Södermanland Runic Inscription 367
Encyclopedia
Södermanland Runic Inscription 367 or Sö 367 is the Rundata
catalog designation for a Viking Age
memorial
runestone located in Släbro, which is one kilometer north of Nyköping
, Södermanland County
, Sweden
, which was in the historic province of Södermanland
. The inscription has a facial mask and describes two men as being thegns and the owners of Sleðabrú, which today is modern day Släbro.
in three rows and in an arch around a facial mask. The runestone, which is made of gneiss
and is 1.78 meters in height, is classified as being carved in runestone style
RAK, which is considered to be the oldest classification. This is the classification for inscriptions that have straight text band ends without any attached serpent or beast heads. The facial mask on this stone is a common motif and is found on several other runestones including DR 62 in Sjelle, DR 66 in Århus, DR 81
in Skern, DR 258 in Bösarp, the now-lost DR 286
in Hunnestad, DR 314
in Lund, DR 335
in Västra Strö, Vg 106 in Lassegården, Sö 86
in Åby ägor, Sö 112 in Kolunda, Sö 167 in Landshammar, Nä 34
in Nasta, U 508 in Gillberga, U 670 in Rölunda, U 678 in Skokloster, U 824
in Holms, U 1034
in Tensta, and U 1150 in Björklinge, and on the Sjellebro Stone
. A small cross
is at the bottom of the center line of text, and it has been suggested that the facial mask represents Jesus Christ
. Sö 367 was discovered broken in three pieces in a bathing area of the Nyköpingsån river
near a farm, although it may have been noted in an earlier runestone survey of the 1600s. This location was at an old crossing of this river, which was an important Viking Age waterway in Södermanland.
The inscription on Sö 367 states that Hámundr and Ulfr raised the stone as a memorial to their father Hrólfr and were assisted by Hrólfr's spouse Eybjôrg. The text states that the father Hrólfr and a man named Freysteinn were Þegns or thegn
s. The exact status of thegns in Scandinavia
is unclear, although the term was borrowed from England, where it was used for royal or military retainers. Scandinavian thegns appear to have been powerful local landowners but it is unclear whether their status reflected royal sponsorship or power. The Old Norse
phrase þrottaR þiagnaR or "þegns of strength" is written in a coded form using a combination of runes and cipher runes
. In addition, the word þrottaR uses a reverse-read bind rune
that combines a þ-rune and an o-rune, although it has been suggested that this was due to an error in carving the runes. The phrase "Þegns of strength" is also used on Sö Fv1948;295
in Prästgården and in its singular form on Sö 90 in Lövhulta, Sö 112 in Kolunda, Sö 151 in Lövsund, Sö 158
in Österberga, and Sö 170 in Nälberga. The text also uses a dotted form of the m-rune
, which is considered to be a transitional form. The only other runestone in Södermanland that uses this form of an m-rune is Sö Fv1986;218, although it is used on some other runestones in southern Sweden and Denmark.
Hrólfr and Freysteinn are also stated as being the owners of Sleðabrú, which today is Släbro. The name Sleðabrú when the runestone was discovered was described as coming from Slaiþa|Bru meaning "bridge for sleighs." However, it has been suggested that the first part of the name comes from the stem slaiðo which means "slowly gliding," and refers to the Nyköpingsån river.
Sö 367 is known locally as the Släbrostenen. A second runestone, Sö 45, has been placed just south of Sö 367.
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 designation for 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 Släbro, which is one kilometer north of Nyköping
Nyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
, Södermanland County
Södermanland County
Södermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
, 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 has a facial mask and describes two men as being thegns and the owners of Sleðabrú, which today is modern day Släbro.
Description
This inscription 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...
in three rows and in an arch around a facial mask. The runestone, which is made of gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and is 1.78 meters in height, 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....
RAK, which is considered to be the oldest classification. This is the classification for inscriptions that have straight text band ends without any attached serpent or beast heads. The facial mask on this stone is a common motif and is found on several other runestones including DR 62 in Sjelle, DR 66 in Århus, DR 81
Skern Runestone
The Skern Runestone, designated as Danish Runic Inscription 81 or DR 81 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Skjern, Denmark. The stone features a facial mask and an inscription which ends in a curse...
in Skern, DR 258 in Bösarp, the now-lost DR 286
Hunnestad Monument
The Hunnestad Monument , listed as DR 282 through 286 in the Rundata catalog, were once located at Hunnestad in Marsvinsholm north-west of Ystad, Sweden. It was the largest and most famous of the Viking Age monuments in Scania, and in Denmark, only comparable to the Jelling stones...
in Hunnestad, DR 314
Lund 1 Runestone
The Lund 1 Runestone, designated as DR 314 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone originally located on the grounds of the Allhelgona church in Lund, Scania, Sweden.-Description:...
in Lund, DR 335
Västra Strö 2 Runestone
The Västra Strö 2 Runestone, listed as DR 335 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located at the Västra Strö Monument, which is at a church that is about four kilometers northwest of Eslöv, Skåne County, Sweden.-Description:...
in Västra Strö, Vg 106 in Lassegården, Sö 86
Södermanland Runic Inscription 86
thumb|300px|right|A drawing of runic inscription Sö 86 published in 1876.Sö 86 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runic inscription located in Åby, Södermanland, Sweden...
in Åby ägor, Sö 112 in Kolunda, Sö 167 in Landshammar, Nä 34
Nasta Runestone
The Nasta Runestone, listed as Nä 34 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Nasta, which is 3 kilometers northwest of Glanshammar, Örebro County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Närke.-Description:...
in Nasta, U 508 in Gillberga, U 670 in Rölunda, U 678 in Skokloster, U 824
Uppland Runic Inscription 824
Uppland Runic Inscription 824 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone located at Holms, which is about eight kilometers east of Örsundsbro, Uppsala County, Sweden. The inscription features a facial mask and a bind rune in the text....
in Holms, U 1034
Uppland Runic Inscription 1034
Uppland Runic Inscription 1034 or U 1034 is the Rundata catalog number for a runic inscription on a runestone located at the Tensta church in Uppland, Sweden, that was carved in the late 11th or early 12th century...
in Tensta, and U 1150 in Björklinge, and on the Sjellebro Stone
Sjellebro Stone
The Sjellebro Stone is a Viking Age image stone located at Sjellbro, which is about 12 kilometers southeast of Randers, Denmark. The stone is inscribed with a facial mask.-Description:...
. A small cross
Christian 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...
is at the bottom of the center line of text, and it has been suggested that the facial mask represents Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Sö 367 was discovered broken in three pieces in a bathing area of the Nyköpingsån river
Nyköpingsån
Nyköpingsån is a river in Sweden.-References:...
near a farm, although it may have been noted in an earlier runestone survey of the 1600s. This location was at an old crossing of this river, which was an important Viking Age waterway in Södermanland.
The inscription on Sö 367 states that Hámundr and Ulfr raised the stone as a memorial to their father Hrólfr and were assisted by Hrólfr's spouse Eybjôrg. The text states that the father Hrólfr and a man named Freysteinn were Þegns or 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...
s. The exact status of thegns in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
is unclear, although the term was borrowed from England, where it was used for royal or military retainers. Scandinavian thegns appear to have been powerful local landowners but it is unclear whether their status reflected royal sponsorship or power. The 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 þrottaR þiagnaR or "þegns of strength" is written in a coded form using a combination of runes and cipher runes
Cipher runes
Cipher runes, or cryptic runes, are the cryptographical replacement of the letters of the runic alphabet.-Preservation:The knowledge of cipher runes was best preserved in Iceland, and during the 17th and the 18th centuries, Icelandic scholars produced several treatises on the subject...
. In addition, the word þrottaR uses a reverse-read 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....
that combines a þ-rune and an o-rune, although it has been suggested that this was due to an error in carving the runes. The phrase "Þegns of strength" is also used on Sö Fv1948;295
Södermanland Runic Inscription Fv1948;295
Sö Fv1948;295 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Prästgården, which is just west of Jönåker, Södermanland County, Sweden. It commemorates two men who are described as being thegns.-Description:...
in Prästgården and in its singular form on Sö 90 in Lövhulta, Sö 112 in Kolunda, Sö 151 in Lövsund, 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, and Sö 170 in Nälberga. The text also uses a dotted form of the m-rune
Man (word)
The term man and words derived from it can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their sex or age...
, which is considered to be a transitional form. The only other runestone in Södermanland that uses this form of an m-rune is Sö Fv1986;218, although it is used on some other runestones in southern Sweden and Denmark.
Hrólfr and Freysteinn are also stated as being the owners of Sleðabrú, which today is Släbro. The name Sleðabrú when the runestone was discovered was described as coming from Slaiþa|Bru meaning "bridge for sleighs." However, it has been suggested that the first part of the name comes from the stem slaiðo which means "slowly gliding," and refers to the Nyköpingsån river.
Sö 367 is known locally as the Släbrostenen. A second runestone, Sö 45, has been placed just south of Sö 367.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
- hamunr : ulfR raisþu : stain : þinsi : efti : hrulf : faþur : sin : ayburg : at : unir sin þaiR otu : by : slaiþa:bru + fraystain : hrulfR o=þrutoR þiakna
Transcription into Old Norse
- Hamundr, UlfR ræisþu stæin þennsi æftiR Hrolf, faður sinn, Øyborg at ver sinn. ÞæiR attu by Sleðabro, Frøystæinn, HrolfR, þrottaR þiagnaR.
Translation in English
- Hámundr (and) Ulfr raised this stone in memory of Hrólfr, their father; Eybjôrg in memory of her husband. Freysteinn (and) Hrólfr, þegns of strength, they owned the estate of Sleðabrú.
External links
- Photograph of Sö 367 in 1989 - Swedish National Heritage Board
- Photograph of Sö 367 and Sö 45 before the Nyköpingsån river - Swedish National Heritage Board
- Maskesten - Billedsten fra Vikingtiden - Arild Hauge webpage on mask stones