Rune (noun)

1. A letter or character of an alphabet used by ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons, from about the 3rd to the 13th century.
2. An object or symbol believed to have magic power in Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and other ancient Germanic cultures.

Origin:

From the old english run, which means "secret or mystery" and is derived from the proto-germanic *rūnō.

Examples:

1. The archaeologist found a Viking age rune stone on her excavations.
2. He was fascinated by the ancient art of rune casting and spent years studying it.
3. The rune on the amulet was believed to bring good luck.
4. The Anglo-Saxon rune alphabet had a total of 33 characters.
5. The Norse sagas often make reference to powerful runes.