u/Thorstenflink

One of the best looking runestone I know about. It's made of limestone in the late Viking era.

Inscription: Sigmund had the stone erected after his brothers and the bridge made after Sigbjärn - Saint Michael help his soul - and after Botraiv and after Sigraiv and after Aibjärn, father of them all, and he lived in the village (or farm) furthest south. Gairvid drew (eg. laid) the serpentine coils ... Sigmund has thus accomplished the care. For men it is a well-known memorial. Here the stone shall stand as a mark, shining on the mountain, the bridge beside it. Rodbjärn carved these runes, some (however) Gairlaiv, he knows them well. 

sigmutr let rasa sain eftiʀ bruþr : sina : auk : bro : kierua : eftiʀ : sikbiern : santa mikal hie[lbi] ... ...ans auk : at : botraif auk at sigraif : auk : at aibiern : faþur þaiʀa : altr : auk bikui han : i by : sunarst kaiʀuiþr lekþi ormaluʀ nemʀ : in[t]i uʀ ¶ sikmutr [--fiʀ :] sliku : unit kuml ¶ karmanum : þet aʀ [:] ... kun : hier : mun : stanta stain : a[t] : merki bietr a : bierki in bro furiʀ ¶ roþ(b)iern risti run(i)ʀ [þ]esa kaiʀl-ifʀ sumaʀ aʀ karla kan

A depiction of Thor with his belt of strength Megingjörð.

Inscription; stur-akʀ + sati + stin + þasi + (i)ftiʀ + kaur + faþur + sin

Stursagr set this stone after Gaur, his father.

ᛋᛏᚢᚱ╵ᛅᚴᛦ × ᛋᛅᛏᛁ × ᛋᛏᛁᚾ × ᚦᛅᛋᛁ × ᛧᚠᛏᛁᛦ × ᚴᛅᚢᚱ × ᚠᛅᚦᛁᚱ × ᛋᛁᚾ

The image is consistent with Snorri Sturluson's depiction in the Edda . According to Snorri, Thor was baiting with the head of an ox belonging to the giant Hyme or Hymer , and the Midgard Serpent  took the bait. The fight was so fierce that Thor's feet went straight through the bottom of the boat. According to Snorri, Hymer (Hyme) (not pictured) cut the reef with the Midgard Serpent, and Thor escaped unharmed.

There's another picture on the stone of a bird of prey striking prey. This is possibly another myth that's been lost to time.

Inscription: Vifastr, Folkaðr, Guðvarr(?) letu ræisa stæin æftiʀ sinn faður Holmfast, Arnfast.

Baðiʀ fæðrgaʀ brunnu, a [þæi]ʀ Balli, Frøystæinn, lið Lifstæin[s ristu].

Baðiʀ fæðrgaʀ brunnu, a [þæiʀ] Balli, Frøystæinn, lið Lifstæinn.

Vifast, Folkad, the Kuþar, had the stone erected after their father Holmfast (and after their brother) Arnfast.

Father and son both burned to death. And Balle and Frösten, Livsten's companions, (carved)

This large runestone is located next to Högby church, a 12th century church were 3 runestones have been found in the church walls.

The stone was used in the church wall with the cross facing into the church.

The place where the church is situated is most likely on an ancient burial mound.

The inscription on the backside is written in meter (fornyrðislag).

Inscription;

Front: Þorgærðr(?) ræisþi stæin þannsi æftiʀ Assur,/Assur sinn/Sæinn moðurbroður sinn, eʀ ændaðis austr i Grikkium.

Back: Goðr karl Gulli gat fæm syni. Fioll a Føri frøkn drængʀ Asmundr, ændaðis Assurr austr i Grikkium, varð a Holmi Halfdan drepinn, Kari varð at Uddi(?)

ok dauðr Boi. Þorkell ræist runaʀ

Front:

Torgärd erected this stone after Assur, his maternal uncle.

He was ended eastwards in Greek-land.

Back:

The good farmer Gulle

had five sons. The brave warrior Åsmund

fell on Föret , Assur was ended eastwards in Greek-land, and was killed in Holmgång (duel, but unsure interpretation)  by Halvdan. Kåre was killed [interpreted as also killed] Boe is also dead. Thorkel carved the runes. 

There's debate on the exact meaning of the writing (as always with these stones). Holmgång might be Holme meaning island, some think it's referring to Bornholm (a danish island). "Fell on föret" might mean killed in the battle at Fyrisvallarna outside Uppsala in 985.

It might also say that Kåre was killed at the Zealand cape.

Greek-land is referring to the Byzantine empire.

Somewhere around the year 450-510 , the ringfort of Sandby borg on the Swedish island of Öland was the scene of a brutal massacre. The dead were left where they fell and the treasures of the fort was never plundered, neither by the attackers or anyone else later on.

The migration period were violent times for the inhabitants of the Swedish island of Öland. There were at least 15 ringforts built on the island during this time. However Sandby borg sticks out.

The fact that the fort is located by the water has caused a headache, as the fort has not fit into the traditional picture of the history of the ancient forts. Traditionally, the ancient forts of Öland have been interpreted as places of refuge in times of unrest, and a location by the sea has meant that there was not much time to gather your valuables and get to the castle before a sea-borne enemy had already landed and started plundering.

Thoughts have therefore been raised that the castle may have been built by Wendish pirates or that they wanted to defend themselves against attacks from land. However, in terms of its layout and appearance, the castle is very similar to the other castles, which speaks in favor of a native builder.

When archaeologists started to excavate the site , they found another surprising thing. The evidence of a brutal massacre.

The results included some fascinating snapshots from everyday life at the fort as well as the gruesome evidence of a brutal mass killing, with a minimum number of 26 individuals identified of which nine are represented by more or less complete bodies.The victims range in age from small children to elderly adults.Many of the skeletons show clear evidence of sharp force and blunt force trauma, typically inflicted from above or from behind. 

The skeletons had clear signs of violence testify to a sudden and brutal attack in which the inhabitants were surprised and killed on the spot, without the possibility of defending themselves. The dead were left where they fell, along with their belongings, suggesting that no one survived to care for the dead. The castle was then abandoned and never reused, creating an almost untouched picture of life on Iron Age Öland .

The archaeologists found caches of exclusive costume buckles and glass beads from the Roman Mediterranean region, showing that the castle's inhabitants were not only wealthy but also had trade contacts far beyond Öland's borders.

What are your thoughts on this mystery? I'm thinking vampires or something...jk.

This runestone is carved with elder futhark runes and is believed to be from the 6th century. It's missing a piece on the top , so there's some guesswork involved in the transcription. The inscription says: [Le]ubaz(?) haite. Hrabnaz hait[e]. Oak, erilaz, runoz writu.

"Leubaz is my name. Raven is my name. I, erilaz , carved these runes "

Erilaz is a word that's seen on many runestones, it's suggested that it might be an earlier form of Jarl (earl).

Edit: It's in Västergötland not Värmland.

A very intriguing and old runestone. Due to damage it's been very hard to interpret the writing. Most of the runes are believed to have been carved in the early viking era around 800 AD , however there are also newer runes believed to have been carved about 200 years later. They read "Gisle made this memorial after Gunnar, his brother." (Obviously a lie).

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The older runes are the biggest runes we know about , there's only one row of runes(dr. Williams and dr.Crawford for scale in one of the pictures).

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Here's a great video about this peculiar runestone

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https://youtu.be/K6iV-EMc3N8?si=Z5ZOsDoRuUItImrt

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A very intriguing and old runestone. Due to damage it's been very hard to interpret the writing. Most of the runes are believed to have been carved in the early viking era around 800 BC , however there are also newer runes believed to have been carved about 200 years later. They read "Gisle made this memorial after Gunnar, his brother." (Obviously a lie).

The older runes are the biggest runes we know about , there's only one row of runes(dr. Williams and dr.Crawford for scale in one of the pictures).

​

Here's a great video about this peculiar runestone

https://youtu.be/K6iV-EMc3N8?si=Z5ZOsDoRuUItImrt

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This runestone is different because it's made straight on the rock on the ground.

The inscription; siriþR kiarþi bur þosi muþiR alriks tutiR urms fur salu hulmkirs faþur sukruþar buata sis

Translation; Sigrid made this bridge, Alrik's mother Orm's daughter, for the soul of Holmger Sigröd's father, her husband.

The pictures are believed to be the saga of Sigurd Fafnesbane , that's described in the Eddas.

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The Böksta stone Uppland Sweden. The stone possibly has Odin and Ull depicted. The inscription says

"Ingi... ok Iogærðr þau letu ræisa stæin þenna at Æist, sun sinn, Ærnfastr ok þæiʀ brøðr ræistu at bro[ður sinn]." .

" Ingi and Jogard had this stone raised after Est , their son . Ärnfast and the brothers raised it after their brother. "

So what's you're favourite football/soccer song and why is it Santa Maradona with Mano negra?

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https://youtu.be/os4k2Zu7EB4?is=919iaJy\_wLtSfYoF

Ok, so I was wondering who the hell would pay to watch this shit. Anyone know if these numbers are krekt? Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese, Beans and cheese,