattered throughout the Alpine Region (the ancient contact zone between the Celtic, Italic, and Germanic peoples) and it shows how quickly the Germanic tribes were able to appropriate a foreign script and adapt it for their own purposes. As runes became a uniquely Germanic alphabet they became to be used in a uniquely Germanic/Norse context. They were associated with magic, strength, and wisdom, and they are often connected to Wotan(Odin). Runic inscriptions of this type are often found on spearheads and jewelry.
A golden disk found in Funen Denmark the inscription reads:
"houaz laþu aaduaaaliia a" 
The term houaz is a cognate with Norse
hávi meaning Odin 

 The runic alphabet did not disappear following the romanization and Christianization of Germany. The Norse and for a time the Anglo Saxons, themselves Germanic peoples continued to make use of runes creating beautiful works of art and stunning rune stones. 

 In conclusion despite their depiction in popular culture the Germanic peoples and the Scandinavians actually have a literary and material culture dating back 200 years before the year zero and all the way into the middle ages! As people today often view Europe as a monolithic cultural block of sameness I believe that it is important to look back on the values and talent of the ancient and medieval cultures for inspiration. After all we will all lose a great part of our global heritage by ignoring this extraordinary cultural history that has been intentionally written in stone for the benefit of future generations.

works cited:
 National Museum of Denmark

Norse Mythology For Smart People

Revolvy

The Development of Old Germanic Alphabets