Runes Messages from the Vikings - Heikki Oja

Runes are magic signs and decorations, letters and words of remembrance. They take the reader to the beginning of the 11th century, a time when Vikings conquered Europe, used runes to predict good luck in war, and hammered memorial inscriptions into stone.

There are runes on jewelry, spearheads and baptismal bowls. The most well-known signs are found on stones erected in memory of a person or building. Runes are also drawn on sticks used as calendars.

The work fascinatingly presents runic writing and tells what we know about runic artists and found runic objects.

Professor Heikki Oja is the retired director of the almanac office at the University of Helsinki. He has previously published non-fiction books on astronomy and calendar knowledge.