Velanda Runestone

The Velanda Runestone (Swedish: Velandastenen), designated as Vg 150 in the Rundata catalog, is a runestone dated to the late tenth century or the early eleventh century that is located in the village of Velanda, Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Västergötland. It was discovered around 1910 by a farmer named Jacobsson.[1]

Velanda Runestone
Createdprobably the early eleventh century
DiscoveredVelanda, Västergötland, Sweden
Rundata IDVg 150
Runemasterunknown
Text – Native
Old Norse : See article.
Translation
See article

Description

The Velanda Runestone is inscribed in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark. Above the arch of the runic text band is the outline of an eagle's head facing to the left.[2] The stone was raised by a woman named Þyrvé in memory of her husband Ögmundr. The runic inscription states that he was miok goðan þegn or "a very good thegn". About fifty other runestones refer to the deceased being a thegn. Of these, four use exactly the same phrase, miok goðan þegn: Vg 73 in Synnerby, Vg 108 in Tängs gamla, Vg 137 in Sörby, and DR 99 in Bjerregrav. The exact role of thegns in southern Sweden is a matter of debate, but the most common view is that they constituted an elite somehow connected to Danish power. It is thought that thegn-stones point to power centers from which they came, and from where they could be sent out to rule border areas in so-called tegnebyar.[3]

The inscription asks the Norse pagan god Thor to hallow the runestone. One or two other runestones in Sweden have similar invocations to Thor: Ög 136 in Rök and possibly Sö 140 at Korpbron.[4] Other runestones in Denmark that include invocations of or dedications to Thor in their inscriptions include DR 110 from Virring, DR 209 from Glavendrup, and DR 220 from Sønder Kirkeby.[5] It has been noted that Thor is the only Norse god who is invoked on any Viking Age runestones.[6]

Inscription

Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters
× þurui : risþi : stin : iftiʀ : ukmut : buta : sin : miuk : kuþan : þikn × þur : uiki ×[7]

Transcription into Old Norse
Þyrvi ræisti stæin æftiʀ Ogmund, bonda sinn, miok goðan þegn. Þorr vigi.[7]

Translation in English
Runes × þur : uiki ×
meaning "may Þórr hallow."
Þyrvé raised the stone in memory of Ôgmundr, her husbandman, a very good thegn. May Þórr hallow.[7]

References
  1. Flom, George T. (1916). "Scandinavian Publications, Recent and Forthcoming". Publications of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study. 3. Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study (U.S.). p. 226.
  2. McKinnell, John; Simak, Rudolf; Düwel, Klaus (2004). Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook (PDF). Vienna: Fassbaender. pp. 120–121. ISBN 3-900538-81-6.
  3. Löfving, Carl (2001). Gothia som Dansk/Engelskt Skattland: Ett Exempel på Heterarki Omkring år 1000 (doctoral dissertation). Göteborg.
  4. Sawyer, Birgit (2000). The Viking-Age Rune-Stones: Custom and Commemoration in Early Medieval Scandinavia. Oxford University Press. p. 128. ISBN 0-19-820643-7.
  5. McKinnell, John (2005). Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and Legend. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. p. 117. ISBN 1-84384-042-1.
  6. Page, Raymond Ian (2001) [1990]. Norse Myths. University of Texas. p. 41. ISBN 0-292-75546-5.
  7. Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata entry for Vg 150.

Other sources
  • Larsson, Mats G. (2002). Götarnas Riken : Upptäcktsfärder Till Sveriges Enande. Bokförlaget Atlantis AB ISBN 978-91-7486-641-4
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