The Runic Alphabet.
Runes were the first writing of the Germanic world, carved into wood, bone, metal, and stone from about 150 CE.
Their angular shapes fit the blade; the name Futhark comes from the first six letters: f, u, þ, a, r, k.
Elder Futhark has 24 signs.
It later split into the expanded Anglo-Saxon Futhorc and the Viking-Age Younger Futhark with 16.
Runes represent sounds and carry names with meanings—fehu for wealth.
Inscriptions are brief: names, ownership, trade, law, memorials, prayers, and the occasional charm.
They can read left-to-right or right-to-left.
Latin letters spread with Christianity, but runes persisted in Scandinavia for centuries on stones, sticks, and calendars.
Runic writing: carved, compact, and enduring.