The Runes are beyond just alphabet, they are believed to hold an inherent power within them. According to Norse lore, the king of the Norse Gods, Odin, longed to learn the truth of these runes and access their secrets, he impaled himself with his very own spear and hung from the Yggdrasil tree for 9 days and nights. Finally he regained his life and also access to all of their mysteries, secrets, powers, and magic.