runology
Sign in to savethumb|right|Children being taught a runic alphabet (1555), from Olaus Magnus's [[Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus]] Runology is the study of the runic alphabets, runic inscriptions, and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.
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thumb|right|Children being taught a runic alphabet (1555), from Olaus Magnus's [[Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus]] Runology is the study of the runic alphabets, runic inscriptions, and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.
==History== Runology was initiated by Johannes Bureus (1568–1652), who was interested in the linguistics of the Geatish language (Götiska språket), i.e. Old Norse. However, he did not look at the runes as merely an alphabet, but rather something holy or magical.