The Runes of Sweden

Translated by Peter G. Foote.
More than 3,000 runic inscriptions are known from Sweden - nearly four times as many as are known from the rest of the Germanic world. They tell about Viking raids, ventures in trade, events in farming communities, and the introduction of Christianity. Their language has the terse quality of works carved in stone, but it also lends itself to short poems. The frame for the inscritptions is usually a variety of the animal ornaments typical of the early germanic peoples, but sometimes whoe series of pictures are found giving rich illustrations of myths, legends, and poems.
Linguists will find a generous number of transliterations. Students of literature and art will appreciate the poetic and ornamental aspects of the runic monuments. Specialists in the early Germanic period will find brief accounts of the historical knowledge obtained from rune stones. 74 illustrations, 2 color plates.