[gothic-l] Runic Influences

[Bertil Häggman]

Dear Listmembers,

Most probably the Latin alphabet could be seen as
the major influence on the establishment of the futhark.
Somewhere between a couple of centuries BC up to BC,
could perhaps be the timeframe. If the runes started
early they, according to Danish sources, might
be of a Latin alphabet oraclesystem, somewhere outside
Rome. Anybody interested in "oraclesystem" as term?

They could then have been used for cultic purposes.
If so there is a considerable gap between the
invention of the runes and the first finds (Norway,
Gotland, Scania, Schleswig-Holstein). If the latter
is German or Danish is of course undecided but
with a present partition system well functioning).

If there is a late dating, no cultic purposes 
is the most probable answer, they were just
needed for practical purposes.

The majority of inscriptions from ca. 150 to 400 AD
belong to the South Scandinavian area (here is then
included also Schleswig) with Jutland, the Danish
islands, Scania, Halland, Blekinge, Smaaland,
Vaestergoetland, maybe Dalsland, Vaermland
and of course Oestergoetland, and the two islands,
Oeland and Gotland. Most inscriptions are on
women brooches on Zealand and from the bog
deposits mentioned by Soeren.

Stevns with Himlingoeje is important on Zealand
and Gudme on the island of Funen. My personal
opinion was that the invention was made by
a North Germanic Roman mercenary but other
possibilities exist.

There is a fine article in the Swedish journal
Fornvaennen by G. Rausing, On the Origin
of the Runes 87 (1992) 200-205.

Ulla Lund-Hansen et al may be worth a check :
Himlingoeje-Seeland-Europa. Ein Graberfeld
der juengeren römischen Kaiserzeit auf Seeland,
seine Bedeutung und internationale Beziehungen,
Copenhagen 1995, 317-46. (A gravefield from the
Early Roman Iron Age on Zealand, its meaning
and international relations).

What does this have to do with the Goths. I am of
course thinking of the Pietroassa runering:

Gutani o(phal) wi(h) hailag

Gothically

Bertil




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