SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE GRAPHICAL FORM OF RUNES
The article deals with the problem connected with the question whether the graphical forms of the Old Norse runic signs are purely accidental, or they have their own hidden symbolism. The author attempts to prove the existence of the implicit meaning in all graphical elements of the Old Germanic alphabet, as well as to explore the connection between the form of a rune and its name, traditional and mythological meaning. The author provides evidence of the theory of the above-mentioned kind of symbolism, which allows us to view the runic system as one of the key components forming the picture of the world of the Germanic tribes.