Nochmals zum Runenwort urnordisch rūnō-

Abstract

Abstract The discovery of a stone fragment from Svingerud/Hole in Norway, whose inscription is dated between 1/25 and 250 CE, attests to the early use of rūnō (cf. Zilmer/Vasshus 2023) as opposed to rūnōʀ. The plural rūnōʀ (ON rúnar) is attested on runestones of the Classical and Post-classical runic periods including C-bracteates. The paper aims to clarify whether rūnō is to be understood soberly with Morris (1985) and Antonsen (1980) as a term of everyday language ›message, inscription‹ to be distinguished from Goth. rūna ›mystery, secret, counsel‹, or rather as a term for ›secret, orally presented knowledge‹, before being linked up to the fuþark and writing in runes in the due course of its history.