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Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

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left half of front panel of the Franks Casket.
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left half of front panel of the Franks Casket.

The Anglo-Saxon (also, Anglo-Frisian) Futhorc is a runic alphabet, extended from the Elder Futhark from 24 to between 26 and 33 characters. It was used probably from the 5th century onward, recording Old English and Old Frisian.

Contents

History

There are competing theories as to the origins of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. One theory proposes that it was developed in Frisia and from there spread later to England. Another holds that runes were first introduced to England from Scandinavia where the futhorc was modified and then exported to Frisia. Both theories have their inherent weaknesses and a definitive answer likely awaits more archaeological evidence.

The early Futhorc was identical to the Elder Futhark but for the split of r sigel peorð ᛋ sig ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚩ ᚱ ᚳ ᚷ ᚹ ᚻ ᚾ ᛁ ᛄ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᚴ f u ð o r c g uu h n i ge eo p x s tir berc eþel deg lagu mann ᛙ pro ac ælc yr ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛝ ᛞ ᛟ ᚪ ᚫ ᚣ ᛡ t b e m l ing ð œ a æ y ear
io
q
k
sc
g ᛠ ᛢ ᛣ ᛥ ᚸ ᛘ ior cweorð calc stan ear

Another futhorc row is found in Cotton Galba A.ii.

Inscription corpus

Trancription of the Ruthwell Cross inscription (Dream of the Rood), ca. AD 750
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Trancription of the Ruthwell Cross inscription (Dream of the Rood), ca. AD 750

Futhorc series inscribed on a seax blade found in the Thames.
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Futhorc series inscribed on a seax blade found in the Thames.

The Old English and Old Frisian Runic Inscriptions database project at the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany aims at collecting the genuine corpus of Old English inscriptions containing more than two runes in its paper edition, while the electronic edition aims at including both genuine and doubtful inscriptions down to single-rune inscriptions. The corpus of the paper edition encompasses about one hundred objects (including stone slabs, stone crosses, bones, rings, brooches, weapons, urns, a writing tablet, tweezers, a sun-dial, comb, bracteates, caskets, a font, dishes, and graffiti). The database includes, in addition, 16 inscriptions containing a single rune, several runic coins, and 8 cases of dubious runic characters (runelike signs, possible Latin characters, weathered characters). Comprising less than 200 inscriptions, the corpus is slightly larger than that of Continental Elder Futhark (about 80 inscriptions, ca. 400–700), but slightly smaller than that of the Scandinavian Elder Futhark (about 260 inscriptions, ca. 200–800).

Runic finds in England cluster along the east coast with a few finds scattered further inland in Southern England. Frisian finds cluster in West Frisia. Looijenga (1997) lists 23 English (including two 7th c. Christian inscriptions) and 21 Frisian inscriptions predating the 9th century.

List of inscriptions

Futhorc related manuscript texts:

See also

References

External links

Special characters


Runes
Elder Fuþark: ᚠ f | ᚢ u | ᚦ þ | ᚨ a | ᚱ r | ᚲ k | ᚷ g | ᚹ w | ᚺ h | ᚾ n | ᛁ i | ᛃ j |ᛇ ï | ᛈ p | ᛉ z | ᛊ s |ᛏ t | ᛒ b | ᛖ e | ᛗ m | ᛚ l | ᛜ ŋ | ᛞ d | ᛟ o
Futhorc | Younger Futhark | Rune poems | Runestones | Runology

 

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