41. The Runic alphabet, its origin.

The runic alphabet is a specifically Germanic alphabet, not to be found in languages of other groups. The word rune originally meant ’secret’, ‘mystery’ and hence came to denote inscriptions believed to be magic. The runes were used as letters, each symbol to indicate separate sound. This alphabet is called futhark after the first six letters.

• runic letters are angular;

• straight lines are preferred, curved lines avoided;

• this is due to the fact that runic inscriptions were cut in hard material: stone, bone or wood.

• the shapes of some letters resemble those of Greek or Latin, other have not been traced to any known alphabet, and the order of the runes in the alphabet is certainly original.

• the number of runes in different OG languages varied.

As compared to continental, the number of runes in England was larger: new runes were added as new sounds appeared in English (from 28 to 33 runes in Britain against 16 or 24 on the continent). The main use of runes was to make short inscriptions on objects, often to bestow on them some special power or magic.

The best known runic inscriptions are the earliest extant OE written records. One of them is and inscription on a box called the “Franks Casket”, the other is a short text on a stone cross near the village of Ruthwell known as the “Ruthwell Cross”. The ring from Piertoassa IIIc. AD “gutaniowihailag” - “Goths” “sacred”. The Edge of the Spear from Kovel III-IV c.AD “tilradis” – “attacking”. The Runic Stone IVc AD

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42. Old English literary monuments.

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43. Old Icelandic and its literary monuments.

Language	Written records	Century
OLD Icelandic	Runic inscriptions.The total number is about 40 The Latin alphabet “Elder Edda” (Poetic) – (Codex Regius) – «Старша Едда»(Королівський список) Scaldic Verse – поезія скальдів “Younger Edda”- «Молодша Едда» by Snorri Sturluson Sagas, Kings’ Sagas Religious texts, law texts, scientific, translations of novels	XI – XII (IX) XII(I) IX – XIII XIII XII – XIII XII

The Eddas

The Elder Edda or Poetic Edda - is a collection of Old Norse poems and stories originated in the late 10th century.

These poems were first written down in the 13th century in Iceland. The first and original manuscript of the Poetic Edda is the Codex Regius, found in southern Iceland in 1643.

The Younger Edda or Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson, and it is the main source of modern understanding of Norse mythology  it contains many mythological stories and also several kennings.

Skaldic poetry

Skaldic poetry was composed by well-known skalds, the Icelandic poets. Instead of talking about mythological events or telling mythological stories, skaldic poetry was usually sung to honour nobles and kings, commemorate or satirise important or any current events.

Sagas

The sagas are prose stories written in Old Norse, that talk about historic facts of the Germanic and Scandinavian world; for instance, the migration of people to Iceland, voyages of Vikings to unexplored lands or the early history of the inhabitants of Gotland.