| Sparlösa Runestone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Writing | betweenElder andYounger Futhark |
| Created | 800 |
| Discovered | c. 1669 Sparlösa,Västergötland,Sweden |
| Rundata ID | Vg 119 |
| Runemaster | Alrik and/or Gisli |
| Text – Native | |
| Old Norse : See article. | |
| Translation | |
| See article | |
 | |
TheSparlösa Runestone, listed asVg 119 in theRundata catalog, is located inVästergötland and is the second most famous Swedishrunestone after theRök runestone.
The Sparlösa Runestone was discovered in 1669 in the southern wall of the church at Sparlösa, now part ofVara Municipality.[1] Before their historical value was understood, many runestones were used as construction material for roads, walls, and bridges. Following a fire at the church in 1684, the runestone was split in rebuilding the wall.[1] It was removed from the wall in 1937 and the two sections reunited.[1]
The stone is 1.77 metres tall and it is dated to about 800 AD based upon its transitional use of rune forms from both theelder andyounger futhark,[2] but it has a probably younger line added to it sayingGisli made this memorial after Gunnar, his brother. The dating is based on the style of the images, such as a ship, which suggest the 8th century, like similar images fromGotland. However, a sail on the ship suggests a later dating than the 8th century.
The runestone is famous for its depictions and its tantalizing and mysterious references to a great battle, the namesEric andAlrik, thefather who resided inUppsala and the textdescending from the gods. The stone provides an early attestation of the place nameUppsala, and the two personal namesErik ("complete ruler") andAlrik ("everyone's ruler") are both royal names, known to have been worn by the semi-legendary SwedishYngling dynasty at Uppsala. Moreover, the mention of a great battle is suggestive of the equally semi-legendarySwedish-Geatish wars that are mentioned inBeowulf.
The wordsrunaʀ ræginkundu meaning "runes of divine origin" are also in the runic text on theNoleby Runestone and would appear in stanza 79 of theHávamál of thePoetic Edda several centuries later.[3]
The runestone has imagery on four of its sides that apparently is unrelated to the runic text and in one interpretation predates it.[4] One side has a building at the top that is over a crescent ship with a sail marked with a cross and with two birds, possiblypeacocks, on its yardarms. At the bottom is a man on horseback hunting a stag and using a huntingleopard, which is not native to Sweden. The next side has an owl, with a head reminding of a lion's, and a goose fighting a snake. One side has a man and a cross band. One suggested interpretation is that the images on the stone are a memorial toTheodoric the Great, king of theOstrogoths from 471 to 526 AD, with the building depicted on the stone a representation of hismausoleum.[4] The other images, such as the crescent ship and the lion fighting the snake, can be interpreted asiconography of theArianChristian faith.[4]
a⁑iuls
Æivisl
kaf
gaf,
⁓
airikis
Æiriks
sunʀ
sunʀ,
kaf
gaf
alrik-
Alrik[ʀ]
-
...
a⁑iuls kaf ⁓ airikis sunʀ kaf alrik- -
Æivisl gaf, {} Æiriks sunʀ, gaf Alrik[ʀ] ...
Eyvísl(?), Eiríkr's son gave, Alríkr gave...
---t---la
...
kaf
gaf
rau-
<rau->
at
at
kialt(i)
gialdi
·
…a
[Þ]a(?)
sa-
sa[t]
faþiʀ
faðiʀ
ubsal
Upsal(?),
faþiʀ
faðiʀ
suaþ
svað
a-a-u--ba
...
…-ąmas
...
nątu
nætʀ
auk
ok
takaʀ
dagaʀ.
⁓
aslriku
Alrikʀ
lu--ʀ
<lu--ʀ>
ukþ-t
ugð[i]t(?)
a(i)u(i)sl
Æivisl
---t---la kaf rau- at kialt(i) · …a sa- faþiʀ ubsal faþiʀ suaþ a-a-u--ba …-ąmas nątu auk takaʀ ⁓ aslriku lu--ʀ ukþ-t a(i)u(i)sl
... gaf <rau-> at gialdi {} [Þ]a(?) sa[t] faðiʀ Upsal(?), faðiʀ svað ... ... nætʀ ok dagaʀ. {} Alrikʀ <lu--ʀ> ugð[i]t(?) Æivisl
... gave ... as payment. Then(?) the father sat(?) (in) Uppsala(?), the father that ... ... nights and days. Alríkr <lu--r> feared(?) not Eyvísl(?).
…s---n(u)(ʀ)-a--
...
þat
þat
sikmar
Sigmarr
aiti
hæiti
makuʀ
maguʀ
airikis
Æiriks.
makin(i)aru
Mæginiaru(?)
þuną
<þuno>
·
aft
aft
aiuis
Æivisl.
uk
Ok
raþ
rað
runąʀ
runaʀ
þaʀ
þaʀ
raki-ukutu
rægi[n]kundu
iu
<iu>
þar
þar,
suaþ
svað
aliriku
Alrikʀ
lu(b)u
<lubu>
faþi
faði.
…s---n(u)(ʀ)-a-- þat sikmar aiti makuʀ airikis makin(i)aru þuną · aft aiuis uk raþ runąʀ þaʀ raki-ukutu iu þar suaþ aliriku lu(b)u faþi
... þat Sigmarr hæiti maguʀ Æiriks. Mæginiaru(?) <þuno> {} aft Æivisl. Ok rað runaʀ þaʀ rægi[n]kundu <iu> þar, svað Alrikʀ <lubu> faði.
... that Eiríkr's boy is called Sigmarr/celebrated-for-victories. Mighty battle(?) ... in memory of Eyvísl(?). And interpret the runes of divine origin there... , that Alríkr <lubu> coloured.
ui(u)-am
<uiu-am>
…--ukrþsar(s)k(s)nuibin-
...
---kunʀ(u)k(l)ius--
...
…iu
...
ui(u)-am …--ukrþsar(s)k(s)nuibin- ---kunʀ(u)k(l)ius-- …iu
<uiu-am> ... ... ...
... ... ...
:
kisli
Gisli
:
karþi
gærði
:
iftiʀ
æftiʀ
:
kunar
Gunnar,
:
bruþur
broður,
[:]
kubl
kumbl
:
þisi
þessi.
: kisli : karþi : iftiʀ : kunar : bruþur [:] kubl : þisi
{} Gisli {} gærði {} æftiʀ {} Gunnar, {} broður, {} kumbl {} þessi.
Gísli made this monument in memory of Gunnarr, (his) brother.[5]
This link replaces the link to the article on the depictions of the Sparlösa Rune stone in Pyrenaehttp://www.historieforum.se/437619567