Uppland Runic Inscription Fv1986 84
Encyclopedia
Runic inscription U Fv1986;84 is the Rundata
catalog number for a Viking Age
memorial that is located at Bo gård on the island of Lidingö
in Uppland
, Sweden
.
near the top of the design. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style
Pr3 - Pr4, which is also known as the Urnes style
. This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animal heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks.
The runic text begins at the bottom of the inscription and reads clockwise along the serpent. The text states that the runemaster
Åsmund
carved the runes in memory of his grandfather Steinn. Åsmund is known to have been active in the Uppland area in the first half of the 11th century. Other surviving runestones that are listed in Rundata
as being signed by Åsmund include U 301 in Skånela, the now-lost U 346 in Frösunda, U 356 in Ängby, the now-lost U 368 in Helgåby, U 824 in Holm, U 847 in Västeråker, U 859 in Måsta, U 871 in Ölsta, U 884 in Ingla, U 932 at Uppsala Cathedral
, U 956 in Vedyxa, U 969 in Bolsta, the now-lost U 986 in Kungsgården, U 998 in Skällerö, U 1142 in Åbyggeby, U 1144
in Tierp, U 1149 in Fleräng, U Fv1988;241 in Rosersberg, Gs 11 in Järvsta, Gs 12 in Lund, and Gs 13 in Söderby. The runic text also states that Steinn's sons were named Sibbi, Geirbjôrn, and Ulfr, but which of these was the father of Åsmund is unknown.
The inscription is somewhat unusual in that it is a memorial to a grandfather. In all of Scandinavia
, only nine runestones mention grandparents and the other eight runestones which do are in the area around Lake Mälaren
.
The Rundata designation for this Uppland inscription, U Fv1986;84, refers to the year and page number of the issue of Fornvännen
in which it was first described.
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 number 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 that is located at Bo gård on the island of Lidingö
Lidingö
Lidingö is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, located north east of central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is also the seat of Lidingö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 44,000 inhabitants in 2011....
in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and 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....
.
Description
This runestone was discovered in 1984 and is carved on a boulder located on the island of Lidingö. The inscription, which is about 2 meters high by 1.4 meters wide, consists of runic text carved on an intertwined serpent. There is a Christian crossChristian 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...
near the top of the design. The inscription 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....
Pr3 - Pr4, which is also known as the Urnes style
Urnes style
The Urnes style was the last phase of Scandinavian animal art during the second half of the 11th century and in the early 12th century. The preceding phases of Scandinavia's Viking Age animal ornamentation are usually categorized as Oseberg style, Borre style, Jelling style, Mammen style and...
. This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animal heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks.
The runic text begins at the bottom of the inscription and reads clockwise along the serpent. The text states that the runemaster
Runemaster
A runemaster or runecarver is a specialist in making runestones.Most early medieval Scandinavians were probably literate in runes, and most people probably carved messages on pieces of bone and wood. However, it was difficult to make runestones, and in order to master it one also needed to be a...
Åsmund
Åsmund Kåresson
Åsmund Kåresson was a Viking Age runemaster who flourished during the first half of the 11th century in Uppland and Gästrikland, Sweden. The early Urnes style is represented in his art.-Work:...
carved the runes in memory of his grandfather Steinn. Åsmund is known to have been active in the Uppland area in the first half of the 11th century. Other surviving runestones that are listed in Rundata
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...
as being signed by Åsmund include U 301 in Skånela, the now-lost U 346 in Frösunda, U 356 in Ängby, the now-lost U 368 in Helgåby, U 824 in Holm, U 847 in Västeråker, U 859 in Måsta, U 871 in Ölsta, U 884 in Ingla, U 932 at Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is a cathedral located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the...
, U 956 in Vedyxa, U 969 in Bolsta, the now-lost U 986 in Kungsgården, U 998 in Skällerö, U 1142 in Åbyggeby, U 1144
Uppland Runic Inscription 1144
This runic inscription, designated as U 1144 in the Rundata catalog, is on a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Tierp, Uppsala County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Uppland.-Description:...
in Tierp, U 1149 in Fleräng, U Fv1988;241 in Rosersberg, Gs 11 in Järvsta, Gs 12 in Lund, and Gs 13 in Söderby. The runic text also states that Steinn's sons were named Sibbi, Geirbjôrn, and Ulfr, but which of these was the father of Åsmund is unknown.
The inscription is somewhat unusual in that it is a memorial to a grandfather. In all of 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,...
, only nine runestones mention grandparents and the other eight runestones which do are in the area around Lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
.
The Rundata designation for this Uppland inscription, U Fv1986;84, refers to the year and page number of the issue of Fornvännen
Fornvännen
Fornvännen is a Swedish academic journal in the fields of archaeology and Medieval art. It is published quarterly by the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters in Stockholm, Sweden. The journal's contributions are written in the Scandinavian languages, English, or German with summaries in English...
in which it was first described.
Transliteration
A tranliteration of the inscription is:- asmu-tr ... ris-- * runaR * eftiR × stein * faþurs*faþur * sin * auk * faþur * siba * ok × geiRbiarnaR × aok ... ulfs * eaR * merki * mikit * at * man * koþan ×