Runestone from the mid to late 1000s located in the village of Hov, Sweden. This one is a whopper, 2m high and 1.7m wide. Many runestones were repurposed as building material - this one was found in 1867 built into the cellar of a manor house. Here is another cross - the majority of 11th century runestones reference Christianity in the text, decorations or both.
Old Norse translitteration:
Tunna/Tonna satti stæin þ[annsi æf]tiʀ sinn ver Þorfast. Vas hann manna mæstr oniðingʀ.
English:
Tunna/Tonna placed this stone in memory of her husband Þorfastr. He was the most unvillainous of men.
ID for those who know these things: L2012:8466 / Ög 77
I am studying archaeology, and the topic of my essay this term is language development as traced through runestones and early Christian graves. I have a fair few photos :-)
Woah that's so neat! Super fascinating :)
We visited the burial mound of a celtic seeress from the bronze age this weekend and people carved runes in the surrounding trees and left small offerings and decorations at the site. It felt really sacred.
Old Norse translitteration:
Tunna/Tonna satti stæin þ[annsi æf]tiʀ sinn ver Þorfast. Vas hann manna mæstr oniðingʀ.
English:
Tunna/Tonna placed this stone in memory of her husband Þorfastr. He was the most unvillainous of men.
ID for those who know these things: L2012:8466 / Ög 77
We visited the burial mound of a celtic seeress from the bronze age this weekend and people carved runes in the surrounding trees and left small offerings and decorations at the site. It felt really sacred.
Also I really love "the most unvillainous of men" :D
Super cool, @snowbeast!