Eight feels like a good place to start
Learning 24 new shapes can feel like a lot when they’re all on the screen together. I’d start with the first eight in the alphabet chart: f, u, þ, a, r, k, g and w. For now, you’re simply getting to know each shape and the label that goes with it.
Read through them once, then cover the labels and see what you remember. If one slips your mind, uncover just that one and take another look. I wouldn’t worry about speed. The aim is to make the runes feel a little more familiar each time you come back.
When two runes look the same
If you keep mixing up two signs, try putting them beside each other. Maybe one has a higher branch, or an extra stroke you hadn’t noticed. I’d describe that difference in whatever words come naturally to you. A reminder you can picture is often easier to use than another label to memorize.
You can make up a little visual association, too. Just remember that it’s your memory aid. It doesn’t have to tell us anything about what the rune meant to someone who used it long ago.
Give yourself a small check
Choose First eight in the quiz. Sometimes you’ll see a rune and choose its Latin label; sometimes you’ll work the other way around. All the answers stay within the group you picked.
Afterward, I’d take another look at anything you missed before starting again. Can you name it with the choices hidden? That feels different from recognizing the right answer in a list, and it’s worth trying both.
When you want a change from the chart, have a look at the Vimose comb. You’ll need a few letters from another group, but that’s fine. You can look them up. I’d rather give you something interesting to read than make you wait until you’ve memorized everything.
Keep the session as short as you like, and add the next eight when you feel ready. This is one way to practice, not a schedule you have to follow.
Sources and reading notes
- Andrew West: BabelStone Elder FutharkFont repertoire, alternate forms, Unicode characters and rendering behavior.
