Uppland Runic Inscription 485
Encyclopedia
Uppland Runic Inscription 485 or U 485 is the Rundata
catalog number for a Viking Age
memorial runestone that is located in Marma, which is about six kilometers northeast of Knivsta
, Uppsala County
, Sweden
, which was in the historic province of Uppland
.
carved on a serpent or lindworm
that circles a central area where it then becomes intertwined with a ribbon beast in the center. A Christian cross
is near the top of the inscription. The granite runestone, which is 1.8 meters in height, was placed on its current base in 1925. It is classified as being carved in runestone style
Pr5, which is also known as Urnes style
. This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animal heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks. This stone is considered to be a good example of an inscription in style Pr5.
The inscription is signed with the runes ofaigr ybiR by the runemaster
Öpir
, who was active in the Uppland area in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The first word in Old Norse
is OfæigR, which combines a negative prefix ó with feigr to mean "death bound" or "fated to die" but without any negative connotations intended,
thus making a name meaning "Not Doomed." This is the only runic inscription of Öpir with this first name, and it has been suggested that this was the given name of Öpir. The name he used in his other surviving signed inscriptions was the sobriquet
or nickname Öpir, which means "Shouter."
The runic text states that the stone was raised by two brothers named Þrótti and Ingulfr as a memorial to their father Sigviðr and by a woman named Ingifastr to her husbandman. The name Ingifastr was carved in runes as inkifa=st, which uses a bind rune
to combine an a-rune and an s-rune
. Another inscription which used a bind rune to combine these same two runes, which was also signed by Öpir, is the Varangian runestone
Sö 308 from Vid Järnavägen. Bind runes appear disproportionately in names in runic texts, and it has been suggested that they may have been sometimes used to draw attention to a name, similar to the way that initial
capital letters
are used to start names in European languages today.
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 that is located in Marma, which is about six kilometers northeast of Knivsta
Knivsta
Knivsta is a locality and the seat of Knivsta Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 6,898 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:The town sits on the Stockholm-Uppsala railway 48 km north from Stockholm and 18 km south from Uppsala, and has a station in the heart of the town.-History:There...
, Uppsala County
Uppsala County
Uppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
, 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 in the historic province of 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...
.
Description
This 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...
carved on a serpent or lindworm
Lindworm
Lindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a venomous bite.-Etymology:In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindorm can refer to any 'serpent' or monstrous...
that circles a central area where it then becomes intertwined with a ribbon beast in the center. 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...
is near the top of the inscription. The granite runestone, which is 1.8 meters in height, was placed on its current base in 1925. It is classified as being carved in runestone style
Runestone styles
The runestone styles varied during the Viking Age. The early runestones were simple in design, but towards the end of the runestone era they became increasingly complex and made by travelling runemasters such as Öpir and Visäte....
Pr5, which is also known as Urnes style
Urnes style
The Urnes style was the last phase of Scandinavian animal art during the second half of the 11th century and in the early 12th century. The preceding phases of Scandinavia's Viking Age animal ornamentation are usually categorized as Oseberg style, Borre style, Jelling style, Mammen style and...
. This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animal heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks. This stone is considered to be a good example of an inscription in style Pr5.
The inscription is signed with the runes ofaigr ybiR by 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...
Öpir
Öpir
Öpir or Öper was a runemaster who flourished during the late 11th century and early 12th century in Uppland, Sweden...
, who was active in the Uppland area in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The first word 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....
is OfæigR, which combines a negative prefix ó with feigr to mean "death bound" or "fated to die" but without any negative connotations intended,
thus making a name meaning "Not Doomed." This is the only runic inscription of Öpir with this first name, and it has been suggested that this was the given name of Öpir. The name he used in his other surviving signed inscriptions was the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
or nickname Öpir, which means "Shouter."
The runic text states that the stone was raised by two brothers named Þrótti and Ingulfr as a memorial to their father Sigviðr and by a woman named Ingifastr to her husbandman. The name Ingifastr was carved in runes as inkifa=st, which uses a 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....
to combine an a-rune and an 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...
. Another inscription which used a bind rune to combine these same two runes, which was also signed by Öpir, is the Varangian runestone
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 ....
Sö 308 from Vid Järnavägen. Bind runes appear disproportionately in names in runic texts, and it has been suggested that they may have been sometimes used to draw attention to a name, similar to the way that initial
Initial
In a written or published work, an initial is a letter at the beginning of a work, a chapter, or a paragraph that is larger than the rest of the text. The word is derived from the Latin initialis, which means standing at the beginning...
capital letters
Capitalization
Capitalization is writing a word with its first letter as a majuscule and the remaining letters in minuscules . This of course only applies to those writing systems which have a case distinction...
are used to start names in European languages today.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- þroti ' uk ' ingulfr ' litu ' rita stain ' iftiR ' sihuiþ ' faþur ' sin ' uk ' inkifa=st ' at ' bonta ' sin ' in ' ofaigr ' ybiR ' risti
Transcription into Old Norse
- Þrotti ok IngulfR letu retta stæin æftiR Sigvið, faður sinn, ok Ingifast at bonda sinn. En OfæigR/ofæigR ØpiR risti.
Translation in English
- Þrótti and Ingulfr had the stone erected in memory of Sigviðr, their father; and Ingifastr in memory of her husbandman. And Ófeigr / the not doomed Œpir carved.
External links
- Photograph of U 485 on Arild Hauge's website.
