Runic Alphabet

Overview
Since the first entry in the series, the Ultima games made use of the Runic Alphabet on its maps and game manuals (see especially The Book of Mystic Wisdom from Ultima IV). Beginning with Ultima V, it was also used for many of the in-game signs, books, etc. For example, the words of power are only told in runic and one important message from the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom has to be manually translated. Also the Book of Lore mentioned that by that time, runic already was more common in the countryside than in cities, although there were activities to make city-folk more aware of their cultural heritage.

This alphabet is especially present in Ultima V and Ultima VI, less so in Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two. In the Book of Fellowship, Batlin claims that it is slowly being replaced by the latin alphabet. While this can't be claimed for most of the signs, tombstones, etc. in Britannia, the Fellowship was never seen using the runic alphabet and the tone Batlin uses indicates ridicule towards those businesses that do use it, calling it "an antiquated style of operation".

The Translation spell found in Serpent Isle can translate both these runes and the ancient Ophidian writing. Runic is strong in use on Serpent Isle, but not in the ruins of the Ophidians, who had developed their own alphabet.

By Ultima IX, the runic alphabet could only be seen on the Maps of Ultima IX Towns and it was stated that the usage of it (probably in no small part due to the Great Cataclysm) has went down significantly, although all official documents are still written in it, as noted in the Journal.

It is based on the Germanic / Norse runic alphabet.

High resolution image


Note that Q is missing. Q has its own symbol, but it's found on the chart at the top of the page.

Trivia

 * The letters that are used for two latin letters are only seldomly used, since most likely they couldn't be typed into a translator without problem by a programmer. This also goes for all true-type fonts.


 * Runic Magic in Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II got its name from the fact that the runic letters are etched onto the rune stones that are used for casting, each letter representing one word of power, with just the XEN and ZU stones missing (there are no stones for runic letters that represent two latin ones).


 * The Stranger can't read runic in Ultima IV, which hints that he or she didn't have much exposure to it in the previous adventures in Sosaria. This kind of makes sense as a medival society in the midst of huge wars wouldn't have much to read.


 * Interestingly enough, runic was also known to the Zealans of Pagan, as Bentic describes it as "Archaic Alphabet". The impications of this remain unclear.


 * Translating Runic manually is absolutely essential in Ultima IV, or otherwise the player never knows the answer to the final answer of the Codex ("Infinity"), as the letters are only shown when gaining an eigth, and that only in Runic. This also applies to Ultima V, where without manual translation, the player never learns the Words of Power (especially that from the Codex).


 * Runic is also found in the spellbooks in Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, where the runic letters are used for the words of power of the spells. This however does not go for the spell scrolls found on the Serpent Isle, which use the Ophidian Alphabet.


 * Runic at first was used on Ultima Online maps, but abandoned by later installments, probably to not confuse new players.