Klepp I Runestone
Encyclopedia
The Klepp I Runestone, listed as N 225 in the Rundata
catalog, is one of two runestones from Klepp
in Rogaland
, Norway
. It is among the few Viking Age
runestones that was raised as a memorial to a woman.
, indicating that it dates from after the local conversion to Christianity
, or the late 10th or early 11th century. The inscription provides an early example of the use of the name Kleppr, which means "rocky hill," for the town of Klepp. It has been suggested that the detailed description of the family relationships in the inscription may have been to document the inheritance
of the estate of the deceased woman Ásgerðr. The details of the family ties indicate the different ways that Ásgerðr could inherit property and how it then could be divided among the living.
Although the runestone is classified as a Christian monument, Ásgerðr combines two name elements from Norse paganism
, Ás which refers to one of the Æsir
, the main group of Norse gods, and the name of the goddess Gerðr, who was the wife of the god Freyr
.
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, is one of two runestones from Klepp
Klepp
Klepp is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Klep was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
, 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...
. It is among the few 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 that was raised as a memorial to a woman.
Description
The Klepp I Runestone has three lines of runic text on two sides of the stone. The runic inscription ends with a crossChristian 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...
, indicating that it dates from after the local conversion to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, or the late 10th or early 11th century. The inscription provides an early example of the use of the name Kleppr, which means "rocky hill," for the town of Klepp. It has been suggested that the detailed description of the family relationships in the inscription may have been to document the inheritance
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
of the estate of the deceased woman Ásgerðr. The details of the family ties indicate the different ways that Ásgerðr could inherit property and how it then could be divided among the living.
Although the runestone is classified as a Christian monument, Ásgerðr combines two name elements from Norse paganism
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
, Ás which refers to one of the Æsir
Æsir
In Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
, the main group of Norse gods, and the name of the goddess Gerðr, who was the wife of the god Freyr
Freyr
Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- A: þurir : harþar:sunr : raisti : stain : þina : ¶ aft : oskarþi : kuon : sina : (t)u(t)ur : kunars (:)
- B: bruþur : halka : o : klabi +
Transcription into Old Norse
- A: Þórir Harðarsonr reisti stein þenna ept Ásgerði, kván sína, dóttur Gunnars,
- B: bróður Helga á Kleppi.
Translation in English
- A: Þórir Harðr's son raised this stone in memory of his wife Ásgerðr, daughter of Gunnarr
- B: (the) brother of Helgi of Kleppr.