Oldest runic letters inscribed on 2,000-year-old knife discovered in Denmark

Archaeologists excavating in Denmark have discovered a 2,000-year-old knife with the oldest runic inscription ‘little sword’

The oldest knife with runic letters ever discovered in Denmark was discovered during an archaeological excavation in a grave in Tietgenbyen on the island of Funen in Denmark.

On the blade is the word “hirila” written in runes, which means “little sword” in today’s language.

The three grooves spelling out the word comprise five runes, each measuring 0.5 centimeters in size.

 “This is a really special find. It may not look like anything, it’s a small piece of a knife blade that is now rusted. But it’s a big deal because it’s connected to rare finds that have writing on them from such an early period,” said Peter Pentz from the National Museum of Denmark.

The artifact will be on display at the Montergarden Museum in a special exhibition titled “The Little Sword” from Feb. 2 to April 7, 2024.

Source: Newsroom