Berkanan

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

NameProto-GermanicOld EnglishOld Norse
*BerkananBeorcBjarkan
"birch""birch"/"poplar"?"birch"
ShapeElder FutharkFuthorcYounger Futhark
Unicodeᛒ
U+16D2
ᛒ
U+16D2
ᛓ
U+16D3
Transliterationb
Transcriptionb
IPA[β][b][b], [p]
Position in
rune-row		1813

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

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:[1] English Translation:

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


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

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


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

Anglo-Saxon
ᛒ Beorc bẏþ bleda leas, bereþ efne sƿa ðeah
tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum ƿlitig,
heah on helme hrẏsted fægere,
geloden leafum, lẏfte 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.

See also

References
  1. Original poems and translation from the Rune Poem Page Archived 1999-05-01 at the Wayback Machine.


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