Secret runes
As secret runes ( Norwegian : Lønnruner ) are monoalphabetic encryption methods in inscriptions referred to on a coordinate system based. The principle and representation are similar to the island Celtic Ogham script. The meaning and purpose of this cryptographic method are not known, but ritual motifs are suspected in addition to mere secrecy .
principle
The runes of Futhark can be divided into three groups of eight runes each. These groups are called in the younger Futhark ætt (Pl. Ættir : "gender", "family"). Thus, each character in the plain text can be clearly described by a pair of coordinates, the first coordinate indicating the ætt and the second the position of the rune in the respective group. In order to achieve a further level of encryption, the counting order of the ættir was often reversed (see table). Secret runes are authentically documented only for the younger Futhark.
A secret rune with the sound value k would therefore consist - for example - of a stick from which three branches branch off to the left (for the third ætt ) and six branches to the right (for the sixth place in ætt ).
| 3 | f | u | þ | á | r | k | Freys ætt | f | u | þ | a | r | k | G | w | 1 |
| 2 | H | n | i | a | s | Hagals ætt | H | n | i | j | ï | p | ʀ | s | 2 | |
| 1 | t | b | m | l | ʀ | Týs ætt | t | b | e | m | l | ŋ | d | O | 3 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th |
presentation
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A multitude of possibilities to graphically represent the corresponding coordinates have been handed down, but these can be traced back to two basic types. These are in probably falsely Rabanus Maurus attributed Isruna treatise describes the beginning of the 9th to 11th centuries.
"Iisruna"
The first variant consists in the repetition of two different individual (i.e. unconnected) runes or rune-like symbols, the number of which corresponds to the respective coordinate. An example of such an inscription can be found on the so-called Rotbrunna Stone (U 1165):
(2 | 4) (2 | 3) (3 | 5) (2 | 3) (3 | 6) (3 | 5)
airikr (Erik)The Isruna treatise calls this procedure iisruna , which is probably a fictional name derived from the use of characters similar to the Latin letter › i ‹; So it is not about "ice runes" meant.
Iisruna dicuntur quae i littera per totum scribuntur, ita ut quotus uersus sit primum breuioribus i, quea autem littera sit in uersu longioribus I scribatur, ita ut nomen corui scribatur his litteris ita i. IIIIII. iii. IIIIIIII. i. IIIII. i. II. Ii. III.
“Iisrunes are called those which are written exclusively with the letter i, so that the specification of the line would first be written with a shorter i, but the specification of the letter in the line with a longer i, so that the word corui would be written with these characters : ... "
Twig runes
Another possibility is the so-called "branch Rune" ( English : tree runes ) where two associated coordinates are represented on a common rod. Two twigs appear in different variations: On the Rök stone, for example, two twig runs combined to form a cross, which can be read clockwise. The Isruna tract describes this method as hahalruna , possibly with the Ahd. Word origin hahal (a) : "kettle hook".
Hahalruna dicuntur istae, quae in sinistra parte quotus uersus sit ostendunt, et in dextera quota littera ipsius uersus sit
"Hahalruns are called those that show the line on the left and the number of the letter of this line on the right."
middle Ages
More artistic variants of this method originate from the Middle Ages , in which, for example, fish, stick figures with branches hanging under their arms or stylized bearded faces serve as "branches". The latter are also referred to as "grimace runes" ( sjónrúnar ).
motivation
The reasons for encrypting text passages using secret runes are unclear, especially since the content of the encrypted texts is usually rather insignificant. In addition to secrecy as an obvious reason, a strengthening of the magical effect or “special consecration” ( Klaus Düwel ) could have played a role. Perhaps secret runes were only used to display the rune's special knowledge or simply for decorative purposes.
Other methods
In a broader sense, other methods runic cryptography can be used as secret runes are called, for example, abbreviations and concept runes , bind runes ( samstavsruner ), conversions ( lua for aluminum ), shift key or vocal -Auslassungen. On the stone of Rök , instead of the younger Futhark in use at the time of its creation, the signs of the older runic series were used in one section.
Stylus runes
In many early medieval parchments from monastery libraries one can recently find Old High German glossing, which was executed as stylus runes. The runes are pressed into the parchment with a stylus in such a way that they are barely visible and only recognizable when there is a strong shadow. They are also often cryptographed. Numerous examples were found on parchments from St. Gallen and Munich.
See also
literature
- Klaus Düwel : Secret runes. in: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. Volume 10, p. 565 ff. ( Digitized in Google Book Search)
- Lars Magnar Enoksen: Runor: historia, tydning, tolkning. Historiska Media, Falun 1998, ISBN 91-88930-32-7 .
- Andreas Nievergelt: Old High German in runic script. Cryptographic vernacular pen glosses. (= Journal for German Antiquity and German Literature, Supplement 11). Hirzel, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-7776-1671-1 ( review ).
Web links
- Article with numerous examples on arild-hauge.com (English)
- Rune Segrete on runemal.org (Italian)
Remarks
Individual evidence
- ↑ arild-hauge.com
- ↑ a b c Klaus Düwel: Secret runes.
- ^ Andreas Nievergelt: Old High German in runic script. Cryptographic vernacular pen glosses. (= Journal for German Antiquity and German Literature, Supplement 11). Hirzel, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-7776-1671-1 .