Hunnestad Monument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hunnestad Monument (Swedish: Hunnestadsmonumentet), DR 282 - 284, once located at Hunnestad in Marsvinsholm north-west of Ystad, Sweden, was the largest and most famous of the Viking Age monuments in Scania, and in Denmark, only comparable to the Jelling stones. The monument was destroyed during the end of the 18th century by Eric Ruuth of Marsvinsholm, probably between 1782 and 1786 when the estate was undergoing sweeping modernization, though the monument survived long enough to be documented and depicted.
When the antiquary Ole Worm (1588-1654) explored the monument, it consisted of eight stones. Five of them were image stones, and two of these image stones also had runic inscriptions. In the eighteenth century, all the stones were relocated or destroyed. Only three remain, today on display at a museum in Lund.
The three image stones, without any rune inscription, show three illustrations of a huge animal. One of them, DR 284, (# 4) is ridden by a woman who has two snakes in her hands. She appears to be the wolf-riding giantess Hyrrokkin who helped the Æsir push Balder's ship into the sea. The other stone shows the animal beside a mask and the third stone shows the animal alone.
Contents |
[edit] The runestones
The first runestone (DR 282) was raised by Ásbjörn and Tumi in memory of Tumi's two brothers, whereas the last one (DR 283) was raised by Ásbjörn in memory of Tumi.
[edit] DR 282
The oldest of the two runestones depicts a man dressed in a long coat and a pointed helmet. The man, who carries an axe on his right shoulder, is possibly a member of the Varangian guard.
[edit] Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
× osburn × (a)u(k) × tumi × þaiR × sautu × stain × þansi × a(f)[t]iR × rui × auk × ¶ laikfruþ × sunu × kuna × han[t]aR ×
[edit] Transcription into Old Norse
Æsbiorn ok Tomi þeR sattu sten þænsi æftiR Roi ok Lekfrøþ, sunu Gunna HandaR.
[edit] Translation in English
Ásbjôrn and Tumi they placed this stone in memory of Hróir and Leikfrøðr, Gunni Hand's sons.
[edit] DR 283
The second runestone is decorated with a cross and was raised by Ásbjörn after Tumi.
[edit] Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
× osburn × snti × stain × þansi × aftiR × tuma × sun × kuna × ¶ hantaR ×
[edit] Transcription into Old Norse
Æsbiorn satti sten þænsi æftiR Toma, sun Gunna HandaR.
[edit] Translation in English
Ásbjôrn placed this stone in memory of Tumi, Gunni Hand's son.
[edit] Sources and external links
- Djuret, an article in PDF format at the site of the Museum of Foteviken., retrieved January 20, 2007.
- Two pictures of what remains of the two runestones.
- A picture of the luckily well-preserved Hyrrokkin image stone.
- (Swedish) Runstensmonument från 1000-talet, Hunnestad säteri och by i Ljunits härad i Malmöhus län.
