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search "birch" "birch"/"poplar"? "birch" Shape Elder Futhark
Futhorc Younger Futhark Runic letter berkanan.svg Runic letter
berkanan.svg B rune short-twig.svg Transliteration b
Transcription b IPA [β] [b] [b], [p] Position in rune-row 18 13
*Berkanan is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the b rune
, meaning "birch". In the Younger Futhark it is called Bjarken
in the Icelandic rune poem and Bjarkan in the Norwegian rune
poem. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem it is called beorc ("birch"
or "poplar"). The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌱 b, named
bairkan.  The letter shape is likely directly based on Old
Italic B 𐌁, whence also the Latin letter B.  The rune is
recorded in all three rune poems:  Rune Poem:[1] English
Translation:  Old Norwegian Bjarkan er laufgrønstr líma; Loki
bar flærða tíma.  Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;
Loki was fortunate in his deceit.  Old Icelandic Bjarkan er
laufgat lim ok lítit tré ok ungsamligr viðr. abies buð