TheSædinge Runestone orDR 217 is aViking Agerunestone engraved inOld Norse with theYounger Futharkrunic alphabet. It is ingranite and measures 174 cm in height, 79 m in width and it is 69 cm thick, and it is dated to the period 970–1020.[1] The style of the runestone is therunestone style RAK.[2]It was discovered in 1854, during the plowing of a field near an oldford.[1] However, it was split in nine pieces and spread around before it was noticed that there were runes on them. It took several searches to find all the pieces.[1] Only the top piece is missing but it is known from an old drawing.[1] The stone is presently located at theStiftsmuseum inMaribo onLolland,Denmark.[1] In 2014, it was moved inside the building.[1]
The reading and the interpretation are problematic.[1] The inscription is difficult to read and there are doubts about the message in the inscription and the theory about aSwedish dominion and a Swedish colonization as claimed byNiels Åge Nielsen (1983:132-135) andErik Moltke (1985:300f.).[1] The interpretation ofsutrsuia ("sunder-" or "south Swedes") andsuþr[tana] ("south Danes") are contested by e.g. Lerche Nielsen 1993.[1] Based on Kornerup's drawing of the missing top piece, Magnus Källström has readsuþr[(m)ana], issuðrmanna (gen. plur.) meaning "south men" as an opposition to ethnonymnurminum,norðmænnum (dat. plur.), i.e. "Norwegians", later in the inscription (Källström 2012). This interpretation is based on the reading of an m-rune, which earlier has not been previously discussed based on the various positions taken by the scholars in the ample literature on this runestone.[1]
þurui
Þorwi
:
kat
gat
:
kauruan
gørwan
(:)
¶
stain
sten
:
þansi
þænsi
:
--(-)
...
¶
(k)(r)(u)(k)
Krok,
·
þurui : kat : kauruan (:) ¶ stain : þansi : --(-) ¶ (k)(r)(u)(k) ·
Þorwi {} gat {} gørwan {} {} sten {} þænsi {} ... {} Krok, {}
"Þyrvé got this stone made ... Krókr,"
uiar
wær
(:)
sin
sin,
:
ian
æn
:
han
han
(:)
uas
was
¶
--
[þa](?)
alra
allra
·
triu--...
driu[gastr](?)
uiar (:) sin : ian : han (:) uas ¶ -- alra · triu--...
wær {} sin, {} æn {} han {} was {} [þa](?) allra {} driu[gastr](?)
"her husband, and he was [then](?) the most resolute(?) of all"
sutrsuia
sundrswea
(:)
au(k)
ok
(:)
suþr[tana
suþrdana.
·]
¶
kuaul
Kwol
:
at
at
:
ha-
ha[l]/ha[nn],
af
af
nur¶minum
normannum
som
sæm
sutrsuia (:) au(k) (:) suþr[tana ·] ¶ kuaul : at : ha- af nur¶minum som
sundrswea {} ok {} suþrdana. {} {} Kwol {} at {} ha[l]/ha[nn], af normannum sæm
"Sunder-Swedes and South Danes. Torment ate/ to(?) him/ the hero, the best of Northmen."
baistr
bæztr.
:
han
Han
uas
was
¶
...
[þa](?)
sutrsuia
sundrswea
:
(-)uk
[l]ok/ok.
·
baistr : han uas ¶ ... sutrsuia : (-)uk ·
bæztr. {} Han was {} [þa](?) sundrswea {} [l]ok/ok. {}
"He was [there/ then](?) the Sunder-Swedes end / yoke(?)."[2]