Prose from Poetry Magazine

On “Rune Poems from Bergen, Norway, 13th and 14th Century”  

Originally Published: May 02, 2022

In 1955, a fire destroyed parts of the harbor district in Bergen, Norway. In its wake, archeological excavations uncovered hundreds of objects with runic inscriptions. The find revealed that runes were used not only for formal inscriptions, but also for casual correspondence, love poetry, and short—often erotic—notes reminiscent of text messages.

Read the poem this note is about, “Rune Poems from Bergen, Norway, 13th and 14th Century.”

Eirill Alvilde Falck is a Norwegian-born writer and translator who lives in the United States. Her work has been recognized with an Iowa Arts Fellowship and a Zell Fellowship.

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