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Runes in Changing Contexts: Viking Age and Medieval Writing Traditions

Runes in Changing Contexts: Viking Age and Medieval Writing Traditions

Källström, Magnus

7th International Runic Symposium, Oslo (2010)

Abstract

The topic of Viking Age and medieval writing traditions is is a huge subject which is impossible to cover in a short speech during a conference. For that reason I will not try to give a full description of how the runic alphabet was used and developed in different parts of Scandinavia in this period. Instead, I have chosen to focus on a few selected cases, which I hope can shed some light on a couple of interesting issues connected to the long history of the runic script. The development must naturally be seen in a Scandinavian perspective, but since I am most familiar with the runic material from Sweden many of the examples will be taken from this area. Hopefully some of these observations may also contribute to the discussion of the development of the runic script in other parts of Scandinavia.

Click here to read this article from the Runic Symposium


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