Hogganvik runestone
Encyclopedia
The Hogganvik runestone is a fifth century runestone, bearing an Elder Futhark
inscription, that was discovered in September 2009 by Arnfinn Henriksen, a resident of Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area of Mandal, Vest-Agder
, Norway
, while working in the garden.
(known since 1627).
A preliminary report issued in October 2009 provided the following transliteration of the runic inscription, which was in Proto-Norse:
The report gave a preliminary translation of the text into English:
, wick
'. A neighbouring farm is called Lunde (Norse Lundr m 'grove
'). The word/name lundr in Scandinavia is in many cases referring to a sacred grove
. (Compare Lund
in Rogaland and Lund
in Scania, Sweden.)
Elder Futhark
The Elder Futhark is the oldest form of the runic alphabet, used by Germanic tribes for Northwest Germanic and Migration period Germanic dialects of the 2nd to 8th centuries for inscriptions on artifacts such as jewellery, amulets, tools, weapons and runestones...
inscription, that was discovered in September 2009 by Arnfinn Henriksen, a resident of Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area of Mandal, Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
, 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...
, while working in the garden.
Description
The Hogganvik runestone is a stone slab of about 1.5 m squared, weighing approximately 800 kg. The runic inscription extends to some 60 characters, an exceptionally long text for a runic inscription of the early period, rivalling the longest inscription predating the seventh century known previously, that of the Tune stoneTune stone
The Tune stone is an important runestone from about 200-450 CE. It bears runes of the Elder Futhark, and the language is Proto-Norse. It was discovered in 1627 in the church yard wall of the church in Tune, Østfold, Norway. Today it is housed in the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History in Oslo...
(known since 1627).
A preliminary report issued in October 2009 provided the following transliteration of the runic inscription, which was in Proto-Norse:
- A: [s]kelbaþewas:st ͡ainaz:aasrpkf
- B: aarpaa:inanana[l/b/w]oz
- C: eknaudigastiz
- D: ekerafaz
The report gave a preliminary translation of the text into English:
- line A contains the dedication of the grave stone: "Skelba-þewa's ['Shaking-servant's'] stone ".
- lines A to B contain a string of alphabet magicRunic magicThere is some evidence that, in addition to being a writing system, runes historically served purposes of magic. This is the case from earliest epigraphic evidence of the Roman to Germanic Iron Age, with non-linguistic inscriptions and the alu word...
: aaasrpkf / aarpaa. - the remainder of line B is difficult to interpret: "?within/from within the ?wheel-nave/?cabin-corner [or: ?needle]".
- lines C and D, located in between lines A and B, are the colophon of the rune carver: " I, Naudigastiz [="Need-guest"] / I, [nicknamed] the WolverineWolverineThe wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
".
The name Hogganvik
The farm is first mentioned in 1601 ("Hogenuig"), and the Norse form of the name was probably *Hǫggvandavík. The first element is the genitive of the substantive hǫggvandi m, derived from the verb hǫggva 'cut, hew, chop'. The last element is vík f 'coveCove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
, wick
Wick
Wick may refer to:* David Wicks, fictional character from a British soap opera. Not to be confused with David Wicks, American comedian/actor.* Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp...
'. A neighbouring farm is called Lunde (Norse Lundr m 'grove
Grove
People, places, and things commonly known as grove include:* Grove , a small group of trees* Sacred grove, a small group of trees used as a place of worship- People :* Amanda Grove, Court TV personality...
'). The word/name lundr in Scandinavia is in many cases referring to a sacred grove
Sacred grove
A sacred grove is a grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world...
. (Compare Lund
Lund, Norway
Lund is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Moi. The parish of Lunde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in Rogaland and Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
in Scania, Sweden.)
