Bjärby Runestones
Encyclopedia
The Bjärby Runestones are two Viking Age
memorial
runestones located near Grästorp
, Sweden
, in Bjärby synod, which was in the historic province of Västergötland
. The two stones are memorials to men who held the titles thegn
and drengr, and one has a depiction of the hammer of the Norse pagen
deity Thor
.
listing for a runestone located in Lärkegapet, which is about one-half kilometer east of Grästorp. The inscription, which is on a gneiss
stone that is 2.5 meters in height, consists of two vertical bands of runic text with the sides of the runic bands forming the handle of a hammer, which is considered to be a depiction of Thor's hammer Mjöllnir. Because of the length of the text bands, the hammer has a long shaft with the head located at the top of the stone. Thor's hammer was used on several memorial runestones in Sweden and Denmark, perhaps as a parallel to or a pagan
reaction to the use of the cross
by Christians. Other surviving runestones or inscriptions depicting Thor's hammer include runestones U 1161
in Altuna, Sö 86
in Åby, Sö 111
in Stenkvista, Sö 140 in Jursta, Öl 1
in Karlevi, DR 26
in Laeborg, DR 48
in Hanning, DR 120 in Spentrup, and DR 331 in Gårdstånga
. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style
RAK, which is the classification for inscriptions where the ends of the runic band do not have any attached serpent or beast heads.
The runic text states that the stone was raised as a memorial to his kinsman Bjôrn and describes the deceased man as being "a very good thegn
." The term thegn was used in the late Viking Age in Sweden and Denmark to describe a class of retainer. About fifty memorial runestones described the deceased as being a thegn. Of these, the runic text on sixteen other runestones use the same Old Norse
phrase harða goðan þegn, Vg 59
in Norra Härene, Vg 62
in Ballstorp, Vg 102 in Håle gamla, Vg 115 in Stora Västölet, Vg 151 in Eggvena, Vg NOR1997;27 in Hols, DR 86 in Langå, DR 106 in Ørum, DR 115 in Randers
, DR 121 in Asferg, DR 123 in Glenstrup, DR 130 in Giver, DR 213 in Skovlænge, DR 278
in Västra Nöbbelöv, DR 294 in Baldringe, and DR 343 in Östra Herrestads. In addition, four inscriptions use a different word order, þegn harða goðan, include Vg 74 in Skolgården, Vg 152 in Håkansgården, Vg 157 in Storegården, and Vg 158 in Fänneslunda. The name of the sponsor, Dagr
, which is an Old Norse word which means "day," also appears on Vg 101 in Bragnum and Ög 43
in Ingelstad, which uses an ideogram
for the name, and is the personification of day in Norse mythology
.
The runic text states that the stone is a memorial raised by Þórir in memory of his brother Tóki. The deceased man is described as being harða goðan dræng or "a very good valiant man," using the term drengr. A drengr in Denmark was a term mainly associated with members of a warrior group. It has been suggested that drengr along with thegn
was first used as a title associated with men from Denmark and Sweden in service to Danish kings, but, from its context in inscriptions, over time became more generalized and was used by groups such as merchants or the crew of a ship. Other runestones describing the deceased using the words harþa goþan dræng in some order include DR 1
in Haddeby, DR 68 in Århus, DR 77 in Hjermind, DR 127 in Hobro, DR 268 in Östra Vemmenhög, DR 276 in Örsjö, DR 288 and DR 289 in Bjäresjö, Sm 48 in Torp, Vg 61 in Härlingstorp, Vg 90 in Torestorp, Vg 112 in Ås, the now-lost Vg 126 in Larvs, Vg 130 in Skånum, Vg 153 and Vg 154 in Fölene, Vg 157 in Storegården, Vg 162 in Bengtsgården, Vg 179 in Lillegården, Vg 181 in Frugården, Vg 184 in Smula (using a plural form), the now-lost Ög 60 in Järmstastenen, Ög 104 in Gillberga, and possibly on U 610 in Granhammar.
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
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
runestones located near Grästorp
Grästorp
Grästorp is a locality and the seat of Grästorp Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 2,917 inhabitants in 2005. It is the only locality in Grästorp Municipality.-Sports:The following sports clubs are located in Grästorp:* IK Gauthiod*...
, 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....
, in Bjärby synod, which was in the historic province of Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
. The two stones are memorials to men who held the titles thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
and drengr, and one has a depiction of the hammer of the Norse pagen
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...
deity 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...
.
Vg 113
Västergötland Runic Inscription 113 or Vg 113 is the RundataRundata
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...
listing for a runestone located in Lärkegapet, which is about one-half kilometer east of Grästorp. The inscription, which is on a gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
stone that is 2.5 meters in height, consists of two vertical bands of runic text with the sides of the runic bands forming the handle of a hammer, which is considered to be a depiction of Thor's hammer Mjöllnir. Because of the length of the text bands, the hammer has a long shaft with the head located at the top of the stone. Thor's hammer was used on several memorial runestones in Sweden and Denmark, perhaps as a parallel to or a pagan
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...
reaction to the use of the 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...
by Christians. Other surviving runestones or inscriptions depicting Thor's hammer include runestones U 1161
Altuna Runestone
The Altuna Runestone , listed as U 1161 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone with images from Norse mythology that is located in Altuna, Uppland, Sweden.- Description :...
in Altuna, Sö 86
Södermanland Runic Inscription 86
thumb|300px|right|A drawing of runic inscription Sö 86 published in 1876.Sö 86 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runic inscription located in Åby, Södermanland, Sweden...
in Åby, Sö 111
Stenkvista runestone
thumb|250px|right|The Stenkvista runestone in Södermanland, Sweden, with its Thor's hammer.The Stenkvista runestone, designated as runic inscription Sö 111 in the Rundata catalog, is a memorial runestone located near the church at Stenkvista, which is two kilometers east of Skogstorp, Södermanland...
in Stenkvista, Sö 140 in Jursta, Öl 1
Karlevi Runestone
The Karlevi Runestone, designated as Öl 1 by Rundata, is commonly dated to the late 10th century and located near the Kalmarsund straight in Karlevi on the island of Öland, Sweden...
in Karlevi, DR 26
Laeborg Runestone
The Læborg or Laeborg Runestone, listed as DR 26 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located outside of the village hall or Forsamlinghus in Læborg, which is about 3 kilometers north of Vejen, Denmark...
in Laeborg, DR 48
Danish Runic Inscription 48
Danish Runic Inscription 48 or DR 48 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone from Hanning, which is about eight kilometers north of Skjern, Denmark...
in Hanning, DR 120 in Spentrup, and DR 331 in Gårdstånga
Gårdstånga
Gårdstånga is a locality situated in Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 339 inhabitants in 2005. Route E66 ran straight through the village until 1984 when the road routed was outside the community....
. The inscription 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....
RAK, which is the classification for inscriptions where the ends of the runic band do not have any attached serpent or beast heads.
The runic text states that the stone was raised as a memorial to his kinsman Bjôrn and describes the deceased man as being "a very good thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
." The term thegn was used in the late Viking Age in Sweden and Denmark to describe a class of retainer. About fifty memorial runestones described the deceased as being a thegn. Of these, the runic text on sixteen other runestones use the same 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....
phrase harða goðan þegn, Vg 59
Norra Härene Runestone
The Norra Härene Runestone, designated as Vg 59 by Rundata, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located on the grounds of Dagsnäs Castle about seven kilometers south of Skara in Västergötland, Sweden.-Description:...
in Norra Härene, Vg 62
Ballstorp Runestone
The Ballstorp Runestone, listed as Vg 62 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located on the grounds of the ruins of a church in Ballstorp, which is about 8 kilometers northwest of Floby, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of...
in Ballstorp, Vg 102 in Håle gamla, Vg 115 in Stora Västölet, Vg 151 in Eggvena, Vg NOR1997;27 in Hols, DR 86 in Langå, DR 106 in Ørum, DR 115 in Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
, DR 121 in Asferg, DR 123 in Glenstrup, DR 130 in Giver, DR 213 in Skovlænge, DR 278
Västra Nöbbelöv Runestone
The Västra Nöbbelöv Runestone, listed as DR 278 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Västra Nöbbelöv, which is about 3 kilometers east of Skivarp, Skåne County, Sweden, and was in the historic province of Scania....
in Västra Nöbbelöv, DR 294 in Baldringe, and DR 343 in Östra Herrestads. In addition, four inscriptions use a different word order, þegn harða goðan, include Vg 74 in Skolgården, Vg 152 in Håkansgården, Vg 157 in Storegården, and Vg 158 in Fänneslunda. The name of the sponsor, Dagr
Dagr
In Norse mythology, Dagr is day personified. This personification appears in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
, which is an Old Norse word which means "day," also appears on Vg 101 in Bragnum and Ög 43
Östergötland Runic Inscription 43
Östergötland Runic Inscription 43 or Ög 43 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age runic inscription that is carved on a rockface in Ingelstad, which is just north of Norrköping, Östergötland, Sweden.-Description:...
in Ingelstad, which uses an ideogram
Ideogram
An ideogram or ideograph is a graphic symbol that represents an idea or concept. Some ideograms are comprehensible only by familiarity with prior convention; others convey their meaning through pictorial resemblance to a physical object, and thus may also be referred to as pictograms.Examples of...
for the name, and is the personification of day in Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- takh : risþi : stn : þaisi : Rfti : burn : frita : harþa : kuþih : þikn :
Transcription into Old Norse
- DagR ræisti stæin þannsi æftiR Biorn frænda, harða goðan þegn.
Translation in English
- Dagr raised this stone in memory of Bjôrn, (his) kinsman, a very good Þegn.
Vg 114
Västergötland Runic Inscription 114 or Vg 114 is the Rundata listing for a runestone located in Börjesgården, which is about one-half kilometer northeast of Grästorp. The inscription, which is on a stone that is 2.5 meters in height and made of gneiss, consists of runic text within a single text band in the shape of a hook. The inscription, similar to Vg 113, is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK.The runic text states that the stone is a memorial raised by Þórir in memory of his brother Tóki. The deceased man is described as being harða goðan dræng or "a very good valiant man," using the term drengr. A drengr in Denmark was a term mainly associated with members of a warrior group. It has been suggested that drengr along with thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
was first used as a title associated with men from Denmark and Sweden in service to Danish kings, but, from its context in inscriptions, over time became more generalized and was used by groups such as merchants or the crew of a ship. Other runestones describing the deceased using the words harþa goþan dræng in some order include DR 1
Stone of Eric
The Stone of Eric, listed as DR 1 in the Rundata catalog, is a memorial runestone that was found in northern Germany. This area was part of Denmark during the Viking Age.-Description:...
in Haddeby, DR 68 in Århus, DR 77 in Hjermind, DR 127 in Hobro, DR 268 in Östra Vemmenhög, DR 276 in Örsjö, DR 288 and DR 289 in Bjäresjö, Sm 48 in Torp, Vg 61 in Härlingstorp, Vg 90 in Torestorp, Vg 112 in Ås, the now-lost Vg 126 in Larvs, Vg 130 in Skånum, Vg 153 and Vg 154 in Fölene, Vg 157 in Storegården, Vg 162 in Bengtsgården, Vg 179 in Lillegården, Vg 181 in Frugården, Vg 184 in Smula (using a plural form), the now-lost Ög 60 in Järmstastenen, Ög 104 in Gillberga, and possibly on U 610 in Granhammar.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- * þuri : risþi : stin : þonsi : ift- : tuka : bruþur : sin : harþa : kuþan : trik :
Transcription into Old Norse
- ÞoriR ræisti stæin þannsi æft[iR] Toka, broður sinn, harða goðan dræng.
Translation in English
- Þórir raised this stone in memory of Tóki, his brother, a very good valiant man.
External links
- Photograph of Vg 113 in 1995 - Swedish National Heritage Board
- Photograph of Vg 114 in 1995 - Swedish National Heritage Board