The Runestones of Högby are runestones located in the village of Högby in Östergötland, Sweden, but the name Högby runestone (Swedish: Högbystenen) usually refers to the notable Ög 81. It is famous for its eloquent epitaph in fornyrðislag for all the five sons of a man. The runestone was found when the church was demolished in 1874. Fragments of some other runestones were found as well. The Rundata project dates them to the late 10th century.
The following presentations show the runic inscription transliterated into Latin script, followed by transcriptions into Old East Norse dialect of Old Norse, and it ends with a translation into English.
Ög 81
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The Högby rune stone is in style Pr1. It commemorates Assur, one of the first Varangians who is known to have died in the service of the Byzantine Emperor, and he is estimated to have died c. 1010, or in the late 10th century. He was one of the sons of the "good man" Gulli, and the rune stone describes a situation that may have been common for Scandinavian families at this time: the stone was made on the orders of Assur's niece Þorgerðr in memory of her uncles who were all dead.
Þorgerðr probably had the stone made as soon as she had learnt that Assur, the last one of her uncles, had died in Greece, and she probably did this to ensure her right of inheritance. On the reverse side of the stone, she inscribed how her other uncles had died in fornyrðislag.
|
Goðr karl Gulli |
The good man Gulli |
Ásmundr probably died in the Battle of Fýrisvellir, in the 980s, and it was probably on the side of king Eric the Victorious. Assur had entered into the service of a more powerful liege and died for the Byzantine Emperor. Halfdan may have died either on Bornholm or in a holmgang, and where Kári died is not certain either. The most likely interpretation may be that he died on Od, the old name for the north-western cape of Zealand. Búi's location of death is not given, but it was probably in a way which was not as glorious as those of his brothers.
Inscription
Side A:*
þukir
Þorgærðr(?)
*
resþi
ræisþi
*
stin
stæin
*
þansi
þannsi
*
eftiʀ
æftiʀ
*
asur
Assur,
*
sen
sinn
*
muþur*bruþur
moðurbroður
*
sin
sinn,
*
iaʀ
eʀ
*
eataþis
ændaðis
*
austr
austr
*
i
i
*
krikum
Grikkium.
*
* þukir * resþi * stin * þansi * eftiʀ * asur * sen * muþur*bruþur * sin * iaʀ * eataþis * austr * i * krikum *
{} Þorgærðr(?) {} ræisþi {} stæin {} þannsi {} æftiʀ {} Assur, {} sinn {} moðurbroður {} sinn, {} eʀ {} ændaðis {} austr {} i {} Grikkium. {}
Þorgerðr(?) raised this stone in memory of Ôzurr, her mother's brother. He met his end in the east in Greece.
Side B:*
kuþr
Goðr
*
karl
karl
*
kuli
Gulli
*
kat
gat
*
fim
fæm
*
syni
syni.
*
feal
Fioll
*
o
a
*
furi
Føri
*
frukn
frøkn
*
treks
drængʀ
*
asmutr
Asmundr,
*
aitaþis
ændaðis
*
asur
Assurr
*
austr
austr
*
i
i
krikum
Grikkium,
*
uarþ
varð
*
o
a
hulmi
Holmi
*
halftan
Halfdan
*
tribin
drepinn,
*
kari
Kari
*
uarþ
varð
*
at
at
uti
Uddi(?)
*
* kuþr * karl * kuli * kat * fim * syni * feal * o * furi * frukn * treks * asmutr * aitaþis * asur * austr * i krikum * uarþ * o hulmi * halftan * tribin * kari * uarþ * at uti *
{} Goðr {} karl {} Gulli {} gat {} fæm {} syni. {} Fioll {} a {} Føri {} frøkn {} drængʀ {} Asmundr, {} ændaðis {} Assurr {} austr {} i Grikkium, {} varð {} a Holmi {} Halfdan {} drepinn, {} Kari {} varð {} at Uddi(?) {}
The good man Gulli got five sons. The brave valiant man Ásmundr fell at Fœri; Ôzurr met his end in the east in Greece; Halfdan was killed at Holmr (Bornholm?); Kári was (killed) at Oddr(?);
Side C:auk
ok
*
tauþr
dauðr
*
bui
Boi.
*
þurkil
Þorkell
*
rist
ræist
*
runaʀ
runaʀ.
*
auk * tauþr * bui * þurkil * rist * runaʀ *
ok {} dauðr {} Boi. {} Þorkell {} ræist {} runaʀ. {}
also dead (is) Búi. Þorkell carved the runes.
Ög 82
This runestone is in style RAK and it was made in memory of a man who owned or commanded the settlement.
:
þurkil
Þorkell
(r)(i)--
ræi(?)
----
...
(þ)(a)s(i)
þannsi
(i)ftiʀ
æftiʀ
*
uint
Øyvind,
*
tusta
Tosta
*
sun
sun,
*
iaʀ
eʀ
*
ati
ati
*
hugbu
Høgby.
: þurkil (r)(i)-- ---- (þ)(a)s(i) (i)ftiʀ * uint * tusta * sun * iaʀ * ati * hugbu
{} Þorkell ræi(?) ... þannsi æftiʀ {} Øyvind, {} Tosta {} sun, {} eʀ {} ati {} Høgby.
Þorkell carved(?) ... this in memory of Eyvindr, Tosti's son, who owned Haugbýr.
Ög 83
This runestone is tentatively categorized as style Pr1-Pr2 and it was made in memory of a son who died in the West.
*
þura
Þora
*
sati
satti
*
stin
stæin
*
þasi
þannsi
*
aftiʀ
æftiʀ
*
suin
Svæin,
*
sun
sun
*
sin
sinn,
*
ʀs
es
*
uʀstr
vestr
*
o
a
*
ualu
<ualu>
* þura * sati * stin * þasi * aftiʀ * suin * sun * sin * ʀs * uʀstr * o * ualu
{} Þora {} satti {} stæin {} þannsi {} æftiʀ {} Svæin, {} sun {} sinn, {} es {} vestr {} a {} <ualu>
Þóra placed this stone in memory of Sveinn, her son, who died in the west in <ualu>.
See also
- Joint Nordic database for runic inscriptions
- List of runestones
- De foro manligen fjärran efter guld … En historisk berättelse om utlandsfarare från Östergötland under vikingatiden, by Jan R. Asph.
Notes
- ^ Pritsak 1981:375
- Rundata
- ^ Larsson 1981:141
- Larsson 1981:142-143
- Larsson 1981:143-144
- ^ Larsson 1981:144
Sources
- Brate, Erik (1911). Östergötlands Runinskrifter.
- Larsson, Mats G. (2002). Götarnas Riken : Upptäcktsfärder Till Sveriges Enande. Bokförlaget Atlantis AB ISBN 978-91-7486-641-4
- Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). The Origin of Rus'. Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN 0-674-64465-4
External source
58°21′38″N 15°05′59″E / 58.3606°N 15.0997°E / 58.3606; 15.0997
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