The othala rune is such a case: the o sound in the Anglo-Saxon system is now expressed by ōs ᚩ, a derivation of the old Ansuz rune the othala rune is known in Old English as ēðel (with umlaut due to the form ōþila-) and is used to express an œ sound, but is attested only rarely in epigraphy (outside of simply appearing in a futhark row). The Anglo-Saxon runes preserve the full set of 24 Elder Futhark runes (besides introducing innovations), but in some cases these runes are given new sound values due to Anglo-Frisian sound changes. ![]() Anglo-Saxon œ-rune The left panel of the Franks Casket Usage and shape Similarly, Wolfgang Krause speculated that the o rune is used as an ideograph denoting possession in the Thorsberg chape inscription, reading the inscription owlþuþewaz as O - Wlþu-þewaz "inherited property - the servant of Wulþuz". It has been suggested that the othala rune on the Ring of Pietroassa is used to represent the word "*oþal", referencing the ring as hereditary treasure. The Old Norse o phoneme at this time becomes written in Younger Futhark in the same way as the u phoneme, with the Ur rune. The othala rune is found in some transitional inscriptions of the 6th or 7th century, such as the Gummarp, Björketorp and Stentoften runestones, but it disappears from the Scandinavian record by the 8th century. The corresponding Gothic letter is □ (derived from Greek Ω), which had the name oþal. The o-rune is attested early, in inscriptions from the 3rd century, such as the Thorsberg chape ( DR7) and the Vimose planer ( Vimose-Høvelen, DR 206). Elder Futhark o-rune Illustration of the Thorsberg chape showing the runic inscriptions on both sides The tradition of Udal law found in Shetland, Orkney, and the Isle of Man, is from the same origin. ![]() Some of these laws remain in effect today in Norway as the Odelsrett ( allodial right). ![]() Among other aspects, this protected the inheritance rights of daughters against males from outside the immediate family. The term "odal" ( Old Norse: óðal) refers to Scandinavian laws of inheritance which established land rights for families that had owned that parcel of land over a number of generations, restricting its sale to others. Terms derived from * ōþalą are formative elements in some Germanic names, notably Ulrich. * ōþalą is in turn derived from Proto-Germanic: * aþalą, meaning "nobility" and "disposition". Based on this, and cognates in other Germanic languages such as Old Norse: óðal and Old Frisian: ēthel, the Proto-Germanic: * ōþalą can be reconstructed, meaning "ancestral land", "the land owned by one's kin", and by extension "property" or "inheritance". The sole attested name of the rune is Old English: ēþel, meaning "homeland". The rune also continues to be used in non-racist contexts, both in Heathenry and in wider popular culture such as the works of J.R.R. ![]() As it does not occur in Younger Futhark, it disappears from the Scandinavian record around the 8th century, however its usage continued in England into the 11th century.Īs with other symbols used historically in Europe such as the swastika and Celtic cross, othala has been appropriated by far-right groups such as the Nazi party and neo-Nazis. Its name is derived from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic * ōþala- "heritage inheritance, inherited estate". Othala ( ᛟ), also known as ēðel and odal, is a rune that represents the o and œ phonemes in the Elder Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc writing systems respectively. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of runes.
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