Norseman

The Vikings, also known as Norsemen or Northmen, were members of a Scandinavian seafaring warrior group that raided and colonized extensive areas of Europe from the 9th to the 11th century, whose influence profoundly affected European history. These Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were made up of landowning chieftains and clan heads, their retainers, freemen, and young clan members who sought adventure and booty overseas. At home, these Scandinavians were independent farmers, but at sea, they were raiders and pillagers. During the Viking period, the Scandinavian bands sailed the seas in their longships. They raided cities and towns along the coasts of Europe, earning them the name vikingr, meaning “pirate” in the early Scandinavian languages.

The Norsemen believed that the runes were created by the Gods and given to humans through Odin, their primary god. They are described in Håvamål, a famous poem that contains references to their power:

All will prove true that thou askest of runes —
those that are come from the gods,
which the high Powers wrought, and which Odin painted:
then silence is surely best.