Frösöstenen (
J RS1928;66 $) is the northernmost raised
runestone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones d ...
in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
[The northernmost in the world is the ]Kingittorsuaq Runestone
The Kingittorsuaq Runestone (old spelling: ''Kingigtorssuaq''), listed as GR 1 in the Rundata catalog, is a runestone that was found on Kingittorsuaq Island, an island in the Upernavik Archipelago in northwestern Greenland.
Description
The Kingi ...
, in Greenland and
Jämtland's only runestone. It originally stood at the tip of
ferry terminal on the
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' b ...
between the island of
Frösön
Frösön (, ; " Frey's island"), (Old no, Frøys øy) is the largest island in the lake Storsjön, located west of the city Östersund in Jämtland, Sweden. During most of recorded history Frösön was the regional centre of Jämtland, and it is t ...
and
Östersund
Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-largest lake, Storsjön, ...
.
On it is inscribed:
:''Austmaðr, Guðfastr's son, had this stone raised and this bridge built and
Christianized
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
Jämtland. Ásbjörn built the bridge. Trjónn and Steinn carved these
runes
Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...
.''
The following Old Norse person and place names appear in the inscription:
* ''Austmaðr'' ( en, Man from the East) - An
Old West Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
speaking man from Mainland Scandinavia. Similarly, ''Vestmaðr'' (English: ''Man from the West'') was an Old West Norse-speaking
Briton
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...
.
* ''Guðfastr'' (English: ''He who is faithful to God'')
* ''Jamtaland'' (English: ''Land of the "Jamtar"''- The Old Norse name for Jämtland where ''jamti'' may mean 'hard-working person'; cf. German adjective ''emsig'' 'hard-working'.)
* ''Ásbjörn'' (English: ''God Bear'')
* ''Trjónn'' - (English: ''Snout'' - A name more or less specific to Jämtland, and also found in several Medieval documents from Jämtland
)
* ''Steinn'' (English: ''Stone'')
The stone is also unique in that it was done in memory of Austmaðr's Christianization of Jämtland and bridge building, rather than as a
cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
. The stone dates to between 1030 and 1050. It has now been relocated to the lawn in front of the local county seat due to the construction of a new bridge, between 1969 and 1971, on the original site.
See also
*
Arnljot
*
Christianization of Scandinavia
The Christianization of Scandinavia, as well as other Nordic countries and the Baltic countries, took place between the 8th and the 12th centuries. The realms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden established their own Archdioceses, responsible direc ...
*
Joint Nordic database for runic inscriptions
*
List of runestones
*
Runestone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones d ...
*
Runic alphabet
Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...
Footnotes
References
External links
The runestone on Frösön
{{DEFAULTSORT:Froso Runestone
Runestones in Jämtland
11th-century inscriptions