Södermanland Runic Inscription 352
Encyclopedia
Södermanland Runic Inscription 352 or Sö 352 is a Viking Age
memorial runestone located at Linga, which is about two kilometers south of Järna, Stockholm County
, Sweden
, which was in the historic province of Södermanland
. The inscription depicts a ship with an anchor and a portion of the runic text uses same-stave bind rune
s on the ship mast.
, with the text continued on the top and back of the stone. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style
Fp, which is the classification for runic bands that end in serpent heads depicted as seen from above. A runestone with a similar design is Sö 158 in Österberga, and it is believed that the same runemaster
carved both Sö 158 and Sö 352 along with the nearby inscriptions Sö 350 at Valsta and Sö 351
in Överjärna.
Ship images appear on several Viking Age runic inscriptions, but the image on Sö 352 is unusual in that it apparently depicts a rope and anchor
below the ship. The anchor does not appear to be made of iron, which was used only in the larger, more expensive ships, but is either a stone or made of stone and wood with rope lashings. Other runic inscriptions from the Viking Age which depict ships include DR 77 in Hjermind, DR 119 in Spentrup, DR 220
in Sønder Kirkeby, DR 258 in Bösarp, DR 271
in Tullstorp, DR 328
in Holmby, DR EM85;523 in Farsø, Ög 181
in Ledberg, Ög 224
in Stratomta, Ög MÖLM1960;230
in Törnevalla, Sö 122 in Skresta, Sö 154
in Skarpåker, Sö 158
in Österberga, Sö 164 in Spånga, Sö 351 in Överjärna, Vg 51 in Husaby, U 370 in Herresta, U 979
in Gamla Uppsala, U 1052 in Axlunda, U 1161
in Altuna, and Vs 17
in Råby. Three stones, the Hørdum
and Långtora kyrka stones and U 1001 in Rasbo, depict ships but currently do not have any runes on them and may never have had any.
The runic text is in the younger futhark
and states that the stone was raised by Helgulfr as a memorial to his kinsman by marriage named Þorfastr, and by Dísa, who was the sister of Þorfastr. The runes [b]ruþur sin meaning "her brother" are carved along the mast of the ship under the cross using bind rune
s. A bind rune is a ligature
that combines one or more runes into a single rune. Because the runes are vertically separated along a common stave, runologists
further classify these bind runes as being same-stave runes. The use of these runes here is considered to have been ornamental. Although the stone is considered to be Christian due to the cross and ship imagery, two of the names in the text have theophoric name elements, with Þorfastr referring to the Norse paganism
Norse pagan god Thor
and Dísa a nickname related to Dís
, which refers to a protective female deity.
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 located at Linga, which is about two kilometers south of Järna, Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
, 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 Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
. The inscription depicts a ship with an anchor and a portion of the runic text uses same-stave 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....
s on the ship mast.
Description
This inscription consists of runic text carved on two serpents that bracket the image of ship, whose upper mast forms a Christian 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...
, with the text continued on the top and back of the stone. 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....
Fp, which is the classification for runic bands that end in serpent heads depicted as seen from above. A runestone with a similar design is Sö 158 in Österberga, and it is believed that the same 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...
carved both Sö 158 and Sö 352 along with the nearby inscriptions Sö 350 at Valsta and Sö 351
Södermanland Runic Inscription 351
Södermanland Runic Inscription 351 or Sö 351 is the Rundata catalog number of a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Överjärna, which is part of Järna, Stockholm County, Sweden, which was part of the historic province of Södermanland...
in Överjärna.
Ship images appear on several Viking Age runic inscriptions, but the image on Sö 352 is unusual in that it apparently depicts a rope and anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
below the ship. The anchor does not appear to be made of iron, which was used only in the larger, more expensive ships, but is either a stone or made of stone and wood with rope lashings. Other runic inscriptions from the Viking Age which depict ships include DR 77 in Hjermind, DR 119 in Spentrup, DR 220
Sønder Kirkeby Runestone
The Sønder Kirkeby Runestone, listed as runic inscription DR 220 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that was discovered in Sønder Kirkeby, which is located about 5 kilometers east of Nykøbing Falster, Denmark.-Description:...
in Sønder Kirkeby, DR 258 in Bösarp, DR 271
Tullstorp Runestone
The Tullstorp Runestone is a Viking Age memorial runestone, listed as DR 271 in the Rundata catalog, that is located in Tullstorp, Scania, Sweden.-Description:...
in Tullstorp, DR 328
Holmby Runestone
The Holmby Runestone, listed as DR 328 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone with an image of a ship that is located in Holmby, which is about 2 kilometers southeast of Flyinge, Scania, Sweden.-Description:...
in Holmby, DR EM85;523 in Farsø, Ög 181
Ledberg stone
The Ledberg stone, designated as Ög 181 under Rundata, is an image- and runestone located in Östergötland, Sweden.-Description:The Ledberg stone, similar to Thorwald's Cross, a partially surviving runestone erected at Kirk Andreas on the Isle of Man, features a figure with his foot at the mouth of...
in Ledberg, Ög 224
Östergötland Runic Inscription 224
Östergötland Runic Inscription 224 or Ög 224 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Stratomta, which is 9 kilometers east of Linköping, Östergötland, Sweden...
in Stratomta, Ög MÖLM1960;230
Östergötland Runic Inscription MÖLM1960;230
Östergötland Runic Inscription MÖLM1960;230 or Ög MÖLM1960;230 is the Rundata catalog number for a memorial runestone that is located near a church in Törnevalla, which is 2 kilometers east of Linghem, Östergötland County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Östergötland...
in Törnevalla, Sö 122 in Skresta, Sö 154
Skarpåker Stone
The Skarpåker Stone, designated by Rundata as Sö 154, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that was originally located in Skarpåker, Nyköping, Sörmland, Sweden, and which dates to the early 11th century.-Description:...
in Skarpåker, Sö 158
Södermanland Runic Inscription 158
Södermanland Runic Inscription 158 or Sö 158 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Österberga, which is one kilometer southwest of Ärsta and three kilometers southwest of Runtuna, Södermanland, Sweden...
in Österberga, Sö 164 in Spånga, Sö 351 in Överjärna, Vg 51 in Husaby, U 370 in Herresta, U 979
Uppland Runic Inscription 979
Uppland Runic Inscription 979 or U 979 is the Rundata designation for a Viking Age runestone located at Gamla Uppsala, Sweden, which depicts a ship.-Description:U 979 is a damaged runestone located near the north entrance to the church at Gamla Uppsala...
in Gamla Uppsala, U 1052 in Axlunda, 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, and 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. Three stones, the Hørdum
Hørdum stone
The Hørdum stone is a Viking Age picture stone discovered in Hørdum, Thisted Municipality, North Denmark Region, Denmark, that depicts a legend from Norse mythology involving the god Thor and Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent.-Description:...
and Långtora kyrka stones and U 1001 in Rasbo, depict ships but currently do not have any runes on them and may never have had any.
The runic text is in the younger futhark
Younger 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...
and states that the stone was raised by Helgulfr as a memorial to his kinsman by marriage named Þorfastr, and by Dísa, who was the sister of Þorfastr. The runes [b]ruþur sin meaning "her brother" are carved along the mast of the ship under the cross using 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....
s. A bind rune is a ligature
Ligature
Ligature may refer to:* Ligature * Ligature , a characteristic notation style of the Medieval and Renaissance periods of music history* Ligature , a device used to attach a reed to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument...
that combines one or more runes into a single rune. Because the runes are vertically separated along a common stave, runologists
Runology
Runology is the study of the Runic alphabets, Runic inscriptions and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.-History:...
further classify these bind runes as being same-stave runes. The use of these runes here is considered to have been ornamental. Although the stone is considered to be Christian due to the cross and ship imagery, two of the names in the text have theophoric name elements, with Þorfastr referring to the 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...
Norse pagan god 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...
and Dísa a nickname related to Dís
Dis
- Academic institutions :* DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad, an English language study abroad program located in Copenhagen, Denmark* Dili International School, DIS an International School in Dili, Timor Leste - Companies :...
, which refers to a protective female deity.
Inscription
Line A is on the front side of the stone with the serpent and ship images, line B is on the top, and line C is on the back.Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- A : ailkufR : raisþi : stin : þansi : [at] : þurfast : mag : sin : tisa : at bruþur sin ... [<-rþ>u]
- B [tuþr uu...]
- C tisa : kiarþ... eft... ... sina
Transcription into Old Norse
- A HælgulfR(?) ræisti stæin þannsi at Þorfast, mag sinn, Disa at broður sinn. ... urðu(?)
- B dauðr(?) ...
- C Disa gærð[i] æft[iR] ... sina.
Translation in English
- A Helgulfr(?) raised this stone in memory of Þorfastr, his kinsman-by-marriage; Dísa in memory of her brother. ... ...
- B died(?) ...
- C Dísa made in memory of ... her.
External links
- Photograph of stone - Swedish National Heritage Board 1991