It's easy to imagine the Viking Age as a time without writing. But that's not quite true. The Vikings could both read and write – but not in the same way that we do today.
Runes – more than just letters
Instead of our alphabet, they used runes. The runes belonged to what is called the Younger Futhark, a runic alphabet with fewer characters than our modern alphabet. This meant that each rune often stood for several sounds.
This meant that the writing was less precise – but perfectly usable. Runes were carved into wood, bone, metal and stone. Unlike ink on paper, it was a craft that required time and precision. Writing was literally something you carved out .
Who could read?
It is difficult to say exactly how many people could read and write, but there is much evidence that knowledge was not limited to a small elite.
Runes were used in everyday life: to mark possessions, write short messages, and leave traces behind. Archaeological finds show everything from simple names to more personal texts – sometimes humorous, sometimes practical.
This suggests that more people than one might think had at least basic knowledge.
The function of scripture
It is also important to understand what the writing was used for. Runes were rarely used for long texts or stories. Instead, they were used briefly and directly.
A name. A message. A mark.
People and events could also be remembered on runestones. There, the writing became more solemn – but still concentrated.
It wasn't literature in our sense. It was communication.
To write was to leave traces
Writing with runes was more than just transmitting information. It was leaving an imprint.
When someone carved their name in wood or stone, it was a way of saying: I was here . It made the writing physical, in a way that is different from today's digital text.
Another form of literacy
So could the Vikings read and write? Yes – but on their own terms. They used a different system, for different purposes and in different materials. It was less standardized, less precise – but no less significant.
Maybe it's not that they knew less. But that they used writing in a different way. One that was closer to the hand, the material and the world around them.
