Berkanan
Encyclopedia
*Berkanan is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the b rune , 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 b, named bairkan.
The letter shape is likely directly based on Old Italic
, whence also the Latin letter B
.
The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:
} 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.
|}
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
". In the Younger Futhark it is called Bjarken in the Icelandic rune poem
Rune poem
The Rune Poems are three poems that list the letters of runic alphabets while providing an explanatory poetic stanza for each letter. Three different poems have been preserved: the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, the Norwegian Rune Poem, and the Icelandic Rune Poem.The Icelandic and Norwegian poems list 16...
and Bjarkan in the Norwegian rune poem. In the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
rune poem it is called beorc ("birch" or "poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
"). The corresponding Gothic letter
Gothic alphabet
The Gothic alphabet is an alphabet for writing the Gothic language, created in the 4th century by Ulfilas for the purpose of translating the Christian Bible....
is b, named bairkan.
The letter shape is likely directly based on Old Italic
Old Italic alphabet
Old Italic refers to several now extinct alphabet systems used on the Italian Peninsula in ancient times for various Indo-European languages and non-Indo-European languages...
B
B is the second letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. It is used to represent a variety of bilabial sounds , most commonly a voiced bilabial plosive.-History:...
.
The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:
| Rune Poem: | English Translation: |
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.
|}