With their distinctive and other-worldly appearance, runes--an ancient alphabet used to write Germanic languages--provide our only first-hand record of the customs and beliefs of peoples living on the northern fringe of the Roman Empire during a period of mass migration and momentous social upheaval. Emerging from obscure origins early in the first millennium, the runic script found new roles in Early Medieval England and Viking-Age Scandinavia, bearing witness to changing faiths, documenting the exploits of Norse settlers and mercenaries as they redrew the map of Europe, and giving us a rare window into the lives of medieval merchants in the North Atlantic. Runes: A Concise History recounts the fascinating story of the runic script and its evolution, whilst using the information provided by runic inscriptions to trace some of the major events to shape the medieval North, from migration, settlement, and conquest to conversion and the beginnings of Old English literature. From salacious
