Novgorod 292

Novgorod 292

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A birch bark letter cataloged as Novgorod 292 is the oldest existing complete text in a Finnic language. The text is written in Cyrillic, with ca. 50 characters spanning across three lines. The text is conventionally interpreted as a Karelian charm against lightning. It is impossible to determine the exact dialect, but some characteristics points towards the Olonetsian–Ludian–Vepsian area.Laakso, 1999, pp. 554–555.

Script

Cyrillic

ISO 639-2

olo

Status

Unofficial

Debut

13th century

Literature

Laakso, J. (1999). Vielä kerran itämerensuomen vanhimmista muistomerkeistä. In Virittäjä, no. 4. Retrieved 20 September 2026 from kotikielenseura.fi

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Novgorod 292 [Birch bark letter no. 292] [Cyrillic inscription on birch bark]. (13th century). Novgorod.