People living in Scandinavia may have written encrypted messages in runes – the alphabet later used by the Vikings – several centuries earlier than previously thought. In runic writing systems, each ...

We all know which star sign we were born under. With its 12 signs of the zodiac, conventional astrology has long dominated our reading of the heavens above. But what if other cultures had different ...

Across Sweden, ancient rune stones stand quietly in fields, near churches, and along roads. Many people pass them without a second thought. Yet these stones hold voices from more than 1,000 years ago.

The ancient runic alphabet, used by Germanic peoples centuries ago prior to the adoption of the Latin alphabet, remains one of the most enigmatic early writing systems. Chief among its mysteries is ...

Deep in the northern Ontario bush, there is a stone covered in strange markings. No one knew it existed until a tree fell over and exposed it. Carved into the slab of rock are a series of ancient ...

The Rök runestone in Sweden was discovered in the 1940s, and is covered with 800 runic letters. Macduff Everton/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images A new interpretation of the text engraved on one of the ...