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angerthas, cirth, david salo, dwalin, dwarves, erebor, essay, futhark, gandalf, graham mctavish, khuzdul, moon runes, news, peter jackson, photos, ring, runes, sword, tattoos, thorin, tolkien, weapons, weta
Michelle Nevins has written a very informative essay, Deciphering Runes in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey detailing the use of various runic systems in the film and related materials. She did a splendid job laying it out in PDF format, and I can find no better way to share it since it is full of runes, which I am not going to try replicating in WordPress.
Please follow this link to open the document – An Introduction to Runes in The Hobbit.
My gratitude to Michelle for being patient with my requests for additions and changes – we kept finding more items to add to the list of known runes. And I’m sure there are even more we’ve missed. In fact, I can think of one now. The runes on the garments of the dwarven craftsmen in Erebor.
These were originally seen in one of the vlogs, and deciphered by Grinman during a discussion on TORn last year. Although we can’t see every letter, we can make a good guess that they spell BROTHERHOOD in Futhark.
In the film you can see these craftsmen (craftsdwarves?) in the flashback in Erebor, but catching sight of the runes may be difficult (maybe on Blu-ray).
There is a wealth of runes visible in the scene in Erebor right before the uncovering of Smaug. I’ve taken a screencap from this video from Weta, and Michelle and I have been able to make out a word or two (maybe), though there are some issues even with these. The large runes on the stairway appear to read THE FOUNDA HAMMER, while below that I think I can make out what looks like ?EREBOR. And there are runes all along the upper landing, which you might be able to read. With the DVD coming out next month this should become much easier to decipher. Please feel free to post any suggestions/corrections in the comments below.
Just hours before I was going to post this I happened upon a brand new blog by David Salo himself. Thanks to the urging of Khuzdul enthusiasts such as the Dwarrow Scholar, Mr. Salo created a site called Midgardsmal to share insights on constructing new words and languages for the Hobbit film. Obviously anyone with an interest in this topic will want to watch his site for future revelations. There is already an interesting explanation of why there are different runic systems present in the film, and more info about the runes on Dwalin’s axes, and whether or not we will be seeing any Angerthas Erebor in the future.
Below are high-res references for some of the examples mentioned in the essay.
[Click to enlarge]
Scarthia Buthergia (Oakenfork) said:
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome essay. I read it and finally understood why I saw runes I couldn’t understand and when I tried to decipher them using Angerthas from RotK appendices, it made no sense.
Also there were runes I didn’t notice at all in the movie (can’t wait for the DVD to come out so I could watch it again).
It’s so fascinating to see the hard, sophisitcated work behind every image, every weapon, every sign.
Does anyone know where I could get some more information about this Neo-Khuzdul?
D.J. said:
The Dwarrow Scholar is a good place to look
http://dwarrowscholar.mymiddleearth.com/
vec170203 said:
Great essay! 🙂 I’ll need time to read it properly….
It will be helpful mainly ’cause I can write with the Anglo-Saxon Futhark runes, but I can’t with the others.
I specially struggle with the G, ’cause this rune in argenthas looks like the F in the ASF runes. :S
J said:
I believe that the runes on screenshots 5 and 6 are at least partially incorrect. If you compare them to the runes illustrated in the Fellowship of the Ring book at Balin’s tomb, the inscription does not match up (unless they are in a different rune language).
J
Michelle said:
Hi J,
Could you clarify what screenshots 5 and 6 you are talking about. (What scene, character, weapon and such) I want to check them to verify their accuracy. Thanks,
Michelle
Anjy Roemelt said:
This is an awesome article I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The different rune-systems in Tolkien’s books are annoying but they just represent that Tolkien wasn’t your run-of-the-mill fantasy author. He rather created history than story. If we look at our “primary- reality” we also encounter several different alphabeths which partially contain similar looking symbols for quite different sounds. Like the greek and cyrillic P which sounds R. And several languages add hooks or hyphens to their letters which do not seem to make sense to anyone who doesn’t know how to read it. The contempt the film-dwarves show for the elves does not necessarily match with the book-dwarves, though. The film exaggerates that on purpose, I believe. Tolkien said that the dwarves were very reluctant to teach Khuzdul to anyone outside their race. Their hidden names they told nobody, not even on their tomb stones (that’s why Balin’s tombstone in Moria really is a problem Tolkien struggled with himself, afterwards. If it shows the name of Balin that obviously wasn’t his real name. But if so there is no reason why the rest of the inscription should be in Khuzdul). But the dwarves were rather quick to learn other languages and used the same runes to write in them as other folks in order to keep Khuzdul secret. They invented some additions to the Angerthas Daeron to express sounds Sindarin didn’t have.
The dwarves’ reluctance to teach Khuzdul to anyone is the main reason why I firmly refuse to have anything to do with Jackson’s “Neo-Khuzdul”. To me it’s a violation of something that was important to Tolkien and his dwarves.
Michelle said:
Hi Anjy,
Thanks for the praise. I understood that Balin’s name was his name he used in the Common Speech, as all dwarves did. They had secret names too, that much is clear, but are you suggesting that Balin’s name was his secret name? I understand also your dislike for Neo-Khuzdul but we have so little evidence of their secret language. I feel I want to understand more. Make a fantasy out of a fantasy so to speak. I think a lot of other fans might feel the same. But keep up with your great articles. I really enjoy them.
Michelle
Anjy Roemelt said:
Balin obviously was Balin’s “common speech name”. There is something on that subject in History of Middle Earth, I think (I can’t get up for the book, right now, my little dog is lying in my lap and won’t budge). All the dwarves’ names are from the Edda and therefore actually Old Norse. Tolkien explains that he chose them because the men the dwarves lived with as neighbours might be considered similar to the Norse and so the names would feel appropriate. The Khuzdul names are absolutely secret – like cats’s names (see T.S. Eliot) ;-).
Of course, you are right about fans wanting to know more than Tolkien provided. I find it very understandable that new languages based upon Tolkien’s writings develop from this unfulfilled longing, much like fan-fiction. I sometimes indulge in ideas like that, too, only I NEVER share them with anyone outside a well hidden diary because they are absolutely rubbish compared to Tolkien, there is not a thirteenth of the effort, knowledge and labour he put into his work in mine – or almost anyone else’s. Also, I kow that The Professor didn’t like it when people took his work and worked upon it themselves and to do something I know he wouldn’t like – well, I just don’t do it. But keep on being different from me by all means, you’re doing great that way 🙂
Ellen said:
Thank you for once again showing the wonder of Tolkien’s and ,later , Peter Jackson’s work…
a question a little off subject….
does anyone know where Gandalf resides or is it unknown?…we see the white wizard in his tower, the brown wizard in his forest…..
??
EM
Michelle said:
I think we can deduce where Gandalf lives by looking at his names. “Gandalf (Elf-of-the-Staff) as he is known to Northern Men. To Elves he is Mithrandir, to Dwarves Tharkun, and in his youth ‘in the West that us forgotten, Olorin.” He is also known as The Grey Pilgrim, The White Rider, Gandalf Stromcrow, Incanus in the South, and the Grey Wanderer. Looking at all these names, in all these tougues of races of Middle Earth, I assume that Gandalf lives nowhere and everywhere. Not bad! If I lived in Middle Earth and had 3,021 years to kill, I would travel too.
Pantherea said:
I tried calculating his age with my brother, and after seeing him barely age in the about 120 scope of the Hobbit and LoTR, we gave up on the fact that he was immensely old. But with 3000 years, I’d do a lot of things…
Anjy Roemelt said:
He lives in his “business”, where else should he be? 😉
mmgilchrist said:
Wonderful essay! Just one small correction: it should be “Sir Peter”, or “Sir Peter Jackson” not “Sir Jackson”. Knights are never referred to by title + surname only.
Michelle said:
Dear Mmgilchrist,
Thanks for the praise and the correction. I am not the greatest of writers, and appreciate a correction or two to expand my limited horizons. We may update the essay soon (hoping the DVD/Blu Ray may have additional scenes) and the correction will be made then. Again, thanks for your input. It is a great motivator.
Best,
Michelle
Anjy Roemelt said:
Additional scenes, that’s an idea! I was going to NOT order it, since I noticed we never watch a dvd a second time once the director’s cut is out. So I intended to wait for that with The HObbit, but yes, additional scenes is a possibility
Ellen said:
We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming ‘sub-creator’ and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic ‘progress’ leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien
Anjy Roemelt said:
I copied this in my facebook-status. Wish I could have it on a button to pin to my shirt so I could read it everywhere :-).
Anjy Roemelt said:
The most prominent “rune-problem” I spotted in the film is the rune Gandalf inscribes on Bilbo’s door. In the modified Futhark of The Hobbit it means F which makes no apparent sense. In The Lord of the Rings Gandalf uses exactly the same rune to indicate his stay at Weathertop and Aragorn reads it correctly as G for Gandalf. This it is in the Angerthas Daeron Tolkien had invented by then and used in The Lord of the Rings. Thus Balin’s tomb-inscriptin is in Angerthas Daeron, too, while THorin’s map is in Futhark. Now, what does the rune on Bilbo’s door mean? According to the book it’s a common sign indicating a burglar wanting for a job – by just a simple F? Maybe the dwaevish word for burglar begins with an F but what use is there in specifying your job-appeal to one race only and one not likely to travel through your neighbourhood very often? There is no way around it, we fans have to learn two different rune-alphabeths and probably two different elvish scripts (for Quenya and Sindarin) and end up like tourists trying to decipher a road-sign in Jerusalem (latin, Hebrew and Arabic letters) ;-).
Whitney said:
Actually, it does make sense as a Futhark Rune if you look past the surface meaning of it symbolizing the letter “F”. This Rune is called “Fehu” in the Elder Futhark and is the first Rune of the whole Rune row. Therefore, it is looked at as a Rune to commonly signify beginnings. It would make a lot of sense then, if Gandalf were marking the meeting place for the beginning of their journey with this Rune.
There are three different versions of the historical Rune Poem, which is where many of the symbolic meanings of the Runes are drawn from. However, all three agree that “Fehu” symbolizes wealth. This is also consistent with the fact that Gandalf marks their burglar’s house with a “Fehu”. Burglars, after all, steal wealth. And their quest certainly has a lot to do with all that gold in Erebor. I take the “Fehu” to mean symbolically “Here marks the beginning of our quest for regaining the wealth of Erebor”.
Interestingly, both the Norwegian and Icelandic Rune poems have a line which is translated as ” Wealth causes trouble among relatives” With that layer added in, you could almost see that “Fehu” carved on Bilbo’s doorway as warning of the family history of the dragon-sickness inherent in Durin’s line.
I have often wondered if PJ and the wonderful art department at Weta had someone very well versed in these symbolic meanings of the Futhark that consulted on some of this. The use of “Fehu” was not specifically mentioned by Tolkien so someone had to come up with it. There are several other places I have noticed clever, and very relevant, uses of Futhark Runes. Although it could be just coincidence, there are incredible layers of meaning there.
Michelle said:
Whitney,
Great insight, especially about the Norwegian and Icelandic Rune poems. Now it can be interpreted as either Futhark or A. Moria. It now makes a bit more sense if Futhark was intended. The iconic messages, however, are very subtle and under toned. I myself am more comfortable with A. Moria, as Gandalf was fluent in reading the language, as demonstrated in Moria at Balin’s tomb (Poor Balin, Oin and Ori!). Coincidentally, the “Fehu” is mentioned by Tolkien, in Fellowship, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, A Knife in the Dark, but in Appendix E it is assigned a phonetic value of “G”.
Whitney said:
Thanks Michelle, for the comment and the wonderfully detailed article. Although I have a good understanding of the historical origins and spiritual uses of the Elder Futhark, I don’t have a good handle on how Tolkien used the Runes in his work. This definitely gives me a better understanding of his various Angerthas alphabets of Middle Earth.
I believe all interpretations and meanings are valid. There’s nothing wrong with things having more than one meaning, and I think Tolkien intended his work to be consistent with the cultures and history he was drawing his inspiration from.
Hedgehogged said:
If Orcrist is of Elvish make, why is it that it has Dwarven Cirith all over its sheath?
Hedgehogged said:
And if it’s an Elvish weapon, why is the scale precisely capable for a Dwarf?
D.J. said:
A good question, and I would refer you to someone who has thought about it already: http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/09/27/should-thorin-oakenshield-have-been-able-to-wield-orcrist/
D.J. said:
It has Angerthas Daeron written on it, which is an elvish system, but I can see how the flow of text in the document makes this confusing. I’ll ask Michelle to edit that.
Hedgehogged said:
No, the runes on the sheath are from the Cirith of the dwarves. Elves used it too,, but not all of them. Tolkien specifically says so in the Appendices.
Michelle said:
Hi Hedgehogged,
If you look at the tables of Angertheras Daeron, Moria and Erebor, many cirth are phonetically similar. For example, G, P. M. But some sounds have a different certh assigned to them like line 30 of A. Moria is zh, but a different certh is assigned on line 16 of A. Erebor for zh too.
I had hoped, and in fact was convinced at one point that Orcrist was of Dwarvish make, but none of the primary sources of Tolkien, or any secondary sources could confirm that.
The translation in Sindarin is by Javier Lorenzo and Ryszar Dorznslu at elvish.org. I will put in a question of this to David Salo at midgardsmal.com if you want me to confirm it. If it still remains unclear to you, I am happy to do so, for it was something brewing for me long before this paper was published. If you are correct, it would only serve to delight me, and confirm my original claim.
Thanks for your input.
Michelle
Kat said:
I plan on getting a tattoo using the Angerthas Erebor (but keeping the words in English if that makes sense), yet I have some questions on 2 Cirths that I will be using and punctuation.
I plan on using 34 for the S instead of 35 as I feel more comfortable with that one. However based on what is written in various places it seems as if 35 is always used, but nothing to say 34 is wrong.
Then there is mention of these extra Cirths that were added for the Angerthas Erebor, other then this site http://ring-lord.tripod.com/cirth/angerthaserebor.htm I cannot find them anywhere else. If they are found they link back to that page. I would like to know how valid that is since one of the Cirths I wand to use is an extra. The one in particular is the double form of Cirth 31.
I forget where I found it, but at least one site had said that one dot in between the Cirths and centered represented a space (aka end of one word beginning of another) and that three dots in a column meant end of a sentence. That seems to be the case on the dust jacket above, however at one point there is a column that has two dots and I have no idea what the represents.
The quote I will use is “Not all those who wander are lost”