Runes are the
letters in a set of related
alphabets known as
runic alphabets, which were used to write various
Germanic languages before the adoption of the
Latin alphabet and for specialised purposes thereafter. The Scandinavian variants are also known as
futhark or
fuþark (derived from their first six letters of the alphabet:
F,
U,
Þ,
A,
R, and
K); the
Anglo-Saxon variant is
futhorc or
fuþorc (due to sound-changes undergone in
Old English by the names of those six letters).
Runology is the study of the runic alphabets,
runic inscriptions,
runestones, and their history. Runology forms a specialised branch of
Germanic linguistics.
The earliest runic inscriptions date from around 150 AD. The characters were generally replaced by the
Latin alphabet as the cultures that had used runes underwent
Christianisation, by approximately 700 AD in central Europe and 1100 AD in
northern Europe. However, the use of runes persisted for specialized purposes in northern Europe. Until the early 20th century, runes were used in rural
Sweden for decorative purposes in
Dalarna and on
Runic calendars.