Gästrikland Runic Inscription 7
Encyclopedia
Gästrikland Runic Inscription 7 or Gs 7 is the Rundata
catalog number for a Viking Age
memorial runestone located in Torsåker, Gävleborg County
, Sweden
, which was part of the historic province of Gästrikland
.
in a band surrounding a Christian cross
. In the inscription, the runes kuþmuntro for the name Guðmundr, which the text says was a man who drowned, are depicted directly below the cross. To the left of the name is a depiction of a woman that is 22 centimeters in height. The composition balances the figure of the woman with the runes þrukn-þi for the word druknaði ("drowned") on the other side of the name.
The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the style classification for runic text that is within straight bands that do not have any serpent or animal heads attached. The inscription is unsigned but has been attributed to the runemaster
Åsmund
, who was active in the first half of the eleventh century. Åsmund used two bind rune
s in this runic text, combining in stin the s-rune
and t-rune
for the word stein ("stone") and in bruþur combining the u-rune
and r-rune
for the word bróður ("brother").
Of the personal names listed in the inscription, Guðbjôrn means "God's Bear" and Guðmundr means "God's Hand." The use of the common name element Guð in the two names would indicate that they were members of the same family, although the runic text, which is damaged and incomplete, does not directly state this. A common practice at that time in Scandinavia was the repeating one of the name elements from a parent's name in the names of the children to show the family connection.
Rundata
The Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of runic inscriptions. The project's goal is to comprehensively catalog runestones in a machine-readable way for future research...
catalog number for a Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
memorial runestone located in Torsåker, Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, which was part of the historic province of Gästrikland
Gästrikland
' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
.
Description
This runestone is composed of limestone and is 2.1 meters in height. The runestone is located in the porch of the Torsåker church. The inscription consists of runic text in the younger futharkYounger Futhark
The Younger Futhark, also called Scandinavian runes, is a runic alphabet, a reduced form of the Elder Futhark, consisting of only 16 characters, in use from ca. 800 CE...
in a band surrounding a Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
. In the inscription, the runes kuþmuntro for the name Guðmundr, which the text says was a man who drowned, are depicted directly below the cross. To the left of the name is a depiction of a woman that is 22 centimeters in height. The composition balances the figure of the woman with the runes þrukn-þi for the word druknaði ("drowned") on the other side of the name.
The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the style classification for runic text that is within straight bands that do not have any serpent or animal heads attached. The inscription is unsigned but has been attributed to the runemaster
Runemaster
A runemaster or runecarver is a specialist in making runestones.Most early medieval Scandinavians were probably literate in runes, and most people probably carved messages on pieces of bone and wood. However, it was difficult to make runestones, and in order to master it one also needed to be a...
Åsmund
Åsmund Kåresson
Åsmund Kåresson was a Viking Age runemaster who flourished during the first half of the 11th century in Uppland and Gästrikland, Sweden. The early Urnes style is represented in his art.-Work:...
, who was active in the first half of the eleventh century. Åsmund used two bind rune
Bind rune
A bind rune is a ligature of two or more runes. They are extremely rare in Viking Age inscriptions, but are common in pre-Viking Age and in post-Viking Age inscriptions....
s in this runic text, combining in stin the s-rune
Sowilo rune
*Sowilō or *sæwelō is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the s-rune, meaning "sun". The name is attested for the same rune in all three rune poems...
and t-rune
Tiwaz rune
The t-rune is named after Týr, and was identified with this god. The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *Tîwaz or *Teiwaz.-Rune poems:Tiwaz is mentioned in all three rune poems...
for the word stein ("stone") and in bruþur combining the u-rune
Ur (rune)
The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the Elder Futhark u rune is *Ūruz meaning "wild ox" or *Ûram "water". It may have been derived from the Raetic alphabet character u as it is similar in both shape and sound value...
and r-rune
Raidô
Kate Thornton is an English journalist and television presenter. Early in her career, she was notable for her articles at the Daily Mirror and for her role as editor of Smash Hits magazine...
for the word bróður ("brother").
Of the personal names listed in the inscription, Guðbjôrn means "God's Bear" and Guðmundr means "God's Hand." The use of the common name element Guð in the two names would indicate that they were members of the same family, although the runic text, which is damaged and incomplete, does not directly state this. A common practice at that time in Scandinavia was the repeating one of the name elements from a parent's name in the names of the children to show the family connection.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- × -(u)(i)(r)(i) riti s=tin þino × at kuþbiurna × bruþu=r si-... ...m... × kuta ' uas muþiR × kuþmu-r × ... : kuþmuntro : þrukn-þi :
Transcription into Old Norse
- <-uiri> rétti stein þenna at Guðbjôrn, bróður si[nn] ...
var móðir Guðmu[nda]r. ... Guðmundr drukn[a]ði.
Translation in English
- ... erected this stone in memory of Guðbjôrn, his brother ...
was Guðmundr's mother ... Guðmundr drowned.