Transcribing Runes

What's the difference between "translating" and "transcribing"?
I am frequently asked about writing in runes. People want to represent their names in runes, write secret or cryptic messages, create runic inscriptions or spells, and a dozen other reasons. One of the big misconceptions is that runes are a language and one has to translate modern English (or indeed any other modern language) into runes before writing. But that is not the case.

The runes are not in any language. They are simply a system of writing, so you can write any word you can say using runes instead of the letters of the modern alphabet that we use to write English and many other modern languages. Just think of the runes as an alternative ancient alphabet called the Futhark of 24 runes instead of the alphabet of 26 letters.

There is no need to "translate" anything as it will sound the same whatever writing system you use. Just as the letters we call English, Deutsche, Dansk or Nederlandse etc are not in any language because they are used by scores of languages.

The original rune users did have their own different languages - Scythian, Etruscan, Teutonic, Saxon, Old Norse, and eventually old English or Anglo-Saxon. So there is no reason you can't use runes for any language you like, including modern Western languages such as English.

The main thing to remember is that the runes are phonetic, in other words you write things they way they sound, not the way they are spelled. Because runes do not follow English spelling. Why should they? Runes were in use for hundreds of years before today's crazy spelling conventions arose. I mean, why would a  runecarver write  THROUGH for a word that sounded like THRU? He wouldn't. He would write it the way he heard it and so should anyone wanting to represent modern words in an authentic runic transcription.

This is where those online rune translator programs slip up. They are called "write your name in runes" or "runic translator"  etc, I expect you've seen them in search engine results. But these scripts can't tell how things are pronounced. They put double Ls and double Ts etc. in where they aren't needed, most of them don't know that NG or TH are just one rune and not two letters, they are unable to tell whether a letter is silent or voiced. Nor can they tell whether an A is pronounced AY as in FATE or A as in FAT. I have even seen a couple of these so-called "translators" using incorrectly drawn runes - Jera written backwards is a common mistake. So far I haven't found one of these programs that knows how to transcribe compound consonants like CH and SH, diphthong vowels such as AI or  OU, nor do they know how to deal with a Q or an X. There are a dozen more examples of this sort of thing.

So how do you go on then? Well, if you want some names, words, phrases or even whole sentences correctly transcribed into runes, but you don't have the time to learn all the ins and outs to do it yourself, this service is for you.

The act of changing words written in the modern alphabet into written runic words is called "transcribing", the process is known as "transcription", and the finished piece is called a "transcript".

Runic Transcription Service
RM111    1 word only    US$4.95
                 2-8 words -     US$8.95
                 9-16 words -   US$14.95
                 17-25 words - US$22.95
                 26-40 words - US$29.95
RM110    Longer transcription prices on request, email me first

Just  fill in the form below and click the order button. Your runic transcript will be supplied as a graphic image in a pdf document delivered by email attachment, usually within a few days. The lettering will be in 36 point Runemaker bold font - approx. ½ in. (12 mm) high.

PLEASE NOTE: The price is per WORD not per LETTER. So for example "thank you for buying my transcription service"  might be 39 letters, but it's only 7 words so it would only cost US$8.95.

Webmasters, re-sellers of all rune products and downloads visit:
www.licenses.runemaker.com
for a license to resell this service.