Runic calendar. Photographed in 1898.
Keeping track of the time of year and specific dates was especially important in agrarian communities. Before printed almanacs became widely available and affordable, runic calendars and rune staffs were common in Finland and Sweden right up to the 18th century, and in some parts even later. They were also used in Norway, Lapland, and Estonia.
Not all the markings were actual runes, and indeed the Finnish word for rune (riimu) originally meant a cut or scratch. Some calendars of the staff type have much simpler markings.
