Negau Helmet

Negau Helmet

The Negau Helmet is part of a group of 28 helmets, dated 400 B.C. and found in 1811, hidden in Zenjak, near Negau, now Negova in Slovenia. Helmets are of Etrurian type, known as “vetulonic” shape. They were buried in 50 B.C., right after the roman invasion of that zone.
 

1. Negau Helmet

Upon one of this helmets we read an incision in Etrurian alphabet dated around 200 B.C. saying:
 
harigasti teiva\\\ ip

 
2.Engraving in Etrurian alphabet inside the helmet

Numerous experts tried to interpret this inscription. T. L. Markey reads the inscription as 'Harigast the priest' (from 'teiwaz', “god”), just like another engraved helmet found in the same zone, that reports various celtic names, followed by religious titles.
Some thought that the inscription was a sort of archaic version of Ancient Futhark, but it's almost certain that the alphabet of this find is the Etrurian, which influnenced the runic one.
The importance of this find is given also from the fact that the name Harigast is the first deviation toward the german language still found; so this helmet is a sort of conjunction ring between the Etrurian and the Germanic linguistic world.

Other inscriptions on other helmets according to Markey say:
“Dubni banuabi “, translated “of Dubnos, the pigs killer”;
“Sirago turbi” translated in “the astral priest of the troops”;
”Iars'e esvii” translated in “Iarsus the divine”;
and “Kerup”, maybe an abbreviation for the Celtic name Cerubogios.
 

This typologies of helmets was traditionally worn by priests during the ceremonies of deposition. They were seemingly buried in Zenjak for cerimonial reasons.
The village of Zenjak has been of the great interest for nazists during the Second Warld War, that for a short time it was renamed Harigast.
 
 

Kovel spear spike

Found in the village of Suszyczno in 1858 near the town of Kovel,Ukraine. It is dated around 230 B.C.
15,5 cm long and 3 cm wide (max).

The spear spike has symbols and an inscription in silver types, partially in Runic, from right to left.

Trascription:
“tilarids”
 
 
6a. Kovel spear spike

Meaning:
“Fast to the target”

The word is Gothic, since we find the final “s”, while in the Proto-Norsen would have been a “z”.
The letters “t” and “d” are in Latin, while the other ones are written in Ancient Futhark.
The original was stolen from his polish owner by nazist archeologists in 1939 and was never found.
A copy of 1880 is exposed in Berlin; another one of 1884 in Warsaw.
 
 
6b. Kovel spear spike

Dahmdorf spear 

Spear spike found in Dahmsdorf-Müncheberg, Brandenburg, between Berlin and the Oder river, dated 250 A.D.

 
7a. Dahmdorf spear spike

The inscription

 
7b. Runic incision “ranja”

The Runic term “ranja” means in modern english “runner”, or “who runs fast”
 

Kragehul spear

Grip-stick of spear discovered in Fyn, Denmark. It has been found during the excavation of a sacrifical site at Kragehul, southbound of Funen Island, 1877.

On place some deposits of military equipments have been found, dated from 200 to 475 A.D.
The spear probably belongs to the last deposit.
 

 
8. Kragehul Grip-stick of spear, written in Runic

The inscription in Ancient Futhark says:
 
“ek erilaz asugisalaz muha haite gagaga ginu gahe ... lija ... hagala wiju big...”

The first part, translated in english is read as: “I, Erilaz of Asugisalaz, I am called Muha”; it is followed by a sort of magic war chant. Asugisalaz contains the word 'ansu' - “god”, and gisala “sprout”. Muha can be a personal name, or a word that means “servant”. The runes gagaga are disposed on a line of three bind runes based upon a triple X of Gebo with lateral sticks attached with the “a”s
A similar sequence is present on the Udley bracteat.

 
The gagaga inscription and the rest of the engraving has been indicated in different ways.
 

“Ginugahelija Hagala wiju bi g[aia]”

has been translated:

"to the powerful and fragorous Hagal, I vote this spear".

 
Source
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/7780/Runicinscript.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Runic_inscriptions

 
 
The published material upon these pages is taken from “Runemal, la Lingua degli Dei e degli Eroi” - L'Età dell'Acquario editions. For info and booking please write to info@runemal.org