Sarati is the name of an ancient Elvish script created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In Tolkien’s fictional history, the Sarati were developed by Rúmil of Tirion and are regarded as the earliest writing system used by the Elves. The script predates the Tengwar, or Fëanorian script, which later became more widely known and adaptable across Middle-earth.
Tolkien’s interest in scripts reflected his real-world training as a philologist. He did not merely invent decorative alphabets; he considered how writing systems might develop, change shape, and represent different languages over time. Sarati therefore belongs to the internal history of his invented linguistic world.
Sarati is easy to confuse with Tengwar because both are associated with Elves. Cirth is another separate system, characterized by angular rune-like forms and linked especially with the Dwarves. Sarati’s importance is chiefly historical: it represents an earlier stage in Tolkien’s imagined evolution of Elvish writing.