writing was something the Anglo-Saxons didn’t do very often. Anglo-Saxons did have a special type of writing called runes, an alphabet of symbols that were sometimes carved into the handles of weapons or stone markers and inscribed on jewelry or other types of ornaments. Runes were also used for all sorts of magical spells because it was believed the markings had special powers. But only a few documents were written in runes, mainly because most Anglo-Saxons were not literate (able to read and write) and because paper was rare.
