Ardre image stones

The largest of the Ardre image stones is Ardre VIII.

The Ardre image stones are a collection of ten rune and image stones, dated to the 8th to 11th centuries, that were discovered at a church in Ardre, which is about four kilometers north of Stånga, Gotland County, Sweden.

Description

The Ardre image stones were re-used as paving under the wooden floors of the local church in the Ardre parish of Gotland. Before the historical significance of rune and image stones was understood, they were often used as materials in the construction of roads, bridges, and buildings. The image stones were re-discovered when the church was being restored around 1900. The stones are now preserved in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm.

Ardre VIII detail showing the forge of Weyland.

Ardre VIII

The largest and most famous of the stones is the Ardre VIII stone, dated to the 8th[1] or 9th century, depicts scenes from Norse mythology, notably the Lay of Weyland the smith, Thor fishing for Jörmungandr, the punishment of Loki for the death of Baldr,[2] and Odin riding to Valhalla on Sleipnir. Other images on this stone, such as the woman on the right with two swords, are not currently understood as they do not conform to any known Norse myth that has survived to the present time.[2] The image-stone's longboat motif with its mariners somewhat resembles a depiction found on the Överhogdal tapestry No. III from Härjedalen.

Ardre III

Side B of Ardre III.

The inscription on one of the two sides of the Ardre III runestone, which is listed in Rundata as Gotland Runic Inscription 113, consists of twin figure eight serpents with runic text in a band on the edge of the stone, while the second side has a single intertwined serpent with runic text on the edge of the stone. The inscription is classified as probably being in runestone style Pr3. The runic text, which is signed by a runemaster with the normalized name of Likraiv, indicates that it was raised as a memorial with different sponsors for the inscriptions on each side of the stone.

Inscription

Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
§A ÷ utar + ak + kaiRuatr + ak + aiuatr + þaR + setu + stain + ebtir + likna(t) + faþur ÷ sen +
§B ÷ raþialbr + ak + kaiRaiau(t)- + þaiR kiarþu + merki + kuþ + ubtir + man + saaran ÷ likraibr + risti + runaR[3]
Transcription into Old Norse
§A Ottarr ok GæiRhvatr ok Æihvatr þæiR sattu stæin æftiR Liknhvat, faður sinn.
§B RaðþialfR ok GæiRniut[r] þæiR gærðu mærki goð æftiR mann snaran. LiknræifR risti runaR.[3]
Translation in English
§A Óttarr and Geirhvatr and Eihvatr, they placed the stone in memory of Líknhvatr, their father.
§B Ráðþjalfr and Geirnjótr, they made the good landmark in memory of ... man. Líknreifr carved the runes.[3]

References

  1. ↑
    • Sørensen, Preben M.; Williams, Kirsten (transl.) (2002). "Þorr's Fishing Expedition (Hymiskviða)". In Acker, Paul; Larrington, Carolyne. The Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Mythology. Routledge. p. 123. ISBN 0-8153-1660-7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jesch, Judith (1991). Women in the Viking Age. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-85115-360-5.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata entry for G 113.

External links