An angular alphabet mainly intended for inscriptions on stone and wood. The earliest form in Middle-Earth was called the Cirth. This developed into the Angerthas of which there were local variants. The Angerthas Daeron was the most consistent while the Angerthas Moria was the form used in Erebor.

Runes played a crucial part in The Hobbit. They were written as Moon-letters on Thror’s Map of the Lonely Mountain, giving the clue that revealed the keyhole of the Side-Door.

Editor’s Note: Although Tolkien’s runes bear a resemblance to the Futhark, they are not quite the same.