runesglyphs

Runes and glyphs are ornamental or symbolic characters that appear in writing systems across cultures and time periods. Runes are primarily associated with Germanic peoples, beginning with the Old Norse futhark in the first centuries CE. The standard Elder Futhark, consisting of 24 characters, was later adapted into the Younger Futhark and various Anglo‑Saxon runic alphabets such as the Anglo‑Saxon futhorc, which added additional letters for sounds not present in the original. Runes were carved into wood, bone, stone and metal, often used for inscriptions, divination and magical purposes. Their shapes were simple, angular and suited to the medium of carving.

Glyphs are a broader term covering any logographs or ideographs, or the individual shapes that make up writing systems. In modern typography, a glyph refers to the specific design of a character in a font, while an entire character set might be called a glyph set. Glyph variation accounts for differences in style, such as rounded versus angular forms, or an adaptation of a character for a particular language. Glyphs also appear in semiotic contexts, where symbols convey meaning beyond linguistic representation—such as in signage, ancient numeral systems or spell icons in contemporary spell‑casting traditions.

Both runes and glyphs share a common feature of visual symbolism: characters can encode phonology, semantics and ritual significance. Scholars treat them as valuable data for reconstructing ancient languages, social practices and material culture. Although the use of runic inscriptions has largely declined since the Christianization of Scandinavia and the West, runic alphabets occasionally reappear in modern fantasy or occult circles. Glyph design continues to evolve, with digital type‑design tools allowing precise control over each distinctive shape while preserving historical forms. The study of rune and glyph systems enriches our understanding of the interplay between written language, art and cultural identity.