Rune

Runes
The runic alphabet (depicted on the chalkboard) being taught to Hexside students
Object information
Type	Written language
Use(s)	Communication, code, historical relevance
Background information
First appearance	"A Lying Witch and a Warden"
Last appearance	"King's Tide"

Runes are the phonetic symbols of the Boiling Isles, used alongside the Latin alphabet.

Background

Runes are used frequently on the Isles to complement the spoken language. The runes are basic knowledge taught to witches and demons in the "Baby Class" and are required knowledge before joining a coven track at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. All the runes are implied to have names, with "krom", "zix", "elgrim", and "zenomide" being those of the first four, however, as the order of the runic alphabet is unknown, it is unknown which runes these names belong to.

Appearances of runes used in the Boiling Isles' vernacular include the following:

• Various books with titles translating only to gibberish ("Witches Before Wizards")
• A chalkboard in the Baby Class with various runes and their Latin sound equivalents ("I Was a Teenage Abomination")
• A sign for the "HISTORY COVEN" with matching runes ("Covention")
• A book with "LUNAR MAGIC" written in runes ("Hooty's Moving Hassle")
• A book titled "ANCIENT TEXTS" along with the matching runes ("Lost in Language")
• Two "HUNTER'S MARK"s written on posters ("Once Upon a Swap")
• A book with the word "FOCUS" ("Adventures in the Elements")
• Several books with the runic titles "LORE", "CREATION OF THE ISLES", and "THE TITAN AND HIS SPAWN" ("Understanding Willow")
• A tapestry with the runic title "SUBJUGATION" ("Agony of a Witch")
• The broken area of the titan finger teleporter to Titan Trapper Island, surrounded by runes reading "SEEK THE KEY FEAR THE LOCK" (Edge of the World)

Trivia

Guide to the runes.

• Many of the runes share a similarity to Cyrillic letters.
• Throughout the first two seasons, individual words spelled in runes appear once in every episode, denoted by an eye symbol. These words, when put together, form messages in the format of poems.
  • The first season's message, when decoded, reads:

    "TWO WITCHES TORN APART NOW ALONE
    TWO HEARTS OF STONE
    A CURSE OF FEATHERS AND MUD
    A BETRAYAL OF BLOOD"

    • This is likely in reference to Lilith's betrayal of Eda, being the one who cursed her with the owl beast, a "curse of feathers and mud". "Hearts of stone" may be in reference to their shared loss of magic following the pain sharing spell, as magic comes from witches' hearts.
  • The second season's message, when decoded, reads:

    "SEETHING SEAS AND PUPPET STRINGS
    HE NO LONGER DREAMS OF KINGS
    AS ABOVE RUSH DARKENED SKIES
    AS BELOW HIS FATHER LIES"

    • This is likely in reference to King, as in this season, upon discovering the truth of his past, as well as his true heritage as a titan, he no longer wishes to be treated as a monarch or restore his supposed former throne, thus "he no longer dreams of kings" and "as below his father lies", his father being The Titan, whose remains make up the Isles. Additionally, "puppet strings" could be referencing The Collector's takeover and his turning of the Isles' citizens into puppets.
• According to Rebecca Bozza, at some point in the animatic stage of "Watching and Dreaming", there was a cut scene in which, after the last frame, the screen would cut to black, followed by runes appearing onscreen translating to "The end."

Gallery

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