Elder Futhark
| Elder Futhark | |
|---|---|
| Script type | |
Period | 2nd to 8th centuries |
| Direction | Left-to-right, boustrophedon |
| Languages | Proto-Germanic, Proto-Norse, Gothic, Alemannic, Old High German |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems | Younger Futhark, Anglo-Saxon futhorc |
The Elder Futhark (or Fuþark, /ˈfuːðɑːrk/), also known as the Older Futhark, Old Futhark, or Germanic Futhark, is the oldest form of the runic alphabets. It was a writing system used by Germanic peoples for Northwest Germanic dialects in the Migration Period. Inscriptions are found on artifacts including jewelry, amulets, plateware, tools, and weapons, as well as runestones, from the 2nd to the 8th centuries.
In Scandinavia, beginning in the late 8th century, the script was simplified to the Younger Futhark, while the Anglo-Saxons and Frisians instead extended it, giving rise to the Anglo-Saxon futhorc. Both the Anglo-Saxon futhorc and the Younger Futhark remained in use during the Early and the High Middle Ages respectively, but knowledge of how to read the Elder Futhark was forgotten until 1865, when it was deciphered by Norwegian scholar Sophus Bugge.