The Ordering of the Futhark

Abstract

This article focuses on the ordering of the runic alphabet. It is well-known that the runic alphabet goes f-u-th-a-r-k, and that this ordering differs sharply from that of all of the contemporary alphabets. This is particularly surprising, as it is difficult to understand why the inventor(s) of the runic alphabet would alter the ordering of the possible source alphabet(s) so dramatically. In this article, we evaluate some of the main theories proposed to account for this ordering, and then present our own solution, which holds that this ordering is primarily a pedagogical device. We argue that the furthark employs three types of pedagogical tricks: (1) futhark is easily pronounceable as a quasi-word, whereas the other sequences (a-b-c-d-e-f-g, alpha-beta-gamma-delta-epsilon, etc.) are not; (2) each rune in the futhark is associated with a noun in which it is found, which aids memorization; and (3) the order of the rune-associated nouns has been divided into three thematic groups (ættir), each headed by a god or a dreaded force of nature, and within each ætt, the meanings of the rune-names fall into thematic divisions, again making the futhark as a whole easier to memorize.