the origin of the Runes?

One theory has it that the ancient Germanics based their runic writing from the Etruscans. I'm not definitively weighing in on this, but I happened upon a photo of the Pyrgi Gold Tablets where the right two are in Etruscan characters bearing some resemblance to the runes:

From 500 BCE, and it wouldn't be so hard to conceive of the characters evolving or changing into Elder Futhark as time went forward. Here's a transcription for more clarity of the letter forms:

Sinistrodextral and boustrophedon are present in surviving runic examples, so the left-to-right in the Etruscan above allows for runes later being pretty fast & loose with whichever direction they were written. The Ansuz (), Isa (ᛁ), Sowilo (), and Laguz ()-like characters in mirror/reverse seem pretty dead on.

These tablets are also a dedication to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, and that could also be seen as a sacred throughline with uses of the runes on amulets, wood staves intended for magic, and runestone remembrance monuments (though runes also had secular use like marking objects for ownership/naming, and sent wooden notes in brief communications).

While we may never nail down the origin of the runes, the above's something to consider. Outside of Elder Futhark on precious bracteates, it would be awesome if we found some golden futhark tablets with galdralag to Freyja someday, or it would be neat if an artisan could NorsePlay some.

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.