Twilight Universe

Futhorc Runes Regular

by Gregory Wild-Smith

Futhorc is a runic language. It falls in the middle of the time-line of the common runic forms, the others being Elder and Younger Futharc, and was the primary form of writing for the Anglo-Saxons. Although the Norman conquest of England marked its demise it lasted for a long time (400AD—1100AD), and has never truly dropped from they public eye. This is mostly thanks to the epic poem Beowulf and, more recently, when J. R. R. Tolkien it as a runic script in The Hobbit.

Runic based languages were common until the 1200’s; even not dying out in Scandinavia until 1600’s. Dalecarlian runic script, a much later intermediary runic language, was in use from the 1600s all the way until around 1910.

About This Font

I created this font out of a need for a project I was working on. I needed an elegant Anglo-Saxon rune font, and Futhorc is rather neglected in this respect. Many Runic fonts are inspired by, rather than actual, runes; or they are based heavily on Futhark (either one). Additionally many are either of a low quality or are heavily stylized – mostly because of the fantasy literature influence.

The goal here was to create an accurate depiction of how Futhorc would have look carved into wood or stone. Clean lines and edges are the order of the day, with no whimsical additions. The font has close metrics, but is not too closely spaced – it allows for space to carve the runes next to each other practically. There is no Kerning, deliberately, as the runes wouldn’t have needed that.

License

This is released under a Creative Commons License which basically comes down to: Use it for non-commercial work all you like, for commercial work – don’t do so without my permission. For commercial use it’s just $10. I’m a pretty easy going guy.

For more details go to: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/

This font is also covered by the Developing Nations License, which means if you are in a developing nation then you may effectively waive the restrictions of the above terms, as long as you credit me. Read the licence for more explicit information.

More Details

1. The word fe for wealth is cognate to English fee and originally meant “cattle.” Cattle were often a general measure of a persons wealth.
2. An extinct member of the bovine family, Often called the “Proto-Ox”, which stood slightly larger than the modern cow. The last member of the species died out in 1627, in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland. The word is both singular and plural, like Sphinx.
3. More correctly Thurse, which is a Giant, and is an uncommon usage in Anglo-Saxon. Probably stemming from the Norse Elder Futhark’s meaning.
4. There is much debate as to the meaning of this rune. All that is really known is that it is something that “is a source of recreation and amusement…” Likely is some form of game or gambling; maybe even a lottery type of game. From the context it could just as easily mean “fart” though that is, admittedly, unlikely.
5. More correctly the “seċġ” is an addition for the sedge (a type of plant). In general “Elk” is more correct, what is known in North America as a Moose, however there is some debate to the true meaning. This rune is also, both in shape and position, much like the Algiz rune of Elder Futhark, of which the same problems in translation apply. Elk-Sedge, from its Rune Poem description, might be a form of sawgrass.
6. Also “Lake.” Effectively any large body of water.
7. Ing was a legendary hero and, possibly, another name for the god Frey. Frey also means Lord, and so that connection is made. As a suffix -ing means “Son of”, an exclusively male honorific. Ing is sometimes regarded as a symbol of male fertility, though this may be the product of later folk etymology.
8. Again, a source of debate. Certainly something that potentially could live in the water, but eat on land.