Archaeological Journal/Volume 2/Notices of New Publications: Runen-Sprach-Schatz
Too little attention has hitherto been paid by English antiquaries to the Runic monuments existing in this country[1]. We hope, however, that better times are at hand, and that the British Archæological Association may be the means of ascertaining, and this Journal the means of recording the various monuments of the kind scattered over the face of these islands.
It is with the view of exciting increased interest among our friends and correspondents throughout the country to these valuable relics of its earlier history, that we call attention to this small octavo volume, which is dedicated to the king of Sweden, and contains, in alphabetical order—that is, according to the order of the Runic alphabet—every word which occurs in the numerous inscriptions preserved by the late distinguished Swedish antiquary Liljegren, in his celebrated collection of Runic monuments, entitled Run-Urkunder, in which no less than two thousand inscriptions are recorded.
Although the Norse, or Scandinavian Runes, differ both in character and language from our Anglo-Saxon Runes, the two are still so closely connected, that the work before us cannot fail to furnish striking illustrations of any inscriptions existing or discoverable in these islands; more especially since the author illustrates each word by its corresponding forms in the cognate Scandinavian and Teutonic languages.
Dr. Dieterich appears, from his introduction, to be of opinion that the Runes themselves, (of which the invention is ascribed to Odin, as the invention of writing is always ascribed to some God,) existed in Scandinavia before the introduction of Christianity; but that, since no one has been able to prove the existence of a single Rune-stone which bears distinct traces of Paganism; that the Rune-stones have derived the style of their inscriptions from Christian monuments, but their upright form and position, and in some cases their application from the earlier Bauta stones. In short, that although the Runes are older, the Rune-stones of Scandinavia date from the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity.
But to return to the volume before us, and to the use of which it may prove to English antiquaries, in facilitating their endeavours to interpret the Runic inscriptions of this country. These inscriptions, which are necessarily "brief as the posey of a ring," can only be deciphered by comparison with similar monuments; but to find the same word, or form of word, it was necessary, previous to the publication of this Runic Dictionary, to go through the various existing inscriptions until it presented itself. Now, however, thanks to Dr. Dieterich, every word existing in the two thousand inscriptions to which we have alluded, may instantly be referred to, an advantage which those who have endeavoured to ferret out the meaning of one of these mystic records can alone sufficiently appreciate.
Before concluding our notice of this useful volume, we must add, that the earlier sheets contain some valuable notes, by our countryman Mr. George W. Dasent, whose translations of the Prose, or Younger Edda, and of Rask's Grammar of the Icelandic, or Old Norse Tongue, have established his reputation both in Sweden and his own "Fatherland," as an accomplished philologist, and a successful investigator of the early forms of the old Scandinavian and Teutonic languages.
- ↑ Mr. Kemble's valuable article on "Anglo-Saxon Runes," in the 28th vol. of the "Archæologia," forms an honourable exception to this remark.