In Germanic mythology, Odin gave up his right eye for the knowledge of runes.
Myths were myths, after all, and runes were not brought forth by Odin—although the origin of the letters had been lost in the immemorial time. The original runic alphabet had 24 letters and legend had it that by carving them into materials such as wood, stone, or metal, one could gain immense power.
Runic inscriptions were made from runic alphabet, which was widely adopted in medieval Scandinavia and later replaced by Roman script.
"Replaced" simply meant it was no longer used, but not lost. Of course, after so many generations, much knowledge had indeed been lost, leaving behind only the simpler applications.
The augury the woman performed, for instance, was one of the most common practices.
"Creto, tell me, what was it that you sense?"
