"Runes are quite frequently mentioned in modern writings, usually imprecisely as a source of mystic knowledge, power or insight. This book sets the record straight. It shows runes working as a practical script for a variety of purposes in early English times, among both indigenous Anglo-Saxons and incoming Vikings." "The author, widely regarded as the expert in this field, examines the introduction of the runic alphabet to England in the fifth and sixth centuries, the forms and values of its letters, and the ways in which it developed, until its decline at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period. He discusses how runes were used for informal and day-to-day purposes, on formal monuments, as decorative letters in prestigious manuscripts, for owners' or makers' names on everyday objects, perhaps even in private letters."--Jacket.