RUNEWORLD, PART II

"What are the runes?" is complicated.

Runeworld Part II is available for free on my Patreon.

This is an overview of the facts, as well as a summary of the mainstream opinion on what “the runes” (specifically, the 24-character Elder Futhark runes) represent.

There is no straightforward answer for any of this. What the runes stand for; where they originated, or what the word “rune” even means—all of it is mired in academic controversy and conflicting evidence. A quick explanation is damn near impossible.

I’ve done my best to withhold my frustrations with the mainstream consensus, in order to keep this as even-handed and accessible as possible. The real fireworks will start in Part III, which will be paywalled for subscribers only. (Sorry.)