bindrunes

Bindrunes are ligatures formed by merging two or more runic characters into a single sign. In runic writing and talismanic practice, bindrunes are used to encode multiple meanings, names, or magical intentions within a compact glyph.

Historically, bindrunes appear in some early medieval inscriptions as a way to economize space or to combine the symbolism of several runes. The evidence is fragmentary, and scholars debate how consistently inscriptions used bindrunes as intentional magico-symbolic signs versus decorative monograms or abbreviations.

Construction varies: runic shapes may be overlapped, interlaced, or combined by sharing strokes so that a unitary glyph results. They often connect characters from the Elder or Younger Futhark, and may target a specific semantic field (for example protection, strength, or kinship) by combining corresponding runes.

In modern practice, bindrunes are widely used in neopagan and occult communities, as tattoo designs, jewelry, and sigils. Contemporary designers create bindrunes to symbolize personal names, intentions, or blessings, drawing on historical motifs while not always corresponding to historical instances.

See also: Runic alphabet, Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, sigil, talisman.