Runestones at Aspa
The Runestones at Aspa are located in Södermanland, Sweden, where road has passed a creek since prehistoric times. This was the place of the local assembly called the Tingshögen,[1] and the newly elected king passed the stones during his Eriksgata.
One of the stones Sö Fv1948;289, below is the oldest surviving native Scandinavian source that mentions the kingdom of Sweden beside the runestones Dr 344 and Dr 216. Another stone Sö 137 is raised in memory of a Viking who had spent time in the west. Another stone Sö 136 from records was once located in Aspa but has since been lost.[2]
Sö Fv1948;289
The inscription on this stone consists of tightly bound columns of text within bands that end in snake heads, and may be indicative of the influence of earlier Danish inscriptions on decorated runestones in Sweden.[3] This runestone is classified as being carved in runestone style Fp, which is the classifiecation for inscriptions with bands that end in animal heads. It was raised in memory of a two men who died in Denmark. The stone says that they were the ablest men in Sweden. The runestone was found in 1937 during trench work near a bridge and was moved adjacent to Sö 141.[2]
Inscription
Latin transliteration
- ostriþ : lit : -ira : ku(m)... ...usi ÷ at : anunt ÷ auk : raknualt : sun : sin ÷: urþu : ta...R : - (t)an...-...(k)u : ua-u : rikiR : o rauniki : ak : snialastiR : i : suiþiuþu[4]
Old Norse transcription
- Astrið let [g]æra kum[bl þa]usi at Anund ok Ragnvald, sun sinn. Urðu da[uði]R [i] Dan[mar]ku, va[R]u rikiR a Rauningi ok sniallastiR i Sveþiuðu.[4]
English translation
- Astrid had this memorial made after Anund and Ragnvald, her son. (They) died in Denmark, were powerful in Rauningi and the ablest in Sweden.[4]
Sö 137
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This runestones is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the classification for inscriptions with bands that are straight and do not end in animal heads. It was engraved with both long-branch runes and staveless runes. In the last row all the words but the last one were written with staveless runes. Sö 137 is also considered to be one of the Viking runestones.
Inscription
Latin transliteration
- A þura : raisþi : stin : þ--si at : ubi : buanti : sin
- B : stain : saR:si : stanr : at : ybi : o þik*staþi : at ¶ : þuru : uar : han : uestarla : uakti : karla ¶ [sa þar] * sunr þaþ * raknasuatau(k)i(f)maR[sua][4]
Old Norse transcription
- A Þora ræisþi stæin þ[ann]si at Øpi, boanda sinn.
- B Stæinn saRsi standr at Øpi a þingstaði at Þoru ver. Hann vestarla væknti(?) karla, sa þaR sunR það. ...[4]
English translation
- A Þóra raised this stone in memory of Œpir, her husbandman.
- B This stone stands in memory of Œpir, on the Assembly-place in memory of Þóra's husband. He armed(?) (his) men in the west. The son saw this there ...[4]
Sö 138
This granite runestone is classified as being carved in runestone style Fp.
Inscription
Latin transliteration
- : hiar : stainr : stin : at : kuþan : ybis : arfa : ak : þurunaR kylu : broþurs : kuþ hialbin : at :[4]
Old Norse transcription
- Hier stændr stæinn at goðan Øpis arfa ok ÞorunnaR, Gyllu broðurs. Guð hialpin and.[4]
English transation
- Here stands the stone in memory of Œpir's and Þórunnr's good heir, Gylla's brother. May God help (his) spirit.[4]
Sö 141
This granite runestone was raised by two parents in memory of their son and has a Christian cross near the top of the inscription. The reference to bridge-building in the runic text is fairly common in runestones during this time period. Some are Christian references related to the soul passing the bridge into the afterlife. At this time, the Catholic Church sponsored the building of roads and bridges through the use of indulgences in return for the church's intersession for the soul of the departed.[5] There are many examples of these bridge stones dated from the eleventh century, including runic inscriptions Sö 101, U 489, and U 617.[5]
Inscription
Latin transliteration
- sloþi auk * rahnfriþ * þau * litu * biþi * bro * k(i)ara * a... * (s)...in * ra-(s)n * eftiR ihulbiarn * sun sin *
Old Norse transcription
- Sloði ok Ragnfriðr þau letu baði bro gæra o[k] s[tæ]in ræ[i]sa æftiR Igulbiorn, sun sinn.
English translation
- Slóði and Ragnfríðr, they both had the bridge made and the stone raised in memory of Ígulbjôrn, their son.
References
- ^ Line, Philip (2007). Kingship and State Formation in Sweden, 1130-1290. Leiden: Brill. p. 154. ISBN 90-04-15578-3.
- ^ a b Jansson, Sven B. F. (1948). "Sörmländska Runstensfynd" (PDF). Fornvännen. 43. Swedish National Heritage Board: 282–314.
- ^ Fuglesang, Signe Horn (1998). "Swedish Runestones of the Eleventh Century". In Düwel, Klaus; Hoops, Johannes; et al. (eds.). Runeninschriften als Quellen Interdisziplinärer Forschung. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. p. 199. ISBN 3-11-015455-2.
{{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|editor2-first=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata.
- ^ a b *Gräslund, Anne-Sofie (2003). "The Role of Scandinavian Women in Christianisation: The Neglected Evidence". In Carver, Martin (ed.). The Cross Goes North: Processes of Conversion in Northern Europe, AD 300-1300. Boydell Press. pp. 483–496. ISBN 1-903153-11-5. p. 490-492.