{"product_id":"perle-viking-rune-berkano-bronze","title":"Viking Rune Bead Berkano: Birch and Birth","description":"\u003ch2\u003eBerkano, the birch — the tree that grows back first\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA vertical stem paired with two triangles, like a B, engraved in a cartouche on a patinated bronze \u003cstrong\u003ebeard and hair bead\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cem\u003eBerkano\u003c\/em\u003e names the birch, and it is the rune most often associated with new beginnings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFind this design in our \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/perles-viking-barbe-cheveux\"\u003ecollection of Viking beads for beard and hair\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat sets this beard bead apart\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA closed, solid design that catches the light well: the motif remains sharp even as the patina ages.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe pioneer tree of the North — the first to take root on scorched earth or bare ground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eA slide-on, not a clasp:\u003c\/b\u003e the bead is slipped onto the lock before braiding. The fullness of the braid keeps it in place, so there is nothing that can break.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eApproximately 6 mm bore:\u003c\/b\u003e the only criterion that truly matters. It should be slightly narrower than the finished braid and slightly wider than the loose hair.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/b\u003e Zinc alloy, patinated bronze finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eInner hole:\u003c\/b\u003e approximately 6 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/b\u003e approximately 10 mm in height, 8 mm in diameter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eWear:\u003c\/b\u003e beard, mustache, or hair, on a braided plait\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eSold:\u003c\/b\u003e individually\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDid you know?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Anglo-Saxon rune poem has this exact phrasing for the birch: it bears branches \u003cstrong\u003e\"without fruit,\"\u003c\/strong\u003e and yet its crown is laden and \"touches the sky.\" A botanically accurate description — the birch does not produce edible fruit — which does not stop the tree from being a symbol of fertility throughout almost all of Northern Europe. Its bark has been used for paper, roofing, and adhesive resin; in Scandinavia, it has been found in graves, rolled up, sometimes bearing inscriptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn more, our \u003ca href=\"\/en\/blogs\/news\/coiffure-viking\"\u003eViking hairstyle guide\u003c\/a\u003e details cuts, braids, and beards, with sources provided, and our \u003ca href=\"\/en\/blogs\/news\/futhark-ancien-alphabet-runique-viking-complet\"\u003eFuthark alphabet guide\u003c\/a\u003e covers every sign one by one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eComplete your set\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/perle-viking-rune-mannaz-bronze\"\u003eViking Mannaz Rune Bead: Mankind and its Fellow\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/perle-viking-vegvisir-argent\"\u003eSilver Viking Vegvísir Bead: the Icelandic Compass\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/perle-viking-rune-othala-bronze\"\u003eViking Othala Rune Bead: the Ancestral Domain\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n","brand":"Le Comptoir Viking","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57913516196222,"sku":"LCV-PERLE-RUNEBERKANOBRONZE","price":7.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/0569\/8430\/files\/perle-viking-rune-berkano-bronze-ambiance.jpg?v=1787662067","url":"https:\/\/www.le-comptoir-viking.fr\/en\/products\/perle-viking-rune-berkano-bronze","provider":"Le Comptoir Viking","version":"1.0","type":"link"}