I am considering personalizing my Albion Valkyrja by having the blade engraved with Nordic Runes down the fuller of the sword. Of course I would also be interested in having the inscription as accurate as possible given the cost of the sword.

Is there a site for help in translating 11th century nordic runes or someone who is proficient with the translation or use of Nordic runes? Maybe the Younger Futhark short twig rune style might be appropriate for an 11th century Finnish sword.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Be careful of what runes you use! They are not just a writing tool, they have power. I'm not crazy, I'm Asatru. I have seen the runes work in wierd ways. Here is a page that might be useful.

http://www.northvegr.org/northern/book/runes.php

Not trying to discourage you, but in that period, if a blade had letters on it, the letters would be inlayed, not engraved. Just a thought...

Hello
I`ve alway thought it funny, when people get Asian script, tatooed on them,and they dont speak the language.The tatooist ,could pretty much, say anything they wanted:-) If I got runes ingraved on my sword,it would probably read,
" I`am With Stupid " :-)

When I was living in Portsmouth, Virginia the local newspaper had an article on the tattoo policies of the military and they told of one young man being barred from enlisting because the Chinese character on his arm that he was told ment manly really ment prostitute. Somehow, I don't think he was laughting when he left the recruiter's office I'd be real careful about engraving anything a a blade that I couldn't read. Another thing is having it gramatically correct. Not all languages use the same word order as in English.

Here is a link to a very talented smith's inlay tutorial.
http://www.seekyee.com/Bladesmithing/the%20pr...torial.htm

Is not brass or silver more common for inscription inlaying? Just wondering...

Also, to extend the tattoo sub-thread, I was with my wife shopping for her next tattoo, and a fellow in the store was showing off his full-back tattoo of an Egyptian god, which he said was "Anubis", the Jackal deity and guide of the dead. Well, my wife, being an amateur Egyptologist, recognized the actual deity on his back, and explained to him that his newly permanent artwork was actually NOT Anubis, but the storm god Set (who killed his brother Osiris, and is often equated with the devil). :eek:

Guess the fellow should have done a bit more research, eh? :confused:

There is a sax ,hiding off in Jeroen's ZIP file, that has an engraved runic inscription. I believe it is a French find, 675-700AD.

I may be mistaken, but I believe I read or heard somewhere that the Finnish had their own alphabet of runes (not to be confused with the Finnish music/poem form)? The alphabet supposedly was very similar the Futhark alphabet.