Norwegian Runes and Runic Inscriptions - Couverture souple

Spurkland, Terje

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1843835045 ISBN 13 : 9781843835042

Editeur : The Boydell Press, 2009

Synopsis

Runes, a unique functional writing system, exclusive to northern and eastern Europe, were used for some 1300 years in Scandinavia, from about AD 200 till around the end of the fourteenth century, when the runic alphabet finally gave way to the modern writing system. They were not written, but carved - in stone, and on jewellery, weapons, utensils and wood. The content of the inscriptions is very varied, from owner and carpenter attributions on artefacts to memorials to the deceased on erected stones; contrary to popular belief, they are not necessarily magical or mystical, and the post-it notes of today have their forerunners in such runic reminders as: 'Buy salt, and don't forget gloves for Sigrid.' The typical medieval runic inscription varies from the deeply religious to the highly trivial [or perhaps crucial], such as 'I slept with Vigdis when I was in Stavanger'. This book presents an accessible account of the Norwegian examples throughout the period of their use. The runic inscriptions are discussed not only from a linguistic point of view but also as sources of information on Norwegian history and culture. TERJE SPURKLAND is Associate Professor of Nordic Medieval Studies at the University of Oslo.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Runes, a unique functional writing system, exclusive to northern and eastern Europe, were used for some 1300 years in Scandinavia, from about AD 200 till around the end of the fourteenth century, when the runic alphabet finally gave way to the modern writing system. They were not written, but carved - in stone, and on jewellery, weapons, utensils and wood. The content of the inscriptions is very varied, from owner and carpenter attributions on artefacts to memorials to the deceased on erected stones; contrary to popular belief, they are not necessarily magical or mystical, and the post-it notes of today have their forerunners in such runic reminders as: 'Buy salt, and don't forget gloves for Sigrid.' The typical medieval runic inscription varies from the deeply religious to the highly trivial (or perhaps crucial), such as 'I slept with Vigdis when I was in Stavanger'. This book presents an accessible account of the Norwegian examples throughout the period of their use. The runic inscriptions are discussed not only from a linguistic point of view but also as sources of information on Norwegian history and culture. Includes 42 b/w illustrations.

Revue de presse

A hand-book full of surprising insights. A splendid guide to the Norwegian runes and it can be strongly recommended both to the beginner and to the advanced reader. --Journal Of Medieval Archaeology, vol. 52, 2008

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: The Boydell Press
• Date d'édition: 2009
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1843835045
• ISBN 13: 9781843835042
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 216
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Friedensallee 273; Hamburg; 22763; Allemagne