The Magical Runes Mystery Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This gem is hidden just outside of Galt, but NOT at the above coordinates. You will
need to do a little research and solve the puzzle below to
find the prize.
(Excerpt from internet article "Runes Through Time" written by
Nicole Sanderson:
The Vikings are often portrayed as illiterate, uncultured
barbarians who evinced more interest in plunder than in poetry. In
fact, the Vikings left behind a great number of documents in stone,
wood and metal, all written in the enigmatic symbols known as
runes. They relied on these symbols not only for writing but also
to tell fortunes, cast spells, and provide protection. Early
Germanic tribes of northern Europe were first to develop runes, but
the Scandinavians soon adopted the symbols for their own use. When
the seafaring Vikings traveled to faraway lands, they brought their
system of writing with them, leaving runic inscriptions in places
as distant as Greenland. Wherever they went, Vikings turned to
runes to express both the poetic ("Listen, ring-bearers, while I
speak/Of the glories in war of Harald, most wealthy") and the
prosaic ("Rannvieg owns this box"), inscribing them on everything
from great stone monuments to common household items. The runic
alphabet, or Futhark, gets its name from its first six sounds (f,
u, th, a, r, k), much like the word 'alphabet' derives from the
first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta. Each rune
not only represents a phonetic sound but also has its own distinct
meaning often connected with Norse mythology. Scholars believe that
early peoples used the runes originally as a means of communication
and only later for magical purposes. Historians disagree on when
runes first came into use. Since the first objects inscribed with
runes date to the second and third centuries A.D., some surmise
that the runic alphabet arose during the first century A.D.
Scholars concur that runes grew out of an earlier alphabet, but
which one is unclear. A likely candidate is the Etruscan alphabet.
Many argue that the geographic proximity of the Etruscans, who
lived in northern Italy, to the Germanic tribes of northern Europe
makes it likely that these two groups had some form of cultural
exchange. Also, similarities exist in some letterforms of the
Etruscan and runic alphabets. Another possibility for a source
alphabet is Latin. Those who subscribe to this theory believe that
the numerous commercial contacts between the Germanic tribes and
the Roman Empire during the first century A.D. exposed the former
to the Latin alphabet. The Northerners may have simply borrowed the
Roman letters and adapted them to their needs. The Scandinavians
had their own explanation for the appearance of the runes.
According to legend, Odin, chief of the Norse gods, speared himself
to a tree in a self-sacrificial attempt to receive occult
knowledge. As he hung suspended for nine windy nights, he learned
the mysteries of the runes, which he then passed on to his people.
Since Nordic peoples believed the runic script to be a gift from
Odin, they treated it with great reverence. Belief in the divine
origin of the runes also contributed to the idea that runes
possessed magical powers.
Do these runes contain a magical secret? Perhaps to the location of
a hidden treasure. It is up to you to discover the truth.
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Additional Hints
(No hints available.)