Coppergate Helmet

July 29, 2010

The Coppergate helmet (York helmet) was found in May 1982 at a site where many Viking Age artifacts had been discovered previously during the archeological excavations. The Anglo-Saxon helmet was right beneath the surface, protected by a brick chimney above. It was created about AD 750-775 but deposited considerably later: the brass decoration was already [...]

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Meanings of Anglo-Saxon Runes

March 30, 2010

All the variants of Germanic runic writing are basically kindred and go back to the Common Germanic Elder Futhark. One may be certain that these ancient runes had names. Alas, no rune-master of the Common Germanic period either left us a list of names for the Elder Futhark or explained what these names meant. Therefore [...]

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Anglo-Saxon Runic Rings

February 24, 2010

There are seven known Anglo-Saxon Age rings inscribed in runes, one of which is now disintegrated: 1. Kingmoor, Carlisle. Chance find, 1817. Now in the British Museum. Gold with niello, c. 27 mm diameter; 9th century (according to David Wilson). It has thirty runes: 27 outside the hoop and 3 inside: + æ r k [...]

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Futhorc: Anglo-Saxon Runes

February 24, 2010

Futhorc is a system of runic writing used in Anglo-Saxon and Frisian inscriptions belonging to the 5th to 9th centuries. Already the word itself shows that Futhorc (as compared to Common Germanic Futhark) developed due to phonemic changes in the languages that it was designed to transcribe: At first, both Old English and Old Frisian [...]

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