There are about 3,000 runestones in Scandinavia (out of a total of about 6,000 runic inscriptions). p. 38. The runestones are unevenly distributed in Scandinavia: The majority is found in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, estimated at between 1,700 and 2,500 (depending on definition). Denmark has 250 runestones, and Norway has 50. There are also runestones in other areas reached by the

Viking expansion Viking expansion was the historical movement which led Norse explorers, traders and warriors, the latter known in modern scholarship as Vikings, to sail most of the North Atlantic, reaching south as far as North Africa and east as far as Russi ...

, especially in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

( Manx runestones, Page, Raymond I. (1995).
Runes and Runic Inscriptions: Collected Essays on Anglo-Saxon and Viking Runes
'. Parsons, D. (ed.) Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 207–244 England runestones, Scotland and Ireland) and other islands of the North Atlantic (Faroes, Greenland, but not in Iceland), and scattered examples elsewhere (the

Berezan' Runestone The Berezan' Runestone ( X UaFv1914;47) was discovered in 1905 by Ernst von Stern, professor at Odessa, on Berezan' Island (also known as the Island of St Aitherios) where the Dnipro River meets the Black Sea. The runeston ...

in Eastern Europe, Pritsak, O. (1987). ''The Origin of Rus'.'' Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Sawyer, Birgit. (2000).
The Viking-Age Rune-Stones: Custom and Commemoration in Early Medieval Scandinavia
'. Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, p. 306. and runic graffiti on the

Piraeus Lion The Piraeus Lion ( it, Leone del Pireo) is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, Italy, where it was displayed as a symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. History It was originally located in Piraeus, the harbour ...

from Greece but today in Venice, Italy)."Runsten", ''

Nationalencyklopedin ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish-language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 19 ...

'' (1995), volume 16, pp. 91–92. The vast majority of runestones date to the Viking Age and the period immediately following the

Christianisation 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 direct ...

(9th to 12th centuries). A small number predates the 9th century; one of the last runestones was raised in memory of the archbishop

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of Denm ...

(d. 1201).Jansson 1997:166 A small number of runestones may date to the late medieval to early modern period, such as the Fámjin stone (Faroe Islands), dated to the Reformation period. Modern runestones (as imitations or forgeries of Viking Age runestones) began to be produced in the 19th century

Viking Revival The Viking revival was a movement reflecting new interest in, and appreciation for Viking medieval history and culture. Interest was reawakened in the late 18th and 19th centuries, often with added heroic overtones typical of that Romantic era. ...

. The ''Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base'' (') is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of

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 ...

s in the '' Rundata'' database.

Elder Futhark runestones

The vast majority of runestones date to the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

. There is only a handful

Elder Futhark The Elder Futhark (or Fuþark), also known as the Older Futhark, Old Futhark, or Germanic Futhark, is the oldest form of the runic alphabets. It was a writing system used by Germanic peoples for Northwest Germanic dialects in the Migration Peri ...

(pre-Viking-Age) runestones (about eight, counting the transitional specimens created just around the beginning of the Viking Age). * Årstad Stone (390–590 AD) *

Einang stone The Einang stone (''Einangsteinen'') is a runestone located east of the Einang Sound near Fagernes, in Oppland, Norway, notable for the age of its runic inscription. The Einang runestone is located within the extensive Gardberg site. It is p ...

(4th century) *

Tune Runestone The Tune stone is an important runestone from about 200–450 AD. It bears runes of the Elder Futhark, and the language is Proto-Norse. It was discovered in 1627 in the church yard wall of the church in Tune, Østfold, Norway. Today it is housed ...

(250–400 AD) *

Kylver Stone The Kylver stone, listed in the Rundata catalog as runic inscription G 88, is a Swedish runestone which dates from about 400 AD. It is notable for its listing of each of the runes in the Elder Futhark. Description The Kylver stone was found duri ...

(5th century) *

Möjbro Runestone The Möjbro Runestone is a runestone that is designated as U 877 in the Rundata catalog and is inscribed in Proto-Norse using the Elder Futhark. It was found in Möjbro, which is about 8 kilometers north of Örsundsbro in Uppsala County, Sweden, ...

(5th or early 6th century) *

Järsberg Runestone The Järsberg Runestone is a runestone in the elder futhark near Kristinehamn in Värmland, Sweden. Inscription It contains the following runic text: : The text as transliterated into Latin letters: :...ubaz hite ÷ h=arabana=z ¶ h=ait... � ...

(transitional, 6th century) * Björketorp Runestone (transitional, 7th century) * Stentoften (transitional, 7th century) *

Eggjum stone The Eggja stone (also known as the Eggum or Eggjum stone), listed as N KJ101 in the Rundata catalog, is a grave stone with a runic inscription that was ploughed up in 1917 on the farm Eggja in Sogndal, Nordre Bergenhus amt (now in Vestland county) ...

(8th century) *

Rök runestone The Rök runestone ( sv, Rökstenen; Ög 136) is one of the most famous runestones, featuring the longest known runic inscription in stone. It can now be seen beside the church in Rök, Ödeshög Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. It is co ...

(transitional, ca. 800 AD) *

Hogganvik runestone The Hogganvik runestone is a fifth-century runestone, bearing an Elder Futhark inscription, that was discovered in September 2009 by Arnfinn Henriksen, a resident of Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area of Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway, while w ...

(350–500 AD)

Younger Futhark runestones

Scandinavia proper

Sweden

The number of runestones in Sweden is estimated at between 1,700 and 2,500 (depending on definition). The Swedish district of Uppland has the highest concentration with as many as 1,196 inscriptions in stone, whereas Södermanland is second with 391).Harrison, D. & Svensson, K. (2007). ''Vikingaliv''. Fälth & Hässler, Värnamo, p. 138. * Varangian Runestones – inscriptions that mention voyages to the East (''Austr'') or the Eastern route (''Austrvegr''). *

Ingvar Runestones The Ingvar Runestones ( sv, Ingvarstenarna) is the name of around 26 Varangian Runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of Ingvar the Far-Travelled. The Ingvar expedition ...

– 26 Varangian runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of

Ingvar the Far-Travelled Ingvar the Far-Travelled (Old Norse: ''Yngvarr víðförli'', Swedish: ''Ingvar Vittfarne'') was a Swedish Viking who led an expedition that fought in Georgia. The Rus' undertook several Caspian expeditions in the course of the 10th century. The ...

. *

Serkland Runestones The Ingvar Runestones ( sv, Ingvarstenarna) is the name of around 26 Varangian Runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of Ingvar the Far-Travelled. The Ingvar expedition ...

– six or seven runestones which are Varangian Runestones that mention voyages to

Serkland In Old Norse sources, such as sagas and runestones, Serkland (also ''Særkland'', ''Srklant'', ''Sirklant'', ''Serklat'', etc.) was the "land of the ''Serkir''", usually identified with the Saracens. The exact etymology is disputed. ''Serk''- ma ...

, the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

name for the Muslim world in the south. * Greece Runestones – 29 Varangian runestones that talk of voyages to Greece, i.e. the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

. * Viking Runestones – Stones that mention Scandinavians who participated in Viking expeditions in western Europe, and stones that mention men who were Viking warriors and/or died while travelling in the West. *

Jarlabanke Runestones The Jarlabanke Runestones ( sv, Jarlabankestenarna) is the name of about 20 runestones written in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark rune script in the 11th century, in Uppland, Sweden. They were ordered by what appears to have been a chieft ...

– a collection of 20

s written in

related to Jarlabanke Ingefastsson and his clan. * Frösöstenen *The

Ramsund carving The Sigurd stones form a group of eight or nine Swedish runic inscriptions (five or six runestones, two natural rocks, and a baptismal font) and one picture stone that depict imagery from the Germanic heroic legend of Sigurd the dragon slayer. Th ...

Sparlösa Runestone The Sparlösa Runestone, listed as Vg 119 in the Rundata catalog, is located in Västergötland and is the second most famous Swedish runestone after the Rök runestone. Description The Sparlösa Runestone was discovered in 1669 in the southe ...

* Rökstenen – the longest runic inscription in the world, located in the province of Östergötland in Sweden

=District of
Hälsingland Hälsingland (), sometimes referred to as Helsingia in English, is a historical province or ''landskap'' in central Sweden. It borders Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is part of the land of Norrland. ...

= *

Hälsingland Rune Inscription 21 The Hälsingland Runic Inscription 21 is a Viking Age memorial runestone cataloged as Hs 21 under Rundata, located in Jättendal, Nordanstig Municipality, Hälsingland, Sweden. It is notable for being crafted by a female runemaster. Desc ...

=District of
Medelpad Medelpad ( or ) is a historical province or ''landskap'' in the north of Sweden. It borders Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia. The province is a part of Norrland and as such considered to be Northern ...

= * Medelpad Rune Inscription 1 *

Medelpad Rune Inscription 18 Medelpad ( or ) is a historical province or ''landskap'' in the north of Sweden. It borders Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia. The province is a part of Norrland and as such considered to be Northern ...

=District of
Småland Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized fo ...

= *

Småland Runic Inscription 99 This runic inscription, designated as Sm 99 in the Rundata catalog, is on a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Nederby, which is about two kilometers northwest of Myresjö, Jönköping County, Sweden, and in the historic province of Sm� ...

=District of
Skåne Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne C ...

= *

Sjörup Runestone The Sjörup Runestone is a runestone in Scania, Sweden, from approximately 1000 AD that is classified as being in runestone style RAK. The Karlevi Runestone, the Egtved Runestone and the Hällestad Runestones may be connected to it. History T ...

=District of
Uppland Uppland () is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. On the small uninhab ...

= *

Färentuna Runestones The Färentuna runestones are 11th century runestones labelled U 20, U 21, and U 22 in the Rundata catalog that are located in Färentuna, Uppland, Sweden. Runestones U 20 and U 21 were registered separately although they come from the same orig ...

(U 20, U 21 and U 22) * Broby bro Runestones (U 135, U 136 and U 137) *

Hagby Runestones The Hagby Runestones are four runestones that are raised on the courtyard of the farm Hagby in Uppland, Sweden. They are inscribed in Old Norse using the Younger Futhark and they date to the 11th century. Three of the runestones ( U 153, U 154 an ...

(U 152, U 153, U 154 and U 155) *

Lingsberg Runestones The Lingsberg Runestones are two 11th-century runestones, listed as U 240 and U 241 in the Rundata catalog, and one fragment, U 242, that are engraved in Old Norse using the younger futhark. They are at the Lingsberg farm about ea ...

(U 240, U 241 and U 242) *

Hargs bro runic inscriptions {{main article, Jarlabanke Runestones The Hargs bro runic inscriptions, or U 309, U 310 and U 311, are 11th century Younger Futhark inscriptions in Old Norse on bedrock in Skånela Parish, Uppland, Sweden. U 309 and U 310 constitute a twin mo ...

(U 309, U 310 and U 311) *

Snottsta and Vreta stones The Snottsta and Vreta stones are individual runestones known as U 329, U 330, U 331 and U 332. They are found on the homesteads of Snottsta (also spelled Snåttsta) and Vreta, and they tell in Old Norse with the younger futhark about the family s ...

(U 329, U 330, U 331 and U 332) *

Granby Runestone The Granby Runestone (Swedish: ''Granbyhällen''), designated as U 337 under the Rundata catalog, is one of the longest Viking Age runic inscriptions located in Uppland, Sweden. Description The Granby Runestone has a runic inscription carved o ...

(U 337) * Näsby Runestone (U 455) *

Vaksala Runestone The Vaksala Runestone, designated as U 961 under the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located close to Vaksala Church, near Uppsala, Sweden. Description The Vaksala Runestone is one of the approximately forty runeston ...

(U 961) *

Krogsta Runestone The Krogsta Runestone is a runestone designated as U 1125 in the Rundata catalog. The stone is located in Krogsta near , in Uppsala Municipality, Sweden, in the historic province of Uppland. It was first described by Johannes Bureus in 1594. ...

(U 1125)

=District Östergötland

= * Högby Runestone * Kälvesten Runestone *

Ledberg stone The Ledberg stone, designated as Ög 181 under Rundata, is an image-stone and runestone located in Östergötland, Sweden. Description The Ledberg stone is a partially surviving runestone, similar to Thorwald's Cross. It features a figure wit ...

=District
Gästrikland Gästrikland () is a historical province or ''landskap'' on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces. Other form ...

= * Gästrikland Runic Inscription 7 (Gs 7)

Denmark

Denmark has a total of 250 known runestones. * Eltang stone *

Jelling stones The Jelling stones ( da, Jellingstenene) are massive carved runestones from the 10th century, found at the town of Jelling in Denmark. The older of the two Jelling stones was raised by King Gorm the Old in memory of his wife Thyra. The large ...

* Rimsø Runestone *

Snoldelev Stone The Snoldelev Stone, listed as DR 248 in the Rundata catalog, is a 9th-century runestone that was originally located at Snoldelev, Ramsø, Denmark. Description The Snoldelev Stone, which is 1.25 meters in height, is decorated with painted scrat ...

* Sørup runestone

Norway

Norway has a total of 50 known runestones. * Dynna stone (11th century AD) *

Fåberg stone The Fåberg stone ( no, Fåbergsteinen) is a runestone next to Fåberg Church in the village of Fåberg in the municipality of Lillehammer in Innlandet County, Norway. It is registered with the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage under ...

* Granavollen Runestone (11th century AD) *

Grindheim stone The Grindheim stone (Norwegian: ''Grindheimsteinen'') is a runestone from Grindheim Church in Etne municipality in Hordaland, Norway. History The Vang stone was erected during the transitional period from Paganism to Christianity in Norway ca ...

(11th century AD) * Hønen Runestone (11th century AD) *

Klepp I Runestone The Klepp I Runestone, listed as N 225 in the Rundata catalog, is one of two runestones from Klepp in Rogaland, Norway. It is among the few Viking Age runestones that was raised as a memorial to a woman. Description The Klepp I Runestone has thr ...

Kulisteinen The Kulisteinen, also known as the Kuli stone and listed as N 449 in the Rundata catalog, is a stone with a runic inscription that was originally located at Kuløy in Smøla municipality, Norway. Description For over 900 years the Kuli stone had ...

(11th century AD) * Norwegian Runic Inscription 239 * Oddernes stone (11th century AD) *

Vang stone Vang stone (''Vangsteinen'') listed as N 84 in Rundata is a runestone from the early eleventh century located at Vang, Oppland, Vang in Oppland, Norway. Description The Vang stone was erected around 1000, during the transitional period fro ...

(11th century AD)

North Atlantic

British Isles

* England Runestones – a collection of 30 runestones that refer to

voyages to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, from Sweden, Norway and Germany. * Manx runestones: 26 surviving stones.

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

1983:227 * Princes Street Gardens Runestone, Edinburgh, Scotland

Faroe Islands

* Sandavágur stone (13th century) * Kirkjubøur stone (11th century) * Fámjin stone (16th century)

Greenland

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 ...

Other

Germany

Germany has a total of 4 known runestones. * Hedeby stones,

Hedeby Hedeby (, Old Norse ''Heiðabýr'', German ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig-Holst ...

(10th century AD) *

Sigtrygg Runestones The two Sigtrygg Runestones, designated as DR 2 and DR 4 in the Rundata catalog, are two of the Hedeby stones that were found in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which during the Viking Age was part of Denmark. The runestones were raised after the Dan ...

(934 AD) *

Stone of Eric The Stone of Eric, listed as DR 1 in the Rundata catalog, is a memorial runestone that was found in Northern Germany. This area was part of Denmark during the Viking Age. Description The Stone of Eric is one of the Hedeby stones. It was found ...

(10th century AD)

Italy

, coming from Greece and today in Venice *

Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo The Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel ( it, Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo) is a Roman Catholic shrine on Mount Gargano, Italy, part of the commune of Monte Sant'Angelo, in the province of Foggia, northern Apulia. It has the dignit ...

, Apulia (South Italy)

Ukraine

, Berezan' Island

Image stones

*The Ardre image stones *The Stora Hammars stones and the Tängelgarda stone,

Lärbro Lärbro () is a locality on the Swedish island of Gotland, with 963 inhabitants in 2014. Lärbro is also the name of the larger populated area, ''socken'' (not to be confused with parish). It comprises the same area as the administrative Lärbro ...

parish

Modern runestones

A number of notable runestones of modern origin exist. Some of them are intended as hoaxes, their creators attempting to imitate a Viking Age artefact. Especially since the late 20th century, runestones in the style of the Viking Age were also made without pretense of authenticity, either as independent works of art or as replicas as museum exhibits or tourist attractions."In December 1997 I moved to Adelsö, the Island there the kings lived in the viking period, near the Island of Birka ..My capabilities to live on my handicraft became bigger and I extend with guided tours in the ancient area, protected by UNESCO. On a piece of land, near this area, I build up my place of work and exhibition. ..The year 2000 I got honored to carve a runestone as a memory of Leif Eriksson who did the exploration of North America, thousand year ago. The runestone was carved here at Adelsö. When the work was completed, the stone transferred to Canada and became raised at the northern point of Newfoundland / Vineland." (Kalle Dahlberg
runstonecarver.com
"The three types of contemporary runestone carvings highlighted in the article are those that are "exact copies of existing stones", "explicitly contemporary", and "new, but with Old Norse"."

2012) This concerns especially runestones found in North America. There is also a limited set of early modern runestones created after the end of the Viking Age but before the "

". *

Kensington runestone The Kensington Runestone is a slab of greywacke stone covered in 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 so ...

Narragansett Runestone The Narragansett Runestone, also known as the Quidnessett Rock, is a slab of metasandstone located in Rhode Island, United States. It is inscribed with two rows of symbols, which some have indicated resemble ancient runic characters. The stone ...

* Oklahoma runestones * Vérendrye stone *

Spirit Pond Runestone The Spirit Pond runestones are three stones with alleged runic inscriptions, found at Spirit Pond in Phippsburg, Maine, Phippsburg, Maine in 1971 by a Walter J. Elliott, Jr., a carpenter born in Bath, Maine, Bath, Maine. The stones, currently hou ...

References

{{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 ...

Runestones Archaeological corpora