Berkanan
# Berkanan

| Name | Proto-Germanic | Old English | Old Norse | Old Norse |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Name | *Berkanan | Beorc | Bjarkan | Bjarkan |
| Name | "birch" | "birch"/"poplar"? | "birch" | "birch" |
| Shape | Elder Futhark | Futhorc | Younger Futhark | Younger Futhark |
| Unicode | ᛒ U+16D2 | ᛒ U+16D2 | ᛒ U+16D2 | ᛓ U+16D3 |
| Transliteration | b | b | b | b |
| Transcription | b | b | b | b |
| IPA | [β] | [b] | [b], [p] | [b], [p] |
| Position in rune-row | 18 | 18 | 13 | 13 |

Berkanan is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the b rune ᛒ, meaning "birch". In the Younger Futhark it is called Bjarkan in the Icelandic and Norwegian rune poems. 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 𐌁, whence comes also the Latin letter B.

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

| Rune Poem: | English Translation: |
| - | - |
| Old Norwegian ᛒ Bjarkan er laufgrønstr líma; Loki bar flærða tíma. | Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub; Loki was fortunate in his deceit. |
| Old Icelandic ᛒ Bjarkan er laufgat lim ok lítit tré ok ungsamligr viðr. | Birch is a leafy twig and little tree and fresh young shrub. |
| Anglo-Saxon ᛒ Beorc bẏþ bleda leas, bereþ efne sƿa ðeah tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum ƿlitig, heah on helme hrẏsted fægere, geloden leafum, lẏfte getenge. | The poplar bears no fruit; yet without seed it brings forth suckers, for it is generated from its leaves. Splendid are its branches and gloriously adorned its lofty crown which reaches to the skies. |
