The Simris Runestones are two 11th-century
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 located at the
vicarage
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage.
Function
A clergy house is typically ow ...
of
Simris
Simris is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 211 inhabitants in 2010.
References
Populated places in Skåne County
Populated places in Simrishamn Municipality
{{Skåne-g ...
, near
Simrishamn
Simrishamn (old da, Simmershavn) is a locality and the seat of Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 6,527 inhabitants in 2010. Despite its small population, Simrishamn is, for historical reasons, usually still referred to as a ''c ...
, in southeasternmost
Scania
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 ...
,
Sweden. They were rediscovered in a church wall in 1716 during a restoration of the church.
Although the territory was Danish at the time, they were made in the Swedish style 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 ...
. One of the stones is notable in being one of the earliest native
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 ...
n documents that mention Sweden.
DR 344
This runestone is dated to the second half of the 11th century as it is carved in
runestone style
:''The term "runestone style" in the singular may refer to the Urnes style.''
The style or design of runestones varied during the Viking Age. The early runestones were simple in design, but towards the end of the runestone era they became increa ...
Pr4, which is also known as
Urnes style
Viking art, also known commonly as Norse art, is a term widely accepted for the art of Scandinavian Norsemen and Viking settlements further afield—particularly in the British Isles and Iceland—during the Viking Age of the 8th-11th centurie ...
, and includes a design using serpent with its head depicted as seen from the side. Based on stylistic, linguistic, and rune-selection grounds, it has long been considered to have been made by a Swedish
runemaster.
[Nielsen (2000:128, 132-133).] It is made of sandstone and is 1.7 meters in height. This runestone was raised by Bjôrngeirr in memory of a brother called Hrafn ("Raven") who served a lord named Gunnulfr in Sweden. This runestone, together with the runestones
Sö Fv1948;289 and
DR 216, is one of the earliest native Scandinavian documents that mention Sweden.
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
:
* biarngaiʀ × lit (*) raisa * stain * þina * eftiʀ * rafn * broþur * sin * su(i)n * kun(u)--s * a suiþiuþu
[Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk](_blank)
- Rundata entry for DR 344.
Transcription into Old Norse
:Biarngeʀ let resa sten þænna æftiʀ Rafn, broþur sin, swen Gunu
f a Sweþiuþu.
Translation in English
:Bjôrngeirr had this stone raised in memory of Hrafn, his brother, Gunnulfr's lad in Sweden.
DR 345
This runestone is dated to the first half of the 11th century and it is runestone style Fp and features text within a serpent with its head depicted as seen from overhead. The stone is made of sandstone and is 1.5 meters in height. Similar to DR 344, the
runic inscription
A runic inscription is an inscription made in one of the various runic alphabets. They generally contained practical information or memorials instead of magic or mythic stories. The body of runic inscriptions falls into the three categories of E ...
has long been considered to have been carved by a Swedish runemaster.
It is believed to honor one of
Canute the Great's warriors.
Canute was king in Denmark from 1018 to 1035. The two other names mentioned in the runic text, Sigreifr and Forkunnr, are personal names familiar in Sweden but not in Denmark during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, supporting the attribution of Swedish influence.
[Nielsen (2000:145).]
Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
:
× sigrif¶r : let * resa * sten : þensa : aiftiʀ * forkun : if--r * faþur : osulfs : triks : knus ¶ * hilbi : kuþ : on : hans
[Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk](_blank)
- Rundata entry for DR 345.
Transcription into Old Norse
:Sigrefʀ let resa sten þænsa æftiʀ Forkun
,/æf i faþur Asulfs, drængs Knuts. Hialpi Guþ ond hans.
Translation in English
:Sigreifr had this stone raised in memory of Forkunn ,/ in memory of the father of Ásulfr, Knútr's valiant man. May God help his spirit.
See also
* List of runestones
Notes
References
* {{Cite book , last=Nielsen , first=Michael Lerche , editor-last=Düwel , editor-first=Klaus , contribution=Swedish Influence in Danic Runic Inscriptions , title=Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde , publisher=Walter de Gruyter , year=2000 , location=Berlin , pages=127–148 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jauEhMOH_kgC , isbn =3-11-016978-9
Runestones in memory of Viking warriors
Runestones in Scania
11th-century inscriptions