Runes (Reading the Past)
by R. I. Page
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Book Summary Information
Author: R. I. PageEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-06-09
ISBN: 0520061144
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: University of California Press
Book Reviews of Runes (Reading the Past)
Book Review: Thank goodness for the unimaginative runologist!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a simple, straightforward, scholarly book about runes. Something not reeking of New Age "fluffy-mindedness" (as R. I. Page might well call it).
I had no idea how hard such a book would be to find. Virtually every book I encountered here at Amazon spoke of oracles and do-it-yourself spell-casting and higher consciousness and other assorted esoteric mumbo-jumbo. Finally I wised up and went to the "further reading" sections of some of my other Norse-themed books, and R. I. Page's name came up. I searched him out on Amazon, found this book and snatched it up.
And thank goodness for it. This book is a ray of sunshine cutting through the murky, convoluted morass of mystically-oriented rune interpretation. If you're looking for a simple book about runes, REAL runes, REAL artifacts, REAL history, REAL facts, then this is the book for you, period.
If you're looking for directions on how to put a runic curse on your cheating ex-boyfriend, look elsewhere.
It should be noted, as other reviewers have, that the book is not very long--only about 64 pages. But while I'm sure it's not absolutely comprehensive, there's plenty of information here, more than enough for my needs and probably for the needs of most rune-seekers. Thank you R. I. Page!
Summary of Runes (Reading the Past)
In Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish Islands, in Ireland, the Isle of Man and above all in Scandinavia, travelers still come upon great memorial stones, inscribed with the curious angular alphabet called runes. This is the story of these inscriptions from the earliest Continental carvings of the late second century A.D. through to the Viking age.Ancient Books
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