This runestone in Linköping, Sweden was erected in the first half of the 1000s. It was discovered in 1726, built into the wall of a local church building which itself dates to the 1100s. Stone churches were built all over Sweden in the 1100s, and runestones were often integrated into the masonry. This may have been a way to symbolically bring the runestone's commemorated loved ones into the church. In many cases, only 100 years separate a runestone's erection from the building of the church within which it became walled, so the commemorated would likely have had close relatives in the community.
Note the cross at the top - Christianity was a new religion in Scandinavia in the 1000s. Erecting runestones was expensive, and was done exclusively by the wealthy as a statement of prestige and to advertise their adherence to the new faith.
This runestone was erected by a woman, Sandö. Perhaps her husband and brothers were killed while away on a raid, or perhaps disease or a farming accident took them. We will never know, but their memory lives on.
Runic text: ᛋᛅᚾᛏᛅᚢ᛫ᛚᛁᛏ᛫ᚱᛁᛋᛅ᛫ᛋᛏᛅᛁᚾ᛫ᚦᛁᚾᛅᛋᛅ᛫ᛁᚠᛏᛁᚱ᛫ᚠᛅᛋᛏᛅ᛫ᛒᚢᚾᛏᛅ᛫ᛋᛁᚾ᛫ᛅᚢᚴ᛫ᛒᚱᚢᚦ᛫ᛋᛁᚾᛅ᛫ᛏᚢᛅ᛫ᚴᚢᚦᛘᚢᚾᛏ᛫ᛅᚢᚴ᛫ᛋᛁᚴᛒᛁᚢᚱᚾ
Old Norse translitteration:
Sandøy let ræisa stæin þennsa æftiʀ Fasta, bonda sinn, ok brøðr sina tva Guðmund ok Sigbiorn.
English:
Sandö had this stone raised to the memory of Fasti, her husband, and her two brothers Guðmundr and Sigbjǫrn
I am as well. Runes just have a magical quality to them, don't they. I know it's probably because they've been mystified within the Anglosphere, and at the end of the day they're just a writing system. Even so, I can't look at them or runestones and not think some one will use them to call forth the powers of ancient Norse mythology. (Yes, even if the stones have a cross on them.)
Note the cross at the top - Christianity was a new religion in Scandinavia in the 1000s. Erecting runestones was expensive, and was done exclusively by the wealthy as a statement of prestige and to advertise their adherence to the new faith.
Runic text: ᛋᛅᚾᛏᛅᚢ᛫ᛚᛁᛏ᛫ᚱᛁᛋᛅ᛫ᛋᛏᛅᛁᚾ᛫ᚦᛁᚾᛅᛋᛅ᛫ᛁᚠᛏᛁᚱ᛫ᚠᛅᛋᛏᛅ᛫ᛒᚢᚾᛏᛅ᛫ᛋᛁᚾ᛫ᛅᚢᚴ᛫ᛒᚱᚢᚦ᛫ᛋᛁᚾᛅ᛫ᛏᚢᛅ᛫ᚴᚢᚦᛘᚢᚾᛏ᛫ᛅᚢᚴ᛫ᛋᛁᚴᛒᛁᚢᚱᚾ
Old Norse translitteration:
Sandøy let ræisa stæin þennsa æftiʀ Fasta, bonda sinn, ok brøðr sina tva Guðmund ok Sigbiorn.
English:
Sandö had this stone raised to the memory of Fasti, her husband, and her two brothers Guðmundr and Sigbjǫrn