Ingvar Runestones
Encyclopedia
The Ingvar Runestones is the name of c. 26 Varangian Runestones
that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea
of Ingvar the Far-Travelled
.
The Ingvar expedition was the single Swedish event that is mentioned on most runestones, and in number, they are only surpassed by the c. 30 Greece Runestones
and the c. 30 England Runestones
. It was a fateful expedition taking place between 1036 and 1041 with many ships. The Vikings came to the south-eastern shores of the Caspian Sea
, and they appear to have taken part in the Battle of Sasireti
, in Georgia
. Few returned, as many died in battle, but most of them, including Ingvar, died of disease.
The expedition was also immortalized as a saga on Iceland
in the 11th century, the Yngvars saga víðförla
, and in the Georgian chronicle Kartlis tsovreba, where king Julfr of the saga corresponds to king Baghrat IV
.
Beside the Tillinge Runestone
in Uppland and a rune stone on Gotland
, the Ingvar Runestones are the only remaining runic inscriptions that mention Serkland
. Below follows a presentation of the runestones, but additional runestones that are associated with the expedition are: Sö 360, U 513, U 540, U 785
, Vs 1-2, Vs 18 and Vg 184.
The transcriptions into Old Norse
are in the Swedish and Danish dialect to facilitate comparison with the inscriptions, while the English translation provided by Rundata
gives the names in the de facto standard dialect (the Icelandic and Norwegian dialect):
.jpg)
This runestone in runestone style Fp and is one of the Serkland Runestones. It was located at Steninge Palace, but it is now lost. Johan Bureus, one of the first prominent Swedish runologists, visited Steninge on May 8, 1595, and made a drawing of the runestone which stood by the jetty. Only 50 years later it had disappeared and in a letter written in 1645 it was explained that the stone had been used in the construction of a new stone jetty.
The inscription contained an Old Norse poem
. Of the names in the text, Sæbiorn means "sea bear," Hærlæif means "warrior love relic" or "beloved warrior," and Þorgærðr is the name of a goddess, Þorgerðr
, which combines the god name Thor
and gerðr, the latter word meaning "fenced in." Ingvar, the leader of the expedition, has a name meaning "the god Ing
's warrior." This runestone is attributed to the runemaster
Äskil.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This runestone in style Fp is located at Ekilla bro. It is raised in memory of the same man as U 654, below. The same family also raised the runestone U 643 and which reports the death of Andvéttr. Omeljan Pritsak
suggests that he may have died in Vladimir of Novgorod
's attack on Constantinople in 1043
.
The monument is more than 2 metres high, and it was mentioned for the first time in the 17th century during the national revision of historic monuments. It was at the time lying under the stone bridge that crossed the river north of Ekilla. It would remain lying there until 1860, when it was moved with great difficulty by Richard Dybeck
. After one failed attempt a crew of 12 men managed to move it out of the water and raise it 25 metres north of the bridge, where it still remains. Next to it, there are two barrows
and a monument of raised stones. There were formerly two other runestones at the bridge, but they were moved to Ekolsund in the early 19th century. One of them speaks of the same family as U 644, and it is raised after Andvéttr and his sons Gunnleifr and Kárr (one of the sons has the same name as his grandfather and the other one has the same name as his uncle).
The inscription is finished with a Christian prayer, which shows that the family was Christian. It is of note that andinni ("the spirit") is in the definite form, as this is a grammatic category that appears in Old Norse
at the end of the Viking Age
. It would remain rare even in the medieval Swedish provincial laws
. The same form was used on a lost runestone in the vicinity, which, however, was not made by the same runemaster
, which suggest that there were two runemasters in the region using the same linguistic innovation.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
The Varpsund runestone is in style Fp. It is almost three metres tall, and it is located on a promontory between Stora Ullfjärden ("Great fjord of Ullr
") and Ryssviken ("Bay of the Russians") so as to be well visible for both those travelling on land and those travelling by water. It contains an Old Norse poem
.
The runestone was depicted as early as 1599 by Johannes Bureus
, and in the 17th century on a drawing by Johan Hadorph
and Johan Leitz. Unfortunately, the names of two of the brothers who are mentioned on the stone were already lost at that time. Luckily, the brothers raised a second stone (U 644, above) at Ekilla Bro a few kilometres to the south of Varpsund, which is why scholars are certain that their names were Andvéttr and Blesi.
The runemaster
's name is partially superficially carved and the last rune has disappeared, but it was probably Alrikr. It is a characteristic of this runemaster that the r-rune
is used where the R-rune
should be. Moreover, the u-rune
is probably used on this stone for an u-umlauted a. These are dialect traits typical of the Old Norse
dialect of Iceland and Norway (Old West Norse).
The inscription mentions the knarr
, which was a larger sea-going trading vessel with ample cargo space. The knarr is mentioned in five other Viking Age
runestones, two in Södermanland
and three in Uppland
. A sixth inscription is found in the medieval church of Sakshaug in the fjord of Trondheim
, Norway
, where someone has carved the image of a knarr and written in runes "there was a knarr outside".
The same family also raised the runestone U 643 and which reports the death of Andvéttr. Omeljan Pritsak
suggests that he may have died in Vladimir of Novgorod
's attack on Constantinople in 1043
.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is in style Fp. It is located c. 500 metres south-west of the church of Råby in a gravefield with c. 175 registered pre-historic monuments. Among these monuments, there are many raised stones, mostly in stone circles
, 34 barrows and a triangular cairn. The runestone contains an Old Norse poem
.
The runestone was examined in the early 17th century by Johannes Bureus
and it was included in his book Monumenta Sveo-Gothica Hactenus Expulta.
The artwork of the stone is in line with many of the other Ingvar runestones, but it is debated whether they were made by the same runemaster
or not. It is of note that the u-rune
appears to be used for an u-umlauted a, an umlaut
which existed in Sweden, but was typical of the dialect of Iceland
and Norway
(Old West Norse).
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is in runestone style Fp and was carved by the runemaster Áskell. It is located in the porch of the church of Svinnegarn. It contains an Old Norse poem
.
The text refers to the lið of Ingvar. This word, translated by Rundata as "retinue," is often used in reference to the Þingalið, the Scandinavian forces that served the English kings from 1013–1066, and is used that way on runestone U 668. It has been suggested that lið could also refer to a "collection of ships."
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located in Alsta, Nysätra. It was discovered in the 1940s by a local boy, and an unsuccessful search was initiated to find the remaining parts. It is presently located in the forest about 100 metres from the road. Its identity as an Ingvar runestone is based on the remaining runes -rs + liþ, which agree with ikuars × liþ ("Ingvar's retinue") on runestone U 778.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located at the church of Tierp
. It is tentatively categorized as style Pr1. Although very worn today, the text of the inscription is known from a drawing made by Johan Peringskiöld
.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
.jpg)
This stone in style Fp was reported by road construction workers on April 6, 1990. A runologist arrived and noted that it was missing some parts. It was also lying with text upwards and it had probably been dug up and moved by machinery the previous winter from somewhere in the vicinity. The existence of lichen showed that it had not been completely covered by soil. Later in the month, an archaeological excavation uncovered two missing pieces of the stone. On the 23rd it was moved to the museum of Sigtuna
and on May 16, it was transported to a stonemason who mended the stone.
The stone is a light grey and finely grained granite, and it is 2.30 m tall and 1.73 m wide. The runemaster does not appear to have prepared the surface much and so the surface is quite coarse, but still the runes are legible. It was made by the same runemaster as the Ingvar runestone U 439 and probably the Ingvar runestone U 661. It is the only Ingvar runestone that talks of the construction of a bridge. The excavation had established that the stone had been located beside a road, and there was once a creek at the location across which the bridge had passed. The reference to bridge-building in the runic text is fairly common in rune stones during this time period and are interpreted as Christian
references related to the soul passing the bridge into the afterlife. At this time, the Catholic Church sponsored the building of roads and bridges through the use of indulgence
s in return for intercession for the soul. There are many examples of these bridge stones dated from the 11th century, including runic inscriptions Sö 101, U 489, and U 617.
Since it could not be reerected at its original location, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration
arranged so that it could be installed in the new terminal 2 for domestic flights. It was inaugurated in the terminal with a solemn ceremony by the Civil Aviation Administration on May 17, 1992.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located in Lifsinge and it is in style Fp. The runemaster used the imagery of the cross in the center to emphesize salvation; the text meaning "may God help Ulfr's soul" surrounds the cross.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone in style Fp is located at the church of Jäder.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone in style Fp is located in Högstena, Södermanland. It was raised by Holmviðr in memory of his son Þorbjörn.
Based on other runestones, the wider family connections of those mentioned on this runestone has been reconstructed as follows: Holmviðr was a wealthy landowner who also appears on the runestone Sö 116. He was married to Gýriðr, the sister of Sigfastr, the owner of Snottsta, who is mentioned on runestones U 623 and U 331, but for further information on the family saga of Sigfastr and his descendants, see the articles Gerlög and Inga
, and Estrid
.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone was originally located in Balsta. It was moved to Eskilstuna
in the 17th century, and then moved to Gredby in 1930 adjacent to Sö 108 and Sö 109
. It is tentatively categorized as style Pr2. The name Skarfr from the inscription translates as "cormorant
."
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone in style Fp is located in Gredby. The father's name Ulf means "wolf," while the son Gunnulf's name combines gunnr to make "war-wolf."
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone in style RAK is one of the Serkland Runestones, and it is located in Lundby. When Richard Dybeck
visited the grave field in the mid-19th century, someone pointed out a stone which rose only three inches above the ground and which was said to be "written". Dybeck excavated the stone and discovered that it was a runestone with an interesting inscription. In Dybeck's time, there were also the remains of a stone ship
next to the runestone.
Skarði is a rather unusual name, but it appears in runic inscriptions in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The name is probably derived from a word for "score" and it probably refers to someone who is hare lipped. The name Spjóti is also unusual and the unique name Spjót is found on the nearby Kjula Runestone. The word heðan ("from here") is only found in one single Viking Age
runic inscription.
The last part of the inscription is an alliterative poem. This kind of verse appears on several runestones and it is well-known from Old West Norse poetry.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
In the village of Tystberga there are three raised stones. Two of them are runestones called Sö 173 and Sö 374, of which the last one has a cross. Sö 173 is categorized as both style Fp and style Pr2. Both inscriptions are from the 11th century and tell of the same family. They probably refer to Viking expeditions both westwards and eastwards.
The location was first described by Lukas Gadd during the nation-wide revision of pre-historic monuments that took place in the 17th century. In a paddock at the state owned homestead of Tystberga there was a flat stone lying with runes and next to it there was another flat stone that was leaning. In addition, there was a large square stone surrounded with rows of smaller stones, which Gadd described as a "fairly large cemetery". Not far from the stones, there were also two giant passage grave
s, about 20 paces long.
There is a depiction of the cross-less stone from the 17th century, made by Johan Hadorph
and Johan Peringskiöld
. This depiction has helped scholars reconstruct the parts that are damaged today. The runestone was raised anew by Richard Dybeck
in 1864. In 1936, Ivar Schnell examined the stone, and he noted that there was a large stone next to it. When this stone was raised, they discovered that it was also a runestone, and it was probably the one that had been previously described by Lukas Gadd as the "square stone". In the vicinity, Schnell found a destroyed stone without runes which probably was the leaning stone described by Gadd. Since they would hinder agriculture, the three stones were re-erected at a distance of 60 metres, at the side of the road. The stone circle
and the other monuments described by Gadd could not be found anymore.
The runes mani can be interpreted in two ways, since runic inscriptions never repeat two runes. One possibility is that it refers to Máni
, the moon, and the other alternative is the male name Manni which is derived from maðr ("man"). The runes mus:kia are more challenging and the older interpretation that it was Mus-Gea is now rejected. It is probably a nominalization of myskia which means "darken" as during sunset, and one scholar has suggested that it could mean "sunset" and "twilight" and refer to e.g. a hair colour. A second theory is that the name refers to the animal bat
. It is also disputed whether it is a man's name or a woman's name, but most scholars think that it refers to a woman. The name Myskia appears in a second runic inscription in Södermanland
, and it may refer to the same person.
The last part of the cross-less inscription is both unusual and partly problematic. The word ystarla could without context be interpreted as both "westwards" and "eastwards", but since an austarla appears later in the inscription, it is agreed that ystarla means "westwards". It is unusual, but not unique, that the y-rune
(
) represents the v phoneme. An additional reason for this interpretation is the fact that it would allow the last part of the inscription to be interpreted as a poem in the meter fornyrðislag. This would explain the use of the rune since vestarla permits alliteration
with um vaRit. It is not known whether he refers to Hróðgeirr (Roger) or Holmsteinn, but most think that it is Holmsteinn who had been westwards. The plural ending -u in the verb form dou shows that both Hróðgeirr and Holmsteinn died in the Ingvar expedition.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
The Gripsholm Runestone is one of the Serkland Runestones and it is in style Fp. It is located beside the drive of Gripsholm Castle
together with another runestone from the 11th century, Sö 178
, but their original location is unknown.
The runestone was discovered in the early 1820s by Wallin, the caretaker of the castle, and it was then forming the threshold of the cellar of the eastern tower of the castle, the so-called "theatre tower". It was under both side walls of the door and also covered with tar, which suggests that it had been part of another construction before being used as construction material for the castle. It would take an additional 100 years before the stone was retrieved from the castle and could be read in its entirety.
The inscription says that it is raised in memory of Haraldr, the brother of Ingvar, and he is believed to have died in the region of the Caspian Sea. A subject that has been vividly discussed is why the runestone is raised only after Haraldr and not after Ingvar, and the most widely accepted explanation is that Tóla was only Harald's mother and that the two men were only half-brothers. It is also possible that there were originally two stones of which one was in memory of Ingvar, but that Ingvar's stone has disappeared. A third possibility is that "brother" refers to brother-in-arms, blood brother
, or something similar, and this is a use of the word that appears on one of the runestones in Hällestad
in Scania
.
One theory proposed by Braun connects this stone to the runestones U 513, U 540, and Sö 279, and it holds Ingvar the Far-Travelled
to be the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old.
The second half of the inscription is in alliterative verse
of the form fornyrðislag. The phrase to feed the eagle is a kenning
which means "to kill enemies".
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located in Vansta and it is in style Fp.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located at the cathedral of Strängnäs
, and it is in style Pr2.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is one of the Serkland Runestones and it is located at Strängnäs Cathedral
. It is in style Pr2. One theory proposed by Braun connects this stone to the runestones U 513, U 540, and Sö 179, and it holds Ingvar the Far-Travelled
to be the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located at the Strängnäs Cathedral and it is in style Pr2.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone was located in Hunhammar, but it has disappeared.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located in the park of the manor house
Stäringe beside the runestone Sö 319. It is in style Fp.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
The first rune in the inscription is apparently superfluous, and this can be compared with the fact that the name Ingvar is spelled with two initial i-runes
. What name was written in the first runes is not certain, but some scholars have proposed that it was a not hitherto known woman's name Ulfvi. Another proposal is that it was a misspelling of the name Ulfr or the rare name Ulfvid. The name Osnikin appears in half a douzen inscriptions in Uppland
and Södermanland and it means, like osniken still does in modern Swedish, "generous."
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
This stone is located in Berga, Skultuna. It is in style Fp and it is made by the same runemaster
as runestone Vs 18. It is dated to the 1040s. The name Gunnvaldr in the inscription combines gunnr meaning "war" and valdr meaning "wielder" or "keeper," while the name Ormr means "serpent" or "dragon."
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
, Petrus Helgonius and Petrus Törnewall is preserved. Later, the stone was toppled and partially covered with soil. In 1896, it was re-erected by the owner of the homestead of Bjällbrunna and moved a small distance.
The word helfningr (appears in the dative case as the eastern dialectal form hælfningi) is originally a word for "half" but it could also mean "troop." It only appears in one additional runestone, which is located at the church of Dagsberg in Östergötland
(see Ög 145).
The i-rune
can represent both the i and the e phonem, which means that the first name can be interpreted both as the woman's name Þorfríðr and the man's name Þorfreðr. It is consequently not known whether it was the mother or the father who raised the stone.
Ásgautr was a common name which appears in about 30 runic inscriptions. Gauti (modern Göte) was, however, rare in the runic inscriptions of the Viking Age
and the only additional runestone where it appears is on U 516 (although damaged or unclear inscriptions on runestones Sö 14, G 65, and Norway's N 331 also have words translated as the name Gauti). It is believed to mean an inhabitant of Götaland
, i.e. a Geat
. The personal name element Gaut appears, however, in not only this part of Scandinavia but also in Svealand
and in Denmark
.
Latin transliteration:
Old Norse transcription:
English translation:
Varangian Runestones
The Varangian Runestones are runestones that mention voyages to the East or the Eastern route , or to more specific eastern locations such as Garðaríki ....
that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea
Caspian expeditions of the Rus
The Caspian expeditions of the Rus were military raids undertaken by the Rus' between 864 and 1041 on the Caspian Sea shores. Initially, the Rus' appeared in Serkland in the 9th century traveling as merchants along the Volga trade route, selling furs, honey, and slaves. The first small-scale raids...
of Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century...
.
The Ingvar expedition was the single Swedish event that is mentioned on most runestones, and in number, they are only surpassed by the c. 30 Greece Runestones
Greece Runestones
The Greece runestones are about 30 runestones containing information related to voyages made by Norsemen to the Eastern Roman Empire. They were made during the Viking Age until about 1100 and were engraved in the Old Norse language with Scandinavian runes...
and the c. 30 England Runestones
England Runestones
The England runestones is a group of about 30 runestones that refer to Viking Age voyages to England. They constitute one of the largest groups of runestones that mention voyages to other countries, and they are comparable in number only to the approximately 30 Greece Runestones and the 26 Ingvar...
. It was a fateful expedition taking place between 1036 and 1041 with many ships. The Vikings came to the south-eastern shores of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, and they appear to have taken part in the Battle of Sasireti
Battle of Sasireti
The Battle of Sasireti took place in 1042 at the village of Sasireti in the present day Shida Kartli region, not far from the town of Kaspi, during the civil war in the Kingdom of Georgia...
, in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. Few returned, as many died in battle, but most of them, including Ingvar, died of disease.
The expedition was also immortalized as a saga on Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in the 11th century, the Yngvars saga víðförla
Yngvars saga víðförla
Yngvars saga víðförla is a legendary saga said to have been written in the twelfth century by Oddr Snorrason. Scholars have been skeptical towards this claim but in recent years it has gained more acceptance....
, and in the Georgian chronicle Kartlis tsovreba, where king Julfr of the saga corresponds to king Baghrat IV
Bagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the King of Georgia from 1027 to 1072. During his long and eventful reign, Bagrat sought to repress the great nobility and to secure Georgia's sovereignty from the Byzantine and Seljuqid empires...
.
Beside the Tillinge Runestone
Tillinge Runestone
The Tillinge Runestone, designated as U 785 under Rundata, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that was found at the church of Tillinge in Uppland, Sweden.-Description:The Tillinge Runestone inscription consists of a runic text within a serpent...
in Uppland and a rune stone on Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, the Ingvar Runestones are the only remaining runic inscriptions that mention Serkland
Serkland
In Old Norse sources, such as sagas and runestones, Særkland or Serkland was the name of the Abbasid Caliphate and probably some neighbouring Muslim regions....
. Below follows a presentation of the runestones, but additional runestones that are associated with the expedition are: Sö 360, U 513, U 540, U 785
Tillinge Runestone
The Tillinge Runestone, designated as U 785 under Rundata, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that was found at the church of Tillinge in Uppland, Sweden.-Description:The Tillinge Runestone inscription consists of a runic text within a serpent...
, Vs 1-2, Vs 18 and Vg 184.
The transcriptions into Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
are in the Swedish and Danish dialect to facilitate comparison with the inscriptions, while the English translation provided by Rundata
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...
gives the names in the de facto standard dialect (the Icelandic and Norwegian dialect):
U 439
The inscription contained an Old Norse poem
Old Norse poetry
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century...
. Of the names in the text, Sæbiorn means "sea bear," Hærlæif means "warrior love relic" or "beloved warrior," and Þorgærðr is the name of a goddess, Þorgerðr
Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa
In Norse mythology, Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa are goddesses. Þorgerðr and Irpa appear together in Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga, and Þorleifs þáttr jarlsskálds...
, which combines the god name Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
and gerðr, the latter word meaning "fenced in." Ingvar, the leader of the expedition, has a name meaning "the god Ing
Ing
-In English:* -ing, a suffix added to English verbs to make a present active participle or a gerund* Ing, a word for a water-meadow-In old Germanic history:* Ing, Ingui or Yngvi, a Germanic god* Ingaevones, a West Germanic cultural group...
's warrior." This runestone is 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...
Äskil.
Latin transliteration:
- [harlaif × auk × þurkarþr × litu × raisa × stain × þina at × sabi faþur sin × is||sturþi × austr × skibi × maþ ikuari a/a| |askalat-/skalat-]
Old Norse transcription:
- Hærlæif ok Þorgærðr letu ræisa stæin þenna at Sæbiorn, faður sinn. Es styrði austr skipi með Ingvari a Æistaland(?)/Særkland[i](?).
English translation:
- "Herleif and Þorgerðr had this stone raised in memory of Sæbjôrn, their father, who steered a ship east with Ingvarr to Estonia(?)/Serkland(?)."
U 644
Omeljan Pritsak
Omeljan Pritsak was the first Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University and the founder and first director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.-Career:Pritsak began his academic career at the University of Lvov in interwar Poland where he...
suggests that he may have died in Vladimir of Novgorod
Vladimir of Novgorod
Vladimir Yaroslavich reigned as prince of Novgorod from 1036 until his death. He was the eldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise of Kiev by Ingigerd, daughter of king Olof Skötkonung of Sweden....
's attack on Constantinople in 1043
Rus'-Byzantine War (1043)
The final Rus'–Byzantine War was, in essence, an ,unsuccessful naval raid against Constantinople instigated by Yaroslav I of Kiev and led by his eldest son, Vladimir of Novgorod, in 1043.The reasons for the war are disputed, as is its course...
.
The monument is more than 2 metres high, and it was mentioned for the first time in the 17th century during the national revision of historic monuments. It was at the time lying under the stone bridge that crossed the river north of Ekilla. It would remain lying there until 1860, when it was moved with great difficulty by Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck was a Swedish jurist, antiquarian and lyricist, mainly remembered as the author of the lyrics to what is now the Swedish national anthem: Du gamla, Du fria....
. After one failed attempt a crew of 12 men managed to move it out of the water and raise it 25 metres north of the bridge, where it still remains. Next to it, there are two barrows
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
and a monument of raised stones. There were formerly two other runestones at the bridge, but they were moved to Ekolsund in the early 19th century. One of them speaks of the same family as U 644, and it is raised after Andvéttr and his sons Gunnleifr and Kárr (one of the sons has the same name as his grandfather and the other one has the same name as his uncle).
The inscription is finished with a Christian prayer, which shows that the family was Christian. It is of note that andinni ("the spirit") is in the definite form, as this is a grammatic category that appears in Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
at the end of the 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,...
. It would remain rare even in the medieval Swedish provincial laws
Swedish provincial laws
The Norse laws were originally memorized by the lawspeakers, but after the end of the Viking Age they were committed to writing. Initially they were geographically limited to minor jurisdictions , and the Bjarkey laws concerned various merchant towns, but later there were laws that applied to...
. The same form was used on a lost runestone in the vicinity, which, however, was not made by the same 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...
, which suggest that there were two runemasters in the region using the same linguistic innovation.
Latin transliteration:
- an(u)(i)(t)r : auk * kiti : auk * kar : auk * blisi * auk * tiarfr * þir * raistu * stain þina * aftiR * kunlaif * foþur : sin han : fil * austr : miþ : ikuari kuþ heabi ontini
Old Norse transcription:
- Andvettr ok
ok Karr ok Blesi ok DiarfR þæiR ræistu stæin þenna æftiR Gunnlæif, faður sinn. Hann fell austr með Ingvari. Guð hialpi andinni.
English translation:
- "Andvéttr and
and Kárr and Blesi and Djarfr, they raised this stone in memory of Gunnleifr, their father. He fell in the east with Ingvarr. May God help (his) spirit."
U 654
Ullr
In early Germanic paganism, *Wulþuz appears to have been a major god, or an epithet of an important god, in prehistoric times....
") and Ryssviken ("Bay of the Russians") so as to be well visible for both those travelling on land and those travelling by water. It contains an Old Norse poem
Old Norse poetry
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century...
.
The runestone was depicted as early as 1599 by Johannes Bureus
Johannes Bureus
Johannes Thomae Bureus Agrivillensis was a Swedish antiquarian, polymath and mystic. He was royal librarian, tutor, and adviser of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden....
, and in the 17th century on a drawing by Johan Hadorph
Johan Hadorph
Johan Hadorph was a Swedish director-general of the Central Board of National Antiquities. In 1667, he was appointed assessor at the government agency for antiquities, and in 1679, he became its director-general...
and Johan Leitz. Unfortunately, the names of two of the brothers who are mentioned on the stone were already lost at that time. Luckily, the brothers raised a second stone (U 644, above) at Ekilla Bro a few kilometres to the south of Varpsund, which is why scholars are certain that their names were Andvéttr and Blesi.
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...
's name is partially superficially carved and the last rune has disappeared, but it was probably Alrikr. It is a characteristic of this runemaster that the 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...
is used where the R-rune
Algiz
The Algiz is part of the ancient Nordic and Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet, often equated to the modern day z, however was traditionally pronounced yr. The letter has come to symbolize many neo-pagan religions and is often worn as a pendant...
should be. Moreover, 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...
is probably used on this stone for an u-umlauted a. These are dialect traits typical of the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
dialect of Iceland and Norway (Old West Norse).
The inscription mentions the knarr
Knarr
The Knarr is a Bermuda rigged, long keeled, sailing yacht designed in 1943 by Norwegian Erling L. Kristofersen. Knarrer were traditionally built in wood, with the hull upside down on a fixed frame, then attaching the iron keel after the hull was completed. The hull planks were manufactured with...
, which was a larger sea-going trading vessel with ample cargo space. The knarr is mentioned in five other 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,...
runestones, two in Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
and three in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
. A sixth inscription is found in the medieval church of Sakshaug in the fjord of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where someone has carved the image of a knarr and written in runes "there was a knarr outside".
The same family also raised the runestone U 643 and which reports the death of Andvéttr. Omeljan Pritsak
Omeljan Pritsak
Omeljan Pritsak was the first Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University and the founder and first director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.-Career:Pritsak began his academic career at the University of Lvov in interwar Poland where he...
suggests that he may have died in Vladimir of Novgorod
Vladimir of Novgorod
Vladimir Yaroslavich reigned as prince of Novgorod from 1036 until his death. He was the eldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise of Kiev by Ingigerd, daughter of king Olof Skötkonung of Sweden....
's attack on Constantinople in 1043
Rus'-Byzantine War (1043)
The final Rus'–Byzantine War was, in essence, an ,unsuccessful naval raid against Constantinople instigated by Yaroslav I of Kiev and led by his eldest son, Vladimir of Novgorod, in 1043.The reasons for the war are disputed, as is its course...
.
Latin transliteration:
- + a--itr : auk * ka(r) auk : kiti : auk : -[l]isi : auk * tiarfr : ris[t]u : stain : þena : aftir : kunlaif : foþur sin is u[a]s nus(t)(r) * m[i](þ) ikuari : tribin kuþ : hialbi : o(t) þaira al-ikr| |raistik * runar is kuni + ual * knari stura
Old Norse transcription:
- A[ndv]ettr ok Karr ok
ok [B]lesi ok DiarfR ræistu stæin þenna æftiR Gunnlæif, faður sinn. Es vas austr með Ingvari drepinn. Guð hialpi and þæiRa. Al[r]ikR(?) ræist-ek runaR. Es kunni val knærri styra.
English translation:
- "Andvéttr and Kárr and
and Blesi and Djarfr raised this stone in memory of Gunnleifr, their father, who was killed in the east with Ingvarr. May God help their spirits. Alríkr(?), I carved the runes. He could steer a cargo-ship well."
U 661
Stone circle (Iron Age)
The stone circles of the Iron Age were a characteristic burial custom of southern Scandinavia, especially on Gotland and in Götaland during the Pre-Roman Iron Age and the Roman Iron Age. In Sweden, they are called Domarringar , Domkretsar or Domarsäten...
, 34 barrows and a triangular cairn. The runestone contains an Old Norse poem
Old Norse poetry
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century...
.
The runestone was examined in the early 17th century by Johannes Bureus
Johannes Bureus
Johannes Thomae Bureus Agrivillensis was a Swedish antiquarian, polymath and mystic. He was royal librarian, tutor, and adviser of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden....
and it was included in his book Monumenta Sveo-Gothica Hactenus Expulta.
The artwork of the stone is in line with many of the other Ingvar runestones, but it is debated whether they were made by the same 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...
or not. It is of note that 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...
appears to be used for an u-umlauted a, an umlaut
Germanic umlaut
In linguistics, umlaut is a process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vowel or semivowel. The term umlaut was originally coined and is used principally in connection with the study of the Germanic languages...
which existed in Sweden, but was typical of the dialect of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(Old West Norse).
Latin transliteration:
- kairui × auk × kula × ristu × stain þina × aftir × onunt × foþur sia is uas × austr × tauþr × miþ × ikuari × kuþ × hialbi ot × onutar
Old Norse transcription:
- GæiRvi ok Gulla ræistu stæin þenna æftiR Anund, faður sinn. Es vas austr dauðr með Ingvari. Guð hialpi and AnundaR.
English translation:
- "Geirvé and Gulla raised this stone in memory of Ônundr, their father, who died in the east with Ingvarr. May God help Ônundr's spirit."
U 778
Old Norse poetry
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century...
.
The text refers to the lið of Ingvar. This word, translated by Rundata as "retinue," is often used in reference to the Þingalið, the Scandinavian forces that served the English kings from 1013–1066, and is used that way on runestone U 668. It has been suggested that lið could also refer to a "collection of ships."
Latin transliteration:
- þialfi × auk × hulmnlauk × litu × raisa × staina þisa × ala × at baka × sun sin × is ati × ain × sir × skib × auk × austr × stu[rþi ×] i × ikuars × liþ × kuþ hialbi × ot × baka × ask(i)l × raist
Old Norse transcription:
- Þialfi ok Holmlaug letu ræisa stæina þessa alla at Banka/Bagga, sun sinn. Es atti æinn seR skip ok austr styrði i Ingvars lið. Guð hialpi and Banka/Bagga. Æskell ræist.
English translation:
- "Þjalfi and Holmlaug had all of these stones raised in memory of Banki/Baggi, their son, who alone owned a ship and steered to the east in Ingvarr's retinue. May God help Banki's/Baggi's spirit. Áskell carved."
U 837
Latin transliteration:
- ... ...k × hulmk... ... ...(r)s + liþ × kuþ × hialb(i) ...
Old Norse transcription:
- ... [o]k Holmg[æiRR](?) ... [Ingva]rs(?) lið. Guð hialpi ...
English translation:
- "... and Holmgeirr(?) ... Ingvarr's(?) retinue. May God help ..."
U 1143
Tierp
Tierp is a locality and the seat of Tierp Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 5,377 inhabitants in 2005. There is a saying that in Tierp the birds fly upside down.-Communications:...
. It is tentatively categorized as style Pr1. Although very worn today, the text of the inscription is known from a drawing made by Johan Peringskiöld
Johan Peringskiöld
Johan Peringskiöld was born in Strängnäs and died in Stockholm .His father was Lars Fredrik Peringer, a senior master at the gymnasium and his mother Anna Maria Mulich. He began his studies at Uppsala University in 1677 and he was an ardent student of the national antiquities...
.
Latin transliteration:
- [klintr auk blikr × ristu stin × þinsi * iftiR kunu(i)þ] × faþur × sin + han [× foR bort miþ (i)kuari + kuþ trutin hialbi ont ...](r)[a *] kristin[a þu]r[iR + --an- × ri]s[ti +]
Old Norse transcription:
- Klintr(?) ok BlæikR ræistu stæin þennsi æftiR Gunnvið, faður sinn. Hann for bort með Ingvari. Guð drottinn hialpi and [ald]ra kristinna. ÞoriR [ru]na[R](?)/[Tr]an[i](?) risti.
English translation:
- "Klettr(?) and Bleikr raised this stone in memory of Gunnviðr, their father. He travelled away with Ingvarr. May Lord God help the spirits of all Christians. Þórir carved the runes(?) / Þórir the Crane(?) carved."
U Fv1992;157
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 18 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta....
and on May 16, it was transported to a stonemason who mended the stone.
The stone is a light grey and finely grained granite, and it is 2.30 m tall and 1.73 m wide. The runemaster does not appear to have prepared the surface much and so the surface is quite coarse, but still the runes are legible. It was made by the same runemaster as the Ingvar runestone U 439 and probably the Ingvar runestone U 661. It is the only Ingvar runestone that talks of the construction of a bridge. The excavation had established that the stone had been located beside a road, and there was once a creek at the location across which the bridge had passed. The reference to bridge-building in the runic text is fairly common in rune stones during this time period and are interpreted as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
references related to the soul passing the bridge into the afterlife. At this time, the Catholic Church sponsored the building of roads and bridges through the use of indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s in return for intercession for the soul. There are many examples of these bridge stones dated from the 11th century, including runic inscriptions Sö 101, U 489, and U 617.
Since it could not be reerected at its original location, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration
Swedish Civil Aviation Administration
The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration, or Luftfartsverket was the Swedish Government agency which regulated and oversaw all aspects of aviation in Sweden until 2005...
arranged so that it could be installed in the new terminal 2 for domestic flights. It was inaugurated in the terminal with a solemn ceremony by the Civil Aviation Administration on May 17, 1992.
Latin transliteration:
- × kunar : auk biurn : auk × þurkrimr × ra-... ...tain : þina * at þurst... × bruþur sin : is uas austr : tauþr * m... ...ari × auk × karþ... ...u þisi
Old Norse transcription:
- Gunnarr ok Biorn ok ÞorgrimR ræ[istu s]tæin þenna at Þorst[æin] broður sinn, es vas austr dauðr m[eð Ingv]ari, ok gærð[u br]o þessi.
English translation:
- "Gunnarr and Bjôrn and Þorgrímr raised this stone in memory of Þorsteinn, their brother, who was dead in the east with Ingvarr, and made this bridge."
Sö 9
Latin transliteration:
- barkuiþr × auk × þu : helka × raistu × stain × þansi : at * ulf : sun * sint * han × entaþis + miþ : ikuari + kuþ + hialbi + salu ulfs ×
Old Norse transcription:
- Bergviðr/Barkviðr ok þau Hælga ræistu stæin þannsi at Ulf, sun sinn. Hann ændaðis með Ingvari. Guð hialpi salu Ulfs.
English translation:
- "Bergviðr/Barkviðr and Helga, they raised this stone in memory of Ulfr, their son. He met his end with Ingvarr. May God help Ulfr's soul."
Sö 96
Latin transliteration:
- -(t)ain : þansi : at : begli : faþur : sii :: buanta :: sifuR :: han : uaR : fa... ...
Old Norse transcription:
- [s]tæin þannsi at Bægli, faður sinn, boanda SæfuR. Hann vaR fa[rinn](?) ...
English translation:
- "this stone in memory of Beglir, his father, Sæfa's husbandman. He travelled(?) ..."
Sö 105
Based on other runestones, the wider family connections of those mentioned on this runestone has been reconstructed as follows: Holmviðr was a wealthy landowner who also appears on the runestone Sö 116. He was married to Gýriðr, the sister of Sigfastr, the owner of Snottsta, who is mentioned on runestones U 623 and U 331, but for further information on the family saga of Sigfastr and his descendants, see the articles Gerlög and Inga
Gerlög and Inga
Gerlög or Geirlaug and her daughter Inga were two powerful and rich women in 11th century Uppland, Sweden. Gerlög and Inga had their dramatic and tragic family saga documented for posterity on several runestones...
, and Estrid
Estrid
Estrid was a rich and powerful 11th century Swedish woman whose long family saga has been recorded on five or six runestones in Uppland, Sweden. This Estrid was the maternal grandmother of the chieftain Jarlabanke of the Jarlabanke clan...
.
Latin transliteration:
-
: hulmuiþr : -þi-(s)... ...(R) ...ur--(r)- su[n] han : uaR : fa-in : m(i)- : ikuari ×+
Old Norse transcription:
- Holmviðr ... ... [Þ]or[bæ]r[n](?) sun [sinn]. Hann vaR fa[r]inn me[ð] Ingvari.
English translation:
- "Holmviðr ... ... Þorbjôrn(?), his son. He travelled with Ingvarr."
Sö 107
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
in the 17th century, and then moved to Gredby in 1930 adjacent to Sö 108 and Sö 109
Södermanland Runic Inscription 109
thumb|250px|right|Runestone Sö 109 in Gredby, Sweden.Sö 109 is the Rundata designation for a runic inscription on a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Gredby, which is near Eskilstuna, Södermanland County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Södermanland.-Description:This...
. It is tentatively categorized as style Pr2. The name Skarfr from the inscription translates as "cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
."
Latin transliteration:
-
: rulifR : raisti : stein : þnsi : at : faþur : sin : skarf : ha[n] uaR : farin : miþ : ikuari :
Old Norse transcription:
- HroðlæifR ræisti stæin þennsi/þannsi at faður sinn Skarf. Hann vaR farinn með Ingvari.
English translation:
- "Hróðleifr raised this stone in memory of his father Skarfr. He travelled with Ingvarr."
Sö 108
Latin transliteration:
- kunulfR : raisti : stein : þansi : at : ulf : faþur : sin : han : uaR i : faru : miþ : ikuari :
Old Norse transcription:
- GunnulfR ræisti stæin þannsi at Ulf, faður sinn. Hann vaR i faru með Ingvari.
English translation:
- "Gunnulfr raised this stone in memory of Ulfr, his father. He was on a voyage with Ingvarr."
Sö 131
Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck was a Swedish jurist, antiquarian and lyricist, mainly remembered as the author of the lyrics to what is now the Swedish national anthem: Du gamla, Du fria....
visited the grave field in the mid-19th century, someone pointed out a stone which rose only three inches above the ground and which was said to be "written". Dybeck excavated the stone and discovered that it was a runestone with an interesting inscription. In Dybeck's time, there were also the remains of a stone ship
Stone ship
The Stone ship or ship setting was an early Germanic burial custom, characteristically Scandinavian but also found in Germany and the Baltic states. The grave or cremation burial is surrounded by tightly or loosely fit slabs or stones in the outline of a ship...
next to the runestone.
Skarði is a rather unusual name, but it appears in runic inscriptions in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The name is probably derived from a word for "score" and it probably refers to someone who is hare lipped. The name Spjóti is also unusual and the unique name Spjót is found on the nearby Kjula Runestone. The word heðan ("from here") is only found in one single 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,...
runic inscription.
The last part of the inscription is an alliterative poem. This kind of verse appears on several runestones and it is well-known from Old West Norse poetry.
Latin transliteration:
-
: sbiuti : halftan : þaiR : raisþu : stain : þansi : eftiR : skarþa : bruþur sin : fur : austr : hiþan : miþ : ikuari : o sirklanti : likR : sunR iuintaR
Old Norse transcription:
- Spiuti, Halfdan, þæiR ræisþu stæin þannsi æftiR Skarða, broður sinn. For austr heðan með Ingvari, a Særklandi liggR sunR ØyvindaR.
English translation:
- "Spjóti (and) Halfdan, they raised this stone in memory of Skarði, their brother. From here (he) travelled to the east with Ingvarr; in Serkland lies Eyvindr's son."
Sö 173
The location was first described by Lukas Gadd during the nation-wide revision of pre-historic monuments that took place in the 17th century. In a paddock at the state owned homestead of Tystberga there was a flat stone lying with runes and next to it there was another flat stone that was leaning. In addition, there was a large square stone surrounded with rows of smaller stones, which Gadd described as a "fairly large cemetery". Not far from the stones, there were also two giant passage grave
Passage grave
thumb|250px|right|A simple passage tomb in [[Carrowmore]] near [[Sligo]] in IrelandA passage grave or passage tomb consists of a narrow passage made of large stones and one or multiple burial chambers covered in earth or stone. Megaliths are usually used in the construction of passage tombs, which...
s, about 20 paces long.
There is a depiction of the cross-less stone from the 17th century, made by Johan Hadorph
Johan Hadorph
Johan Hadorph was a Swedish director-general of the Central Board of National Antiquities. In 1667, he was appointed assessor at the government agency for antiquities, and in 1679, he became its director-general...
and Johan Peringskiöld
Johan Peringskiöld
Johan Peringskiöld was born in Strängnäs and died in Stockholm .His father was Lars Fredrik Peringer, a senior master at the gymnasium and his mother Anna Maria Mulich. He began his studies at Uppsala University in 1677 and he was an ardent student of the national antiquities...
. This depiction has helped scholars reconstruct the parts that are damaged today. The runestone was raised anew by Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck was a Swedish jurist, antiquarian and lyricist, mainly remembered as the author of the lyrics to what is now the Swedish national anthem: Du gamla, Du fria....
in 1864. In 1936, Ivar Schnell examined the stone, and he noted that there was a large stone next to it. When this stone was raised, they discovered that it was also a runestone, and it was probably the one that had been previously described by Lukas Gadd as the "square stone". In the vicinity, Schnell found a destroyed stone without runes which probably was the leaning stone described by Gadd. Since they would hinder agriculture, the three stones were re-erected at a distance of 60 metres, at the side of the road. The stone circle
Stone circle (Iron Age)
The stone circles of the Iron Age were a characteristic burial custom of southern Scandinavia, especially on Gotland and in Götaland during the Pre-Roman Iron Age and the Roman Iron Age. In Sweden, they are called Domarringar , Domkretsar or Domarsäten...
and the other monuments described by Gadd could not be found anymore.
The runes mani can be interpreted in two ways, since runic inscriptions never repeat two runes. One possibility is that it refers to Máni
Mani
Mani is a name or word occurring in several etymologically unrelated languages and cultures, including:* Maní - a legend of the indigenous tribe Tupi in Brazil.* Mani , the founder of Manichaeism....
, the moon, and the other alternative is the male name Manni which is derived from maðr ("man"). The runes mus:kia are more challenging and the older interpretation that it was Mus-Gea is now rejected. It is probably a nominalization of myskia which means "darken" as during sunset, and one scholar has suggested that it could mean "sunset" and "twilight" and refer to e.g. a hair colour. A second theory is that the name refers to the animal bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
. It is also disputed whether it is a man's name or a woman's name, but most scholars think that it refers to a woman. The name Myskia appears in a second runic inscription in Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, and it may refer to the same person.
The last part of the cross-less inscription is both unusual and partly problematic. The word ystarla could without context be interpreted as both "westwards" and "eastwards", but since an austarla appears later in the inscription, it is agreed that ystarla means "westwards". It is unusual, but not unique, that the y-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...
(
) represents the v phoneme. An additional reason for this interpretation is the fact that it would allow the last part of the inscription to be interpreted as a poem in the meter fornyrðislag. This would explain the use of the rune since vestarla permits alliterationAlliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
with um vaRit. It is not known whether he refers to Hróðgeirr (Roger) or Holmsteinn, but most think that it is Holmsteinn who had been westwards. The plural ending -u in the verb form dou shows that both Hróðgeirr and Holmsteinn died in the Ingvar expedition.
Latin transliteration:
- A mus:kia : a(u)[k :] (m)an(i) : litu : rasa : ku[(m)(l) : þausi : at : b]ruþur * (s)in : hr(u)þkaiR * auk : faþur sin hulm:stain *
- B * han hafþi * ystarla u(m) : uaRit * lenki : tuu : a:ustarla : meþ : inkuari
Old Norse transcription:
- A Myskia ok Manni/Mani letu ræisa kumbl þausi at broður sinn HroðgæiR ok faður sinn Holmstæin.
- B Hann hafði vestarla um vaRit længi, dou austarla með Ingvari.
English translation:
- A "Myskja and Manni/Máni had these monuments raised in memory of their brother Hróðgeirr and their father Holmsteinn."
- B "He had long been in the west; died in the east with Ingvarr."
Sö 179
Gripsholm Castle
Gripsholm Castle is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, in Sweden and is regarded as one of Sweden's finest historical monuments. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm....
together with another runestone from the 11th century, Sö 178
Södermanland Runic Inscription 178
Södermanland Runic Inscription 178 or Sö 178 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone which is located at Gripsholm Castle, Södermanland County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Södermanland.-Description:...
, but their original location is unknown.
The runestone was discovered in the early 1820s by Wallin, the caretaker of the castle, and it was then forming the threshold of the cellar of the eastern tower of the castle, the so-called "theatre tower". It was under both side walls of the door and also covered with tar, which suggests that it had been part of another construction before being used as construction material for the castle. It would take an additional 100 years before the stone was retrieved from the castle and could be read in its entirety.
The inscription says that it is raised in memory of Haraldr, the brother of Ingvar, and he is believed to have died in the region of the Caspian Sea. A subject that has been vividly discussed is why the runestone is raised only after Haraldr and not after Ingvar, and the most widely accepted explanation is that Tóla was only Harald's mother and that the two men were only half-brothers. It is also possible that there were originally two stones of which one was in memory of Ingvar, but that Ingvar's stone has disappeared. A third possibility is that "brother" refers to brother-in-arms, blood brother
Blood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
, or something similar, and this is a use of the word that appears on one of the runestones in Hällestad
Hällestad Runestones
The Hällestad Runestones are three runestones located in the walls of the church of Hällestad in Torna-Hällestad, about 20 kilometers east of Lund in Skåne, southern Sweden. Their Rundata identifiers are DR 295, 296, and 297...
in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
.
One theory proposed by Braun connects this stone to the runestones U 513, U 540, and Sö 279, and it holds Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century...
to be the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old.
The second half of the inscription is in alliterative verse
Alliterative verse
In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal structuring device to unify lines of poetry, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly studied traditions of alliterative verse are those found in the oldest literature of many Germanic...
of the form fornyrðislag. The phrase to feed the eagle is a kenning
Kenning
A kenning is a type of literary trope, specifically circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry...
which means "to kill enemies".
Latin transliteration:
- × tula : lit : raisa : stain : þinsa| |at : sun : sin : haralt : bruþur : inkuars : þaiR furu : trikila : fiari : at : kuli : auk : a:ustarla| |ar:ni : kafu : tuu : sunar:la : a sirk:lan:ti
Old Norse transcription:
- Tola let ræisa stæin þennsa at sun sinn Harald, broður Ingvars. ÞæiR foru drængila fiarri at gulli ok austarla ærni gafu, dou sunnarla a Særklandi.
English translation:
- "Tóla had this stone raised in memory of her son Haraldr, Ingvarr's brother. They travelled valiantly far for gold, and in the east gave (food) to the eagle. (They) died in the south in Serkland."
Sö 254
Latin transliteration:
- * suan : auk stain : raistu * stain : at * tos(t)a : faþur : sin : is uarþ : tauþr * i liþi : ikuars : au(k) at * þo(r)stain : auk kt : aystain : alhiltar * s--
Old Norse transcription:
- Svæinn ok Stæinn ræistu stæin at Tosta, faður sinn, es varð dauðr i liði Ingvars, ok at Þorstæin ok at Øystæin, AlfhildaR s[un].
English translation:
- "Sveinn and Steinn raised the stone in memory of Tosti, their father, who died in Ingvarr's retinue, and in memory of Þorsteinn, and in memory of Eysteinn, Alfhildr's son."
Sö 277
Strängnäs
Strängnäs is a locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 12,296 inhabitants in 2005. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, a former Roman Catholic and present Lutheran Diocese, with the Strängnäs Cathedral, built...
, and it is in style Pr2.
Latin transliteration:
- u--r : auk : inki:burk : (l)itu : ra... ... ...- : ...a at * uerþr * iki : inkuars : ma... ...
Old Norse transcription:
- ok Ingiborg letu ræ[isa] ... ... ...
verðr ængi Ingvars ma[nna] ...
English translation:
- "and Ingibjôrg had raised ... ... ... in memory of ... will not be among Ingvarr's men ..."
Sö 279
Strängnäs Cathedral
Strängnäs Cathedral is a cathedral church in Strängnäs, Sweden, since the Protestant Reformation the seat of the Lutheran Diocese of Strängnäs.It is built mainly of bricks in the characteristic Scandinavian Brick Gothic style...
. It is in style Pr2. One theory proposed by Braun connects this stone to the runestones U 513, U 540, and Sö 179, and it holds Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Ingvar the Far-Travelled was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century...
to be the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old.
Latin transliteration:
- ai... ... ...(u)a : --(a)- ... ...uni ÷ aimunt... ... sunarla : a : se(r)kl...
Old Norse transcription:
- Æi... ... [hagg]va [st]æ[in] ... [s]yni Æimund[aR] ... sunnarla a Særkl[andi].
English translation:
- "Ei-... ... the stone cut ... Eimundr's son ... in the south in Serkland."
Sö 281
Latin transliteration:
- (a)lui : lit * kira : kubl : ifti... ... burþur : ulfs * þiR * a(u)... ... (m)iþ * ikuari : o : sirk*la(t)...
Old Norse transcription:
- vi let gærva kumbl æfti[R] ... broður Ulfs. ÞæiR au[str]/au[starla] ... með Ingvari a Særkland[i].
English translation:
- "-vé had the monument made in memory of ... Ulfr's brother. They in / to the east ... with Ingvarr in Serkland."
Sö 287
Latin transliteration:
- [× antuitR : reisti : stin : iftiR : huka : bruþur sin eR : uar : tauþe(r) : miþ : ink... ...k : iftir : þurkils bruþur : kuþan biarlaukr : irfi : lit : reisa : iftir : biaþr : sin]
Old Norse transcription:
- Andvettr ræisti stæin æftiR Huga, broður sinn, eR vaR dauðr með Ing[vari, o]k æftiR Þorgils, broður goðan. Biarnlaugr ærfi(?) let ræisa æftiR faður(?) sinn.
English translation:
- "Andvéttr raised the stone in memory of Hugi, his brother, who died with Ingvarr, and in memory of Þorgísl, (his) good brother. Bjarnlaugr, the heir(?), had (the stone) raised in memory of his father(?)"
Sö 320
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
Stäringe beside the runestone Sö 319. It is in style Fp.
Latin transliteration:
- : kaiRuatr : auk : anutr : auk : utamr : rita : stain : at : byrst(a)in * bruþur : sin : saR uaR : austr * miþ ikuari : trik : snialan : sun : lifayaR ×
Old Norse transcription:
- GæiRhvatr ok Anundr ok OtamR [letu] retta stæin at Byrstæin, broður sinn, saR vaR austr með Ingvari, dræng sniallan, sun LiføyaR.
English translation:
- "Geirhvatr and Ônundr and Ótamr had the stone erected in memory of Bjórsteinn, their brother. He was in the east with Ingvarr , an able valiant man, the son of Lífey."
Sö 335
This stone is located at the church ruin of Ärja and it is in style Fp. It contains the word skipari which means "ship mate." This word is found in a second runestone in Södermanland and there are six other attestations in stones from southern Sweden and Denmark. From this usage, it seems that Holmsteinn was a captain of one of the ships of the expedition and Ósníkinn a crew member.The first rune in the inscription is apparently superfluous, and this can be compared with the fact that the name Ingvar is spelled with two initial i-runes
Isaz
*Isaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the i-rune , meaning "ice". In the Younger Futhark it is called Iss in Icelandic and isa in Old Norse. As rune of the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is called is....
. What name was written in the first runes is not certain, but some scholars have proposed that it was a not hitherto known woman's name Ulfvi. Another proposal is that it was a misspelling of the name Ulfr or the rare name Ulfvid. The name Osnikin appears in half a douzen inscriptions in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
and Södermanland and it means, like osniken still does in modern Swedish, "generous."
Latin transliteration:
- u ulf=ui : raisti : stain þana| |at bruþur sin : u:snikin saR furs : a:ust:arla : maþ : i:ikn:u:ari : ksibari hulmstains
Old Norse transcription:
- UlfR(?) ræisti stæin þenna at broður sinn Osnikin, saR fors austarla með Ingvari, skipari Holmstæins.
English translation:
- "Ulfr(?) raised this stone in memory of his brother Ósníkinn. He travelled to the east with Ingvarr; (he was) Holmsteinn's seaman."
Vs 19
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...
as runestone Vs 18. It is dated to the 1040s. The name Gunnvaldr in the inscription combines gunnr meaning "war" and valdr meaning "wielder" or "keeper," while the name Ormr means "serpent" or "dragon."
Latin transliteration:
- khu[nal-](r) * [(l)it ... stain * þinsa ef]tir * horm * stob sen * trek| |ku-...n * auk * uas * farin * (o)(s)-r * miþ * ikuari * hiolbi k[-þ * salu h...ns *]
Old Norse transcription:
- Gunnal[d]r let [ræisa] stæin þennsa æftiR Orm, stiup sinn, dræng go[ða]n, ok vas farinn aus[t]r með Ingvari. Hialpi G[u]ð salu h[a]ns.
English translation:
- "Gunnvaldr had this stone raised in memory of Ormr, his stepson, a good valiant man. And (he) travelled to the east with Ingvarr. May God help his soul."
Ög 145
This stone is located at the church of Dagsberg.Latin transliteration:
- ur : sin : eR : furs : ... hilfnai : (a)(u)str
Old Norse transcription:
- [fað]ur/[broð]ur sinn, eR fors ... hælfningi(?) austr.
English translation:
- "his father/ brother, who perished ... troop(?) in the east."
Ög 155
This stone is tentatively categorized as style RAK. It is located in Sylten, and it is the southernmost of the Ingvar runestones. It was known in the 17th century and a drawing by Johan HadorphJohan Hadorph
Johan Hadorph was a Swedish director-general of the Central Board of National Antiquities. In 1667, he was appointed assessor at the government agency for antiquities, and in 1679, he became its director-general...
, Petrus Helgonius and Petrus Törnewall is preserved. Later, the stone was toppled and partially covered with soil. In 1896, it was re-erected by the owner of the homestead of Bjällbrunna and moved a small distance.
The word helfningr (appears in the dative case as the eastern dialectal form hælfningi) is originally a word for "half" but it could also mean "troop." It only appears in one additional runestone, which is located at the church of Dagsberg in Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
(see Ög 145).
The i-rune
Isaz
*Isaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the i-rune , meaning "ice". In the Younger Futhark it is called Iss in Icelandic and isa in Old Norse. As rune of the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is called is....
can represent both the i and the e phonem, which means that the first name can be interpreted both as the woman's name Þorfríðr and the man's name Þorfreðr. It is consequently not known whether it was the mother or the father who raised the stone.
Ásgautr was a common name which appears in about 30 runic inscriptions. Gauti (modern Göte) was, however, rare in the runic inscriptions of the 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,...
and the only additional runestone where it appears is on U 516 (although damaged or unclear inscriptions on runestones Sö 14, G 65, and Norway's N 331 also have words translated as the name Gauti). It is believed to mean an inhabitant of Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
, i.e. a Geat
Geat
Geats , and sometimes Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting what is now Götaland in modern Sweden...
. The personal name element Gaut appears, however, in not only this part of Scandinavia but also in Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
and in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Latin transliteration:
- þurfriþ × risti × eftiR × askut × auk × kauta sunu × sina × stin × þasi × han × kuti × etaþis × i × ikuars × hilfniki ×
Old Norse transcription:
- Þorfriðr/Þorfreðr ræisti æftiR Asgaut ok Gauta, sunu sina, stæin þannsi. Hann Gauti ændaðis i Ingvars hælfningi.
English translation:
- "Þorfríðr/Þorfreðr raised this stone in memory of Ásgautr and Gauti, her/his sons. Gauti met his end in Ingvarr's troop."
Sources
- Gustavson, H. (1992). Runfynd 1989 och 1990, in Fornvännen Årgång 87. pp. 153–174.
- Larsson, Mats G. (1990). "Ett Ödesdigert Vikingatåg. Ingvar den Vittfarnes resa 1036-1041" ISBN 9174869086
- Pritsak, OmeljanOmeljan PritsakOmeljan Pritsak was the first Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University and the founder and first director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.-Career:Pritsak began his academic career at the University of Lvov in interwar Poland where he...
. (1981). The Origin of Rus' . Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN 0-674-64465-4 - Tunstall, Peter (2005). The Saga of Yngvar the Traveller.
- An online presentation, where some the runestones are available with pictures.
- RundataRundataThe 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...