Elder Futhark facts for kids
Elder Futhark is the very first known runic writing system. It was used by ancient Germanic tribes from about the 2nd to the 8th century. Think of it like an early alphabet! It has 24 different characters. Each character stands for a sound or part of a word. All Germanic tribes used the same Elder Futhark and spoke a similar language. People stopped using it around the mid-8th century.
Experts are still talking about when it first appeared. The oldest clear example is on a comb from Denmark. This comb was found at a place called Vimose. It dates back to around the year 160. There are also some symbols on a Meldorf fibula (a type of brooch) from the year 50. These symbols might be runes. But they could also be signs from the Latin alphabet. This makes it harder to be sure.
Many Elder Futhark characters look like letters from the Latin or Etruscan alphabets. This suggests that Elder Futhark might have been inspired by writing systems from Southern Europe. However, the order of the letters in Elder Futhark is totally different from other known alphabets. For example, the Latin alphabet uses the same letter order as the Greek alphabet, which came before it.
How Old Is Elder Futhark?
The Elder Futhark writing system was used for a long time. It started around the 2nd century AD. People kept using it until about the 8th century AD. This means it was popular for about 600 years!
Scientists are still trying to find the very first time it was used. The oldest clear example we know is a comb. It was found in Denmark. This comb has runes carved into it. It is from around the year 160.
There is also a metal pin called the Meldorf fibula. It has some symbols on it. This pin is even older, from around the year 50. These symbols might be runes. But they also look like letters from the Latin alphabet. So, it's a bit of a mystery!
Where Did Elder Futhark Come From?
Many of the letters in Elder Futhark look like letters from other old alphabets. These include the Latin alphabet and the Etruscan alphabet. These alphabets were used in Southern Europe. This makes experts think that Elder Futhark might have been inspired by them.
However, there's a big difference. The order of the letters in Elder Futhark is unique. It's not like the order in other alphabets we know. For example, the Latin alphabet uses the same letter order as the Greek alphabet. The Greek alphabet came before the Latin one. But Elder Futhark has its own special order.
Images for kids
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This map shows where Elder Futhark writings have been found before the 6th century.
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The "Einang stone" from the 4th century. It has the words [ek go]dagastiz runo faihido carved into it.
See also
In Spanish: Futhark antiguo para niños
