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Historical Stages of the Evolution of the Theory of Runic Communication

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Historical Stages of the Evolution of the Theory of Runic Communication Теорія та історія соціальних комунікацій UDC 003.345:81’22 Chekshturina V. М. Kharkiv National University of Economic HISTORICAL STAGES OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE THEORY OF RUNIC COMMUNICATION The paper is concerned with the issue of runic communication. The runic sign has been a subject of research over the last 400 years. It is a well-known fact that the runic sign has been used on the territory of Eurasia since the II century AD. During the first century, the runic sign was actively used as a means of written and symbol communication. After the XII century, it was gradually replaced by other means of written communication, continuing to exist as a means of symbol communica- tion among certain subcultures. The author distinguishes historical, disciplinary and geographi- cal vectors of scientific analysis of the runic sign. The methodology of study is based on semiotic, socio-communicative, systemic, sociocultural, immanent and contextual approaches. The author suggests that runology can be studied at universities within the framework of socio-communicative cycle disciplines. Key words: runic sign, symbol communication, Futhark, semiotics, information, coding, deco- ding, multimodal text. Introduction. The runic sign has been a subject The availability of a great amount of runic sign of scientific investigations for the last 400 years. It is systems, specific mediums, peculiarities of runic a well-known fact that the runic sign has been used inscriptions in ancient dialects which are out of use, on the territory of Eurasia since the II century AD. the change of religious paradigm create certain obsta- During the first century, the runic sign was actively cles concerning the conduction of a complex inves- used as a means of written and symbol communica- tigation as to the studying communicative potential tion. After the XII century, it was gradually replaced of a runic sign. The analysis of the condition of the by other means of written communication, contin- development of a scientific problem of determining a uing to exist as a means of symbol communication runic sign socio-communicative meaning can be con- among certain subcultures. However, the bearers of ducted along three vectors: runic signs (Vikings’ stones, bracteates, coins, melee – historical – the determination of stages of weapon ornament and so on) remain the treasury of a scientific interest to a runic sign and the formation of thousand-year-old history. runology; General descriptions of the relevant literature. – disciplinary – to cluster all the investigations The phenomenon of a runic sign has been studied by of historians, linguists and culture experts together historians, archeologists, linguists, culture experts, and distinguish socio-communicative problems in fine art experts. The findings of runic artifacts all over existing theoretical advances; the territory of Eurasia contributed to the rise of sci- – geographical – to consider the investigations entific centres studying runic inscriptions in Sweden, concerning studying European and Turkic runic sign Germany, Norway, Denmark, Great Britain, Baltic systems. countries, Russia, Kazakhstan. Describing methods. The methodology of this The findings of runic-like signs made by Ukrain- study is based on semiotic, socio-communicative, ian scientists on the territory of Ukraine (National sociocultural and contextual approaches. In case reservation “Kam’iana mohyla”, Zaporizhzhia study semiotic approach was chosen to identify region, centres of Trypillian culture, Verhniy Saltiv the semantic and pragmatic components in scien- (Kharkiv region)) make the need to conduct a spe- tific research on runic text. It was decided that the cial investigation concerning studying the peculiar- best method to adopt for this investigation was to ities of the usage of runic-like signs as the means to socio-communicative analysis of the structure of fix information in the process of symbol communi- runic messages. The sociocultural approach has a cation actual. number of attractive features for the consideration 143 Вчені записки ТНУ імені В. І. Вернадського. Серія: Філологія. Соціальні комунікації of the semantics of runic Futharks: Scandinavian, The author of Iceland collection “Runology” Nortrum, Gothic. (“Runologia”, 1732) Scandinavian philologist Jоn Scientific investigations of a runic sign as a com- Оlafsson from Grunnavik systemized runic inscrip- municative means have certain historical, time, ter- tions and identified certain rules of ancient linguis- ritorial, socio-communicative restrictions as it is tics development. The text included the materials impossible to interview the founder of a runic system from runic cryptography, means of rune usage in or one of the authors of runic inscriptions on Vikings’ Galdrastafir etc. The whole chapter is devoted to the stones and to know a reader’s (recipient’s) comment. ways of rune interlacement. It gives tables showing The whole socio-communicative system: communi- how to interlace runes “on one stalk”. In the end, the cant – code (of a message) – recipient, where code researcher determines the rules of runic monogram is a runic sign, is almost inaccessible. Only a code of composition. The peculiarities of punctuation in runic informational message – a runic sign was inherited by inscriptions as well as their practical application have the scientists. The revival of a socio-communicative been considered. Runes, as J. Olafsson asserts, “were model, the determination of a message context will carved on stones, wood or embroidered, written on allow us to know the properties of a rune as a means paper. There are a great number of those who still use of communication deeper. runes for composing monograms” [26]. Main body results. In connection with the change The second stage (XIX – XX centuries) – is the of religious paradigm all the first scientific investiga- formation of runology as an independent scientific tions of a runic sign were carried in very complicated discipline. At the end of the XIX century, numerous conditions and only in several centuries after the attempts of the scientists to find out the origin of runic destruction of the original runic socio-communica- writing appeared. Several various hypotheses, which tive system. are being criticized even now, are made. Analysis of the scientific literature made it possi- A present-day scientific community considers ble to single out main stages of scientific cognition of Danish scientist L. Wimmer (1874) to be the forefa- runic signs. ther of runology, who supposed that runes originate The first stage (XVII – XVIII centuries) – is the from Latin writing [19]. His opponents S. Bugge and stage of runology origin as a science with rune as O. von Friesen tried to deduce runic alphabet from a subject of research. Runology was initiated by Greek, connecting the appearance of runes with (Johannes Bureus, 1568–1652) who investigated the Goths’ residency in Black Sea region (III century). cradle of Old Norse. He also considered runes not only “Greek theory” of runic writing appearance comes as signs of an alphabet but assumed that they fulfilled into contradiction with the dating of the oldest runic sacral function as well. He dealt with re-thinking of findings on the territory of Scandinavia (II century). runic knowledge from the spectacle of Christian mys- The theory of a Norway runologist K. Mastrander ticism. J. Bureus has left behind seven manuscripts (1928) gained the most part of all the adherents. He “Adulruna Rediviva”. One of them “Cod. Holm. F.a. thought that runes could be restricted to the group of 16”, written in Swedish, disappeared in 1812. Two of North-Italian alphabets, which had been used during the four manuscripts kept in Royal Library – “Cod. several centuries B. C. and became known to the Ger- Holm. F.a. 21” and “F.a. 23” – are written in Latin, mans due to the mediation of the Celts, but direct pro- the others “Ral. 98O” – are written in Swedish. One totypes of runic writing hadn’t been determined [24]. of the two manuscripts kept in “Carolina Rediviva” in E. Moltke insists on the genetic relationship between Uppsala is written in Latin – “Cod. Av Ups. R 551a”, runes and South-European alphabets. He points out the other – “R 551b” is written in Swedish [5]. that besides magic, runes performed communicative The studying of runic inheritance was continued function which puts Old German writing in a line by the professor of Uppsala University (Sweden) with ancient writing systems [12, p. 523]. Olof Rudbeck Sr (1630–1702). Olof Rudbeck writes Since XIX century the analyses of runic inscrip- the treatise “Atlantic”, in four volumes, in which he tions has become an integral part of Germanic phi- highlights the achievements in runic sign investiga- lology and historical linguistics. The fairy-tales by tion and which will be referred to the genre of histor- Grimm brothers are well known all over the world but ic-linguistic patriotism then [24]. A physicist Anders Grimm brothers also studied ancient German runes Celsius (1701–1744) continued to study runes on and are considered to be the founders of runology Vikings’ stones while travelling about Sweden and in Germany. Wilhelm Grimm published a book “On greatly contributed to the theoretical inheritance of German runes” (“Ueber Deutsche Runen”, 1821) in runology genesis in Uppsala University. which he analyzed different kinds of futharks, char- 144 Том 30 (69) № 1 Ч. 2 2019 Теорія та історія соціальних комунікацій acterized Marcomannic runes, described modifica-
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