Runes: An Introduction (SIGNED)
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Edition: 2nd ed.,
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: Signed with inscription
Long before the Roman alphabet swept across Europe, the Germanic and Norse peoples carved a mysterious system of symbols into stone, bone, and wood — symbols that would shape myth, magic, and meaning for centuries. Runes: An Introduction by Ralph W. V. Elliott is the definitive scholarly guide to the runic writing systems of Northern Europe, chronicling their origins, linguistic structure, and cultural significance from the Elder Futhark of the 2nd century through to the later medieval Scandinavian traditions. Elliott presents a rigorous yet accessible examination of runic inscriptions across Britain and Scandinavia, decoding their historical contexts and illuminating their roles in both everyday communication and ritual practice. With precision and clarity, the work argues that runes were far more than mere letters — they were instruments of identity, power, and belief embedded deep in the social fabric of early medieval societies. Drawing on decades of philological and archaeological scholarship, Elliott's analysis bridges Old English, Old Norse, and comparative runology with masterful authority, making this volume an indispensable reference for students of linguistics, medieval history, and Northern European mythology alike. His prose is measured and exacting, guided by evidence yet never devoid of the sense of wonder that these ancient marks so rightly inspire. The book also situates runic traditions within the broader tapestry of pre-Christian Germanic culture, raising questions about literacy, religion, and identity that continue to resonate in modern scholarship. For anyone drawn to the intersection of language and legend, this landmark introduction will leave them hungry to decipher what else the stones have yet to say.
Author: Ralph W. V. Elliott
Format: Hardback
Published: 1989, Manchester University Press / St. Martin's Press
Genre: Ancient history
Edition: 2nd ed.,
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: Signed with inscription
Long before the Roman alphabet swept across Europe, the Germanic and Norse peoples carved a mysterious system of symbols into stone, bone, and wood — symbols that would shape myth, magic, and meaning for centuries. Runes: An Introduction by Ralph W. V. Elliott is the definitive scholarly guide to the runic writing systems of Northern Europe, chronicling their origins, linguistic structure, and cultural significance from the Elder Futhark of the 2nd century through to the later medieval Scandinavian traditions. Elliott presents a rigorous yet accessible examination of runic inscriptions across Britain and Scandinavia, decoding their historical contexts and illuminating their roles in both everyday communication and ritual practice. With precision and clarity, the work argues that runes were far more than mere letters — they were instruments of identity, power, and belief embedded deep in the social fabric of early medieval societies. Drawing on decades of philological and archaeological scholarship, Elliott's analysis bridges Old English, Old Norse, and comparative runology with masterful authority, making this volume an indispensable reference for students of linguistics, medieval history, and Northern European mythology alike. His prose is measured and exacting, guided by evidence yet never devoid of the sense of wonder that these ancient marks so rightly inspire. The book also situates runic traditions within the broader tapestry of pre-Christian Germanic culture, raising questions about literacy, religion, and identity that continue to resonate in modern scholarship. For anyone drawn to the intersection of language and legend, this landmark introduction will leave them hungry to decipher what else the stones have yet to say.