>>19483
>>19518
Bought some used and new books last week that all came in the mail, some I already have as ebook but wanted a hardcopy. Some of the used books are in new condition.
Rudiments of Runelore is very good but I'm a little disappointed for how small it is, however, the the quality makes up for the lack of quantity. It discusses the origins of the runes, Old Norse and etymology, some relative history, artifacts found with runic inscriptions, format styles such as the page shown, and rune poems. The end of the book has a good bibliography as well, listing works like Toward a New Runic Grammar by Elmer H. Antonsen from The Nordic Languages & Modern Linguistics of 1970 and The Germanic Languages: Origins & Early Dialectal Interrelations by Hans Frede Nielsen from University of Alabam Press of 1989. I would say this book is very much worth getting.
Reading the Past: Runes is mostly about runic inscriptions found on stones and other artifacts, most shown as photographs and a few as drawings. It's also a thin book but the text is very small, maybe a little too small. It provides some history behind the inscriptions, like how Germanic men carried knives on them so carving names into wood to create labels for goods was actually a practical method at the time, as creating ink for feathers was quite a process. It also compares runes and goes a little in-depth into the meanings of words. The bibliography is small but points to works that look very good, with the main recommendation being Introduction à la runologie by L. Musset from Paris of 1965, a French work. I bought this used for $5 off Amazon with free shipping, so the price is very good.
Chronicles of the Vikings is okay. There isn't much to gain from this as it takes samples from various sagas and then Page throws in his thoughts and explanations. It's like the type of book one would find in an introductory college course or a book that one would buy for somebody that is completely new to the Norse world. It might be a good reference book if you need Post too long. Click here to view the full text.
