Gripsholm Runestone
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The Gripsholm Runestone (SÖ 179), near Gripsholm castle, Sweden, is one of the most famous runestones commemorating the death of Swedish Vikings who died in the Caliphate, and it is considered to be the most prominent stone raised in commemoration of the ill-fated expedition of Ingvar the Far-Travelled. The stone contains a strophe written in fornyrðislag, and may mention a brother of Ingvar's, the leader of the expedition.
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[edit] The runestone's inscription in Latin letters
× tula : lit : raisa : stain : þinsa| |at : sun : sin : haralt : bruþur : inkuars : þaiR furu : trikila : fiari : at : kuli : auk : a:ustarla| |ar:ni : kafu : tuu : sunar:la : a sirk:lan:ti
[edit] Transcriptions into the two dialects of Old Norse
This is a transcription in the local Old East Norse (Swedish and Danish) dialect of Old Norse:
Tola let ræisa stæin þennsa at sun sinn Harald, broður Ingvars.
- ÞæiR foru drængila
- fiarri at gulli
- ok austarla
- ærni gafu,
- dou sunnarla
- a Særklandi.
Here follows a transcription in the Old West Norse (Norwegian and Icelandic) dialect of Old Norse:
Tóla lét reisa stein þenna at son sinn Harald, bróður Ingvars.
- Þeir fóru drengila
- fjarri at gulli
- ok austarla
- erni gáfu,
- dóu sunnarla
- á Serklandi.
[edit] A translation in English
Tola had this stone raised after her son Harald, Ingvar's brother.
- They ventured as men
- far away for gold
- and in the East
- they fed the eagle.
- They died in the South
- in the Caliphate.
[edit] Interpretation
The text informs us that they died during a Viking expedition in the East, i.e. across Russia. The expression fed the eagle is a kenning for waging war and killing enemies who were left as food for the eagles. The large expedition continued across the Caucasus and into the Caliphate. According to Ingvar's saga, only one ship returned to Sweden in 1042.
The information that Harald's mother Tola raised the stone is interpreted as telling that Tola was a concubine of Ingvar's father, so Ingvar and Harald were half-brothers. According to a different interpretation, Harald and Ingvar were only brothers-in-arms.
[edit] History
The runestone was found in 1827 by the runologist Johan G. Liljegren and it was at the time covered in tar and used as a threshold inside the castle. It had probably been inserted in the 16th century, after having been used in the Carthusian monastery of the town. During the reformation, the monastery was demolished and the stones were used in the construction of the castle. In 1930, it was decided that the stone should be removed from the floor and erected at its current location.
[edit] Carver
It is made of granite and the stone is not signed. The carver's default name is Äskil 2.
