Runes and Runic Inscriptions: Collected Essays on Anglo-Saxon and Viking Runes [Paperback]

R.I. Page (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0851155995 | ISBN-13: 978-0851155999 | Publication Date: May 6, 1999

How, where and why runes were used is still often mysterious; they continue to set puzzles for those who study them, among whom few are better known than the author of this book. Here he investigates evidence from Anglo-Saxon runic coins to Manx inscribed stones, including many of the known Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions (notably the Ruthwell cross and the Franks casket) and manuscripts, and looks in passing at some Scandinavian material, both in Great Britain and elsewhere. In addition to these detailed descriptions of inscriptions, and of the runic futhorc, or alphabet, on which they are based, Page also considers wider issues on which runes throw light: magic, paganism and literacy. Archaeologists, historians and others will find this a uniquely useful and authoritative volume on Anglo-Saxon runes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R.I. PAGE is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Emeritus Professor of Anglo-Saxon, Cambridge University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (May 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851155995
• ISBN-13: 978-0851155999
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Divination > Runes

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection of hard-to-find essays!, June 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Runes and Runic Inscriptions: Collected Essays on Anglo -Saxon and Viking Runes (Hardcover)

Anything by Prof. Page is good! This book is a collection of some of his harder-to-find essays on runes, spanning a number of decades. I treasure my copy, and recommend it most highly to the serious student of runes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reality Check, January 12, 2008

By 

S. Plowright (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Runes and Runic Inscriptions: Collected Essays on Anglo-Saxon and Viking Runes (Paperback)

With all of the popular New-Age and cultist books on runes out there, it is often difficult to spot the facts in a growing tide of fantasy. By all means practice your esoteric ideas as you wish, but at least have enough respect for the real and historical runes to read some of Page's books first.

Professor Page has been a foremost authority on the runes for more than quarter of a century, and this collection of essays is a sampling of an illustrious career. It is also gives a thorough and accurate description of many of the inscriptions and contexts in which runes are found.

If you are unfamiliar with the academic study of runes, you may want to start with his easier and cheaper introduction "Runes (Reading the Past, Vol 4)".


Sweyn
The Rune Primer: A Down to Earth Guide to the Runes

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but esoteric reference book, December 21, 2010

By 

L. Ingster "Caribbean Soul" (Great Falls, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Runes and Runic Inscriptions: Collected Essays on Anglo -Saxon and Viking Runes (Hardcover)

A terrific book and well written on the subject of runes. If you are into this, it is a must have for your bookshelf.