Grällsta Runestone
Encyclopedia
The Grällsta Runestone, listed as Västmanland Runic Inscription 27 or Vs 27 in the Rundata
catalog, is a Viking Age
memorial
runestone located in Grällsta, which is about nine kilometers northeast of Ransta
, Västmanland County
, Sweden
, which was in the historic province of Västmanland
. A second runestone that has been designated as Västmanland Runic Inscription 28 or Vs 28 was once located in Grällsta, but it is now considered to be lost.
on a serpent that encircles a cross
. The inscription, which is 1.75 meters in height and on a granite stone, is classified as probably 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. The inscription based on stylistic analysis is attributed to a runemaster with the normalized
name of Litle, who signed the inscriptions on inscription Vs 20 in Prästgården (Romfartuna synod) and possibly Vs 28. Other inscriptions attributed to Litle based on stylistic analysis include Vs 17
in Råby, Vs 22
in Ulvsta, and Vs 32 in Prästgården (Västerfärnebo synod).
The runic text states that the stone was raised by two brothers named Þorbjôrn and Ingifastr in memory of their father Sigþorn, who is stated as having died while on a voyage. This runestone belongs to a group of inscriptions that make a public announcement of a death that occurred while traveling, perhaps to allow property to be distributed as inheritance. Other inscriptions making such a general statement of a non-local death include Sö 49 in Ene, Sö 217 in Berga, Sm 48 in Torp, U 258 in Fresta, the now-lost U 349 in Odenslunda, the now-lost U 363 in Gådersta, U 948 in Danmarks, Vs 22 in Ulvsta, Nä 29 in Apelboda, DR 330 in Gårdstånga, and DR 379 in Ny Larsker. It has been suggested that the joint listing of the brothers may indicate that they held the inheritance from their father jointly and without dividing it into separate households.
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 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
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....
runestone located in Grällsta, which is about nine kilometers northeast of Ransta
Ransta
Ransta is a locality situated in Sala Municipality, Västmanland County, Sweden with 879 inhabitants in 2005....
, Västmanland County
Västmanland County
Västmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...
, 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 Västmanland
Västmanland
' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
. A second runestone that has been designated as Västmanland Runic Inscription 28 or Vs 28 was once located in Grällsta, but it is now considered to be lost.
Description
The inscription on Vs 27 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...
on a serpent that encircles a 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...
. The inscription, which is 1.75 meters in height and on a granite stone, is classified as probably being carved in runestone style 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. The inscription based on stylistic analysis is attributed to a runemaster with the normalized
Old Norse orthography
The orthography of the Old Norse language was diverse, being written in both Runic and Latin alphabets, with many spelling conventions, variant letterforms, and unique letters and signs. In modern times, scholars established a standardized spelling for the language. When Old Norse names are used in...
name of Litle, who signed the inscriptions on inscription Vs 20 in Prästgården (Romfartuna synod) and possibly Vs 28. Other inscriptions attributed to Litle based on stylistic analysis include Vs 17
Västmanland Runic Inscription 17
Västmanland Runic Inscription 17 or Vs 17 is the Rundata designation for a Viking Age memorial runestone with an image of a ship that is located in Råby, which is about two kilometers east of Tortuna, Västmanland County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Västmanland.-Description:The...
in Råby, Vs 22
Västmanland Runic Inscription 22
Västmanland Runic Inscription 22 or Vs 22 is the Rundata designation for a Viking Age memorial runestone that was originally located at Ulvsta, but has been moved to Svana, which is about seven kilometers north of Skultuna, Västmanland County, Sweden, and which was in the historic province of...
in Ulvsta, and Vs 32 in Prästgården (Västerfärnebo synod).
The runic text states that the stone was raised by two brothers named Þorbjôrn and Ingifastr in memory of their father Sigþorn, who is stated as having died while on a voyage. This runestone belongs to a group of inscriptions that make a public announcement of a death that occurred while traveling, perhaps to allow property to be distributed as inheritance. Other inscriptions making such a general statement of a non-local death include Sö 49 in Ene, Sö 217 in Berga, Sm 48 in Torp, U 258 in Fresta, the now-lost U 349 in Odenslunda, the now-lost U 363 in Gådersta, U 948 in Danmarks, Vs 22 in Ulvsta, Nä 29 in Apelboda, DR 330 in Gårdstånga, and DR 379 in Ny Larsker. It has been suggested that the joint listing of the brothers may indicate that they held the inheritance from their father jointly and without dividing it into separate households.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- þurbiorn ok : ikifastr : lit * resa : ytiR ¤ sihþorn × faþur : sin × hon × toþr × [i] faru × litli × risti × runiR
Transcription into Old Norse
- Þorbiorn ok Ingifastr letu ræisa æftiR Sigþorn, faður sinn. Hann [varð] dauðr i faru. Litli risti runiR.
Translation in English
- Þorbjôrn and Ingifastr had (the stone) raised in memory of Sigþorn, their father. He died on a voyage. Litli carved the runes.
Vs 28
A second runestone was noted as being located in Grällsta, but it has been considered to be lost since around 1800. The inscription has been given the Rundata listing of Vs 28 and is considered to have been a runestone fragment. Records indicate that the damaged text stated that someone ordered a bridge to be constructed. Vs is believed to also have been carved by the runemaster Litle.Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- [...--eR * baþ : bru kera : r... ...-Ri]