Bind rune

A boat whose mast is formed with the bind runesþ=r=u=t=a=ʀ= =þ=i=a=k=n,on the runestoneSö 158at Ärsta,Södermanland,Sweden.The bind runes tell that the deceased was a strongthegn.

Abind runeorbindrune(Icelandic:bandrún) is aMigration PeriodGermanicligatureof two or morerunes.They are extremely rare inViking Ageinscriptions, but are common in earlier (Proto-Norse) and later (medieval) inscriptions.

On some runestones, bind runes may have been ornamental and used to highlight the name of the carver.

Description

There are two types of bind runes. Normal bind runes are formed of two (or rarely three) adjacent runes which are joined together to form a single conjoinedglyph,usually sharing a common vertical stroke (seeHaddaexample below).Another type of bind rune called a same-stave rune, which is common in Scandinavian runic inscriptions but does not occur at all inAnglo-Saxon runic inscriptions,is formed by several runic letters written sequentially along a long common stemline (seeþ=r=u=t=a=ʀ= =þ=i=a=k=nexample shown in image).In the latter cases the long bind rune stemline may be incorporated into an image on the rune stone, for example as a ship's mast on runestonesSö 158at Ärsta andSö 352in Linga,Södermanland,Sweden,or as the waves under a ship onDR 220in Sønder Kirkeby,Denmark.

Examples

Elder futhark

Examples found inElder Futharkinscriptions include:

• StackedTiwaz runes:Kylver Stone,Seeland-II-C
• Gebô runescombined with vowels:Kragehul I
• The syllableingwritten as a ligature ofIsazandIngwaz(the so-called "lantern rune" ).

Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

Bind runes are not common in Anglo-Saxon inscriptions, but double ligatures do sometimes occur, and triple ligatures may rarely occur. The following are examples of bind-runes that have been identified in Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions:

Cryptic runic inscription on a silver knife mount, with several bind runes

The "Derbyshire bone plate", showing the name Hadda with ligatured doubleᛞ

• The wordgebiddaþis written with a ligatured doubleᛞ(dd) on the Thornhill III rune-stone
• The nameHaddais written with a ligatured doubleᛞ(dd) on the Derbyshire bone plate
• The wordbroþeris written with a ligaturedᛖandᚱ(er) on some Northumbrianstycas
• The Latin wordmeusis written asmæuswith a ligaturedᛗandᚫ(mæ) on the Whitby comb
• The inscription[h]ring ic hatt[æ]( "ring I am called" ) is written with a ligaturedᚻandᚪ(ha) on the Wheatley Hill finger-ring
• The names of the evangelists,Mat(t)[h](eus)andMarcusare both written with a ligaturedᛗandᚪ(ma) onSt Cuthbert's coffin
• The nameDeringmay be written with a triple ligaturedᛞ,ᛖandᚱ(der) on the Thornhill III rune-stone (this reading is not certain)
• The wordsefais written with a ligaturedᚠandᚪ(fa) on the right side of theFranks Casket
• Double ligatured runesᛖᚱ(er),ᚻᚪ(ha) andᛞᚫ(dæ) occur in the cryptic runic inscription on a silver knife mount at theBritish Museum
• The wordgægogæon theUndley bracteateis written with ligaturedᚷandᚫ(gæ) andᚷandᚩ(go)
• A ligaturedᚾandᛏ(nt) occurs in the wordglæstæpontolon a cryptic inscription on a silver ring from Bramham Moor in West Yorkshire
• A triple ligatureᛞ,ᛗandᚩ(dmo) occurs on a broken amulet found near Stratford-upon-Avon in 2006. This is the only known certain Anglo-Saxon triple bind rune. There is possibly a faintᛖ,ᛞ(ed) bind rune on the reverse of the amulet.
• The name Ecgbeorht engraved on an armband from theGalloway Hoardis writteneggbrectwith ligaturedᛖandᚳ(ec), and the finalᛏ(t) added above the final letter
• The otherwise unattested Anglo-Saxon name Eadrufᛖᚪᛞᚱᚢᚠis inscribed on a gold Latin cross pendant, with ligaturedᛞandᚱ(dr) and probable ligaturedᛖandᚪ(ea)

Modern use

• TheBluetoothlogomerges the runes analogous to the modernLatin alphabetlettershandb;ᚼ(Hagall) andᛒ(Berkanan) together, forming a bind rune. The two letters form the initials 'H B', alluding to theDanishking andvikingraiderHarald Bluetooth,for whom Bluetooth was named.
• The former logo ofThor Steinarfeatured a combination of a*tiwaz rune(ᛏ) and a*sowilo runeᛋ.This logo caused controversy as the runes were so combined that a part of the logo became very similar to the insignia of theSchutzstaffel.

Gallery

• 
  Theaand theþrunes in ligature on theRök runestone
• 
  Thesandkrunes in ligature in the Old Norse wordskipari( "sailor" ) on theTuna RunestoneinSmåland
• 
  A bind rune for the wordrunaʀon theSønder Kirkeby Runestonein Denmark
• 
  Bluetoothlogo (20th/21st-century bind rune of(Hagall) and(Bjarkan)

See also

• Helm of Awe
• Cipher runes
• Pseudo-runes
• List of runestones

External links

• Nordic bind runes