Runes: Literacy in the Germanic Iron Age Paperback – 16 July 2016

The information in this book is a must for anyone with an interest in runes.Whether you are interested in runes for esoteric work or in its origins as a writing system, this book has the information you need.I love that Stephen Pollington presents information about the use of the runic alphabet for writing as well as its magical and modern divination applications without any type of judgement. He just presents the information and lets the reader decide what works for "THEM".well researched. Even though it is a higher than normal price for books, it is worth it for the rune student.I borrowed a copy of the book in hardback which i find much nicer than the paperback version (which I own). Regardless , it is a fantastic book.

Stephen Pollington is an autodidact, but don't let that put you off this book. He can hold his own with any scholar in terms of research and reasoned analysis. Runes: Literacy in the Germanic Iron Age is an indispensable book on the subject. It shows what can be done research-wise, when the effort is fueled by both passion for the subject and precision in the thinking.

First, perhaps we should state what this book is not. It is not a study of the esoteric uses of runes, a how-to for the modern practitioner. It is not written from a heathen perspective – although it will be of interest to many heathens – or with any position as to whether or how the runes “work” in religious/magical rites. For these applications of the runes, see the works of Dr Stephen Flowers/Edred Thorsson.In this book, Mr Pollington considers the practical value of a Germanic script and mundane uses of the writing system, and also delves into the evidence for amuletic and other magical uses of carved runestaves. A major emphasis of the book is – as the astute reader might guess from the subtitle – how the runes fit into the picture of literacy amongst the early Germanic people. To what extent were the Germanic people of the early centuries CE literate? What uses did they have for writing? Why develop a new alphabet rather than simply using Latin letters? These are among the topics investigated in detail, in the context of the political and social framework of the time. The value of the runic alphabet to modern linguists is also addressed.The writing is scholarly but clear. There are scores of illustrations – mostly of runic objects and inscriptions. There are footnotes and an extensive bibliography. The major sections include: sources of information – inscriptions, manuscripts, etc.; the Germanic background; phases of runic usage, from pre-runic through the Scandinavian younger futharks and their variations; and Woden and his connections with the runes. In the subsection on the Elder Futhark, the book discusses each rune individually, and the order and arrangement of the runerow(s) are also covered. There are pertinent quotations from early medieval literature, which are given in the original languages and translated into modern English.Cultural identity and norms are themes that run throughout the book. The Germanic peoples were within the Roman sphere of influence, yet maintained a separate identity. Rank within society and tribal identity could be displayed via high-status jewelry. The development and use of runes were important parts of the cultural picture of Iron Age/early medieval Germanic life.

This book is an excellent scholarly treatment of the runes - the writing system of the early Germanic people - while being mostly accessible to lay-readers. As a lay-reader the only parts I couldn't follow were the ones that used linguistic jargon (I know a little but not enough), but that wasn't a significant percentage of the content. I would typically skim over parts of books like this, like when reading about items with runic inscriptions I'm not necessarily interested in, but I didn't with this book because there were interesting bits everywhere. And while I appreciate the modern uses of runes, I like my sources to be rooted in scholarship.

Great addition to my runic studies.Lots of info.Well worth it