A small box, intricately carved from an ivory material, sits atop the table. Looking closely, you observe what appears to be a nativity scene on one side of the box... the other images are not so clear.

Along the borders around these images you can see both Latin letters as well as an alphabet of curious, angular symbols that you cannot read. The angular symbols are the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet, called the "futhorc" after the first 6 letters in the sequence. The futhorc consisted of angular letters (no curves here!) because it was not meant to be written on paper or parchment, but carved in wood and stone.

To see the letters of the futhorc and their correspondence to the Latin alphabet, check out this link:
http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/images/runes.gif

This bone casket is based upon a famous Anglo-Saxon box called the Franks Casket (named for its most recent owner). The Franks Casket, dating from the 7th century, is decorated with Christian images (the nativity), classical images (Rome's founders, Romulus and Remus, nursed by a she-wolf), and images from Germanic myth (the story of the magical smith, Weland). Check out the Franks Casket at the British Museum:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/t/the_franks_casket.aspx

The runic inscription that borders some of the images on the casket can be translated (roughly) thus:

"The fish was thrown by the flood onto the mountain; the ghostly king was sad when he swam on(to) the gravel"

Anglo-Saxons loved their riddles... at least eighty Old English riddles have survived to the present day. Can you solve this riddle to determine the material from which this casket is made? Write your answer on the blackboard in the meadhall!