Berkanan
from Proto-Germanic *berkanan, meaning birch
A runic letter representing the birch tree across Germanic writing systems.
Berkanan is a rune used in Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and Younger Futhark scripts. It represents the sound 'b' and carries the meaning of the birch tree or its buds.
- Name means birch across all runic traditions
- Used in Elder Futhark, Futhorc, and Younger Futhark
- Shape derived from Old Italic alphabet
- Swedish name Birkal includes diminutive suffix
- Gothic record dates to late eighth century
What it is
Berkanan is a character in ancient Germanic writing systems. It appears in the Elder Futhark, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and the Younger Futhark. The symbol stands for the consonant sound 'b'. In some Norse contexts, it also represents the sound 'p'. The shape likely derives from Old Italic letters that influenced the Latin alphabet as well.
Where it comes from
The name comes from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic word *berkanan. This term translates to 'birch'. The association with the birch tree remains consistent across different runic traditions. Some scholars link this to the Irish Ogham script, which also uses a name meaning birch for its letter B. The Goths adopted the rune before switching to their own alphabet in the fourth century.
Tools and materials
The rune is carved or written using specific shapes. In the Elder Futhark and Futhorc, it looks like a vertical line with two loops on the right. In the Younger Futhark, variations include a short-twig form and an open version. A stung variant exists to indicate the 'p' sound, while a turned version mirrors the standard shape.
Berkanan, drawn and placed
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
- Lineage
- Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, Younger Futhark
Peoples and places
Different Germanic peoples used distinct names for the rune. The Anglo-Saxons called it Beorc or Berc. The Norse in Norway and Iceland used Bjarkan. In Sweden, the name was Birkal. Danish records show forms like biercan or brica. These names all relate to the birch tree or its parts.
At a glance: who, where and when
Who does it
How scholars and sceptics see it
Linguists study the rune to trace language evolution. Adolf Kirchhoff reconstructed early Gothic forms. Peter Andreas Munch proposed alternative spellings. Researchers analyze rune poems from Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to understand cultural context. Swedish records from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries provide additional variants.
Compare and confuse
The rune corresponds to the Latin letter B. It shares a meaning with the Ogham letter Beith. In Norse tradition, it relates to the p-rune known as Plástr. The stung and open versions modify the base shape for phonetic clarity.
Questions people ask about Berkanan
What does Berkanan mean?
It means birch. The name comes from Proto-Germanic *berkanan. This meaning stays the same in all runic traditions.
Which writing systems use this rune?
It appears in Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and Younger Futhark. Each system has slight shape variations.
What sound does it represent?
It primarily represents the 'b' sound. In Norse scripts, it can also stand for 'p' when modified.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "*Berkanan", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-08.
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