Berkanan

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Name Proto-Germanic Anglo-Saxon Old Norse
*Berkanan Beorc Bjarken
"birch" "birch"/"poplar"? "birch"
Shape Elder Futhark Futhorc Younger Futhark
Unicode ᛒ
U+16D2
 ᛓ
U+16D3
Transliteration b
Transcription b
IPA [β] [b] [b], [p]
Position in rune-row 18 13

*Berkanan is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the b rune ᛒ, meaning "birch". In the Younger Futhark it is called Bjarken in the Icelandic rune poem and Bjarkan in the Norwegian rune poem. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem it is called beorc ("birch" or "poplar"). The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌱 b, named bairkan.

The letter shape is likely directly based on Old Italic B 𐌁, whence also the Latin letter B.

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:[1] English Translation:

Old Norwegian
Bjarkan er laufgrønstr líma;
Loki bar flærða tíma.


Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;
Loki was fortunate in his deceit.

Old Icelandic
Bjarkan er laufgat lim
ok lítit tré
ok ungsamligr viðr.
abies buðlungr.


Birch is a leafy twig
and little tree
and fresh young shrub.

Anglo-Saxon
Beorc byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah
tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted fægere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.


The poplar bears no fruit;
yet without seed it brings forth suckers,
for it is generated from its leaves.
Splendid are its branches and gloriously adorned
its lofty crown which reaches to the skies.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Original poems and translation from the Rune Poem Page.


Runes See also: Rune poems · Runestones · Runology · Runic divination
Elder Fuþark: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛜ ᛞ ᛟ          
Anglo-Saxon Fuþorc: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚩ o ᚱ ᚳ c ᚷ ȝ ᚹ ᚻ ᚾ ᛁ ᛄ ᛇ eo ᛈ ᛉ x ᛋ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛝ ᛞ ᛟ œ   ᚪ a ᚫ æ ᚣ y ᛠ ea
Younger Fuþark: ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚬ ą ᚱ ᚴ     ᚼ ᚾ ᛁ ᛅ a       ᛋ ᛏ ᛒ   ᛘ ᛚ       ᛦ ʀ        
Transliteration: f u þ a r k g w · h n i j ï p z s · t b e m l ŋ d o
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