Runelore: A Handbook of Esoteric Runology by Knight, Sirona
This book is divided in two parts. First part, Historical Lore, presents a history of the runes in a more realistic, scientific view using examples form archaeology to support certain theories of how the runes where invented (examples of runic writing with explanations are found throughout the book especially in the first part). The first 5 chapters of the book are chronologically organised and present the rune evolution from the oldest findings to the most recent ones. Chapters 6, 7, 8 try to explain the way the runes were used by the Norse and also give written examples which try to explain the runes. Especially useful are chapters 6 and 7, which try to explain the runes and the runic inscriptions. The second part, Hidden Lore, uses a philosophical and psychological approach to explain the runes. Chapter 9 is especially useful and probably the most important chapter within the book because here all the runes are explained in great detail. Chapters 10 is also useful because it shows the cosmological view of the Old Norse and the connection with the runes (24 pathways between the 9 worlds, 24 runes). Chapters 11, 12 display even more information about the runes and the way the ancient Norse people thought. The last chapter, 13, has a nice description of the gods of the old Norse.