Tools
Rune tools
Four tools, all client-side. Nothing you type is sent anywhere; disconnect from the network after the page loads and they carry on working.
Rune toolsTranslator, name converter, keyboard and Unicode chart, all client-side.Rune translatorWrite any text in five runic systems, with every letter choice explained.Your name in runesWrite a name in runes, plus a table of 147 common names in three alphabets.Rune keyboardClick to build runic text from every character in the Unicode runic block, then copy it.Unicode runic chartAll 89 characters of the Unicode runic block, U+16A0 to U+16F8.
Transliteration, not translation
These tools re-spell your text in runic characters. They do not turn English into Old Norse; that is a different operation entirely, and best understood before you commit anything to skin.
The five runic systems
Every tool here works across all of them. Choosing the right one matters more than most converters admit.
| System | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elder Futhark | c. AD 150–800 | The 24-rune alphabet. The most complete set of sounds, and the one modern rune practice is built on, but centuries older than the Vikings. |
| Younger Futhark (long-branch) | c. AD 800–1100 | The 16-rune alphabet actually used in the Viking Age, in its full monumental form. Historically accurate, and heavily lossy. |
| Younger Futhark (short-twig) | c. AD 800–1100 | The same sixteen runes in their simplified, quicker-to-carve forms. Common in Norway and Sweden and on everyday objects rather than monuments. |
| Anglo-Saxon Futhorc | c. AD 400–1100 | The English branch, expanded to 29+ runes. The best fit for English text, because it was built for an ancestor of English. |
| Medieval runes | c. AD 1100–1500 | The dotted, Latin-influenced system of medieval Scandinavia. Each sound has its own rune again, which makes it the most faithful match for modern spelling. |