In the dark forests of Northern Europe at the end of the last millenium, runes - ancient symbols of the natural world- were respected and feared as messages from gods and humbly consulted for divine guidance and predictions. Carved on jewelry, tools, weapons, and inscribed on boundary stones and markers, runes served as signs and talismans in a mysterious time.Originally written in Anglo Saxon in the early Middle Ages, The Rune Poem gives us an alphabet verse for these mystical inscriptions. Transcribed here into graceful modern English by poet Jim Paul, this ancient work is illustrated with richly textured carvings and lustrous illuminations. A beautiful and startling evocation, enhanced with informative contemporary notes, The Rune Poem, with its timeless power, links us to ages past and provides a key through which we may understand these primal symbols. Read Less