Runes
Old Frisian script
“By their names etched here, I invoke the gods and our ancestors. They watch over us!”
The fact that we know so little about Frisia comes down to writing, or rather the lack thereof. And yet, Frisians had a script we call runes. A comb has been found which probably bears the literal inscription in runes: ‘Comb’. Other objects bear runic words we simply have no translation for. One of the oldest runes is found on a runic solidus, which is a coin that refers to the mythical tale of the smith Wieland. Runes were likely used in rerligious and ritualistic context, or to simply mark items.
Here we see a seer, a person from the age of Redbad who played an important role in religious matters. We can also see runes on several objects she is wearing. In her hand, she is holding a small sword inscribed with runes, based on an actual archeological find from Arum. This is little more than speculation, but the sword may havecarried the names of the gods, or perhaps an incantation associated with a specific ritual.
MythWatch
The fact that the ancient Frisians did not use their writing to record things makes things very difficult. Not only from a scholarly perspective, but also in the game of MythWatch, because there is little useful information to be gained about the past. However, in the game, the runes could be used for fun puzzles, with players having to collect or translate runes at a variety of locations. Perhaps Redbad’s grave is sealed with a Frisian spell that has been written down elsewhere. Or perhaps a Frisian spy left messages in the form of runes at a Frankish military outpost, but their meaning is known only to a select few.
