Västra Nöbbelöv Runestone
Encyclopedia
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
.
within a single text band that runs up the stone, arches over, and then goes to the ground. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the oldest style. This is the classification for runic text where the text bands have straight ends and without any attached beast or serpent heads. The runestone, which is 2.3 meters in height, was discovered around 1745 split into two pieces at a reactory, and has been repaired and raised on the church grounds.
The runic text states that the stone was raised by Tóki in memory of his brother Auðgi. The name Auðgi is given some prominence in the inscription with its placement at the top of the arch in the runic text. The text describes the deceased man Auðgi as being "a very good thegn
" or "þegn," with the runes for thegn no longer readable on the stone. 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 other sixteen runestones use the same Old Norse
phrase harða goðan þegn or "a very good Þegn," including Vg 59
in Norra Härene, Vg 62
in Ballstorp, Vg 102 in Håle gamla, Vg 113 in Lärkegape, 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 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 stone is known locally as the Västra Nöbbelövstenen. It has been given a Danish Rundata listing as Scania was part of the historic Denmark.
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 Västra Nöbbelöv, which is about 3 kilometers east of Skivarp
Skivarp
Skivarp is a locality situated in Skurup Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 1,252 inhabitants in 2005....
, Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, 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....
, and was in the historic province of Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
.
Description
The inscription on the Västra Nöbbelöv Runestone 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...
within a single text band that runs up the stone, arches over, and then goes to the ground. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the oldest style. This is the classification for runic text where the text bands have straight ends and without any attached beast or serpent heads. The runestone, which is 2.3 meters in height, was discovered around 1745 split into two pieces at a reactory, and has been repaired and raised on the church grounds.
The runic text states that the stone was raised by Tóki in memory of his brother Auðgi. The name Auðgi is given some prominence in the inscription with its placement at the top of the arch in the runic text. The text describes the deceased man Auðgi 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...
" or "þegn," with the runes for thegn no longer readable on the stone. 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 other sixteen 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 or "a very good Þegn," including 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 113 in Lärkegape, 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 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 stone is known locally as the Västra Nöbbelövstenen. It has been given a Danish Rundata listing as Scania was part of the historic Denmark.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- : tuki : risþi : stin : þainsi : iftiR : auþka : bruþur : sin : harþa : kuþan : ¶ ----
Transcription into Old Norse
- Toki resþi sten þænsi æftiR Øþga, broþur sin, harþa goþan [þægn].
Translation in English
- Tóki raised this stone in memory of Auðgi, his brother, a very good [þegn].