England runestones

OsloCopenhagenStockholmMap of the geographic distribution of the England Runestones in southern Scandinavia and northernmost Germany (modern administrative borders and cities are shown)The England runestones (Swedish: Englandsstenarna) are a group of about 30 runestones in Scandinavia which refer to Viking Age voyages to England.[1] They constitute one of the largest groups of runestones that mention voyages to other countries, and they are comparable in number only to the approximately 30 Greece Runestones[2] and the 26 Ingvar Runestones, of which the latter refer to a Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea region. They were engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark. The Anglo-Saxon rulers paid large sums, Danegelds, to Scandinavian Vikings who arrived to the English shores during the 990s and the first decades of the 11th century. Some runestones relate of these Danegelds, such as the Yttergärde runestone, U 344, which tells of Ulf of Borresta who received the danegeld three times, and the last one he received from Canute the Great. Canute sent home most of the Vikings who had helped him conquer England, but he kept a strong bodyguard, the Thingmen, and its members are also mentioned on several runestones.[3] The vast majority of the runestones, 27, were raised in modern-day Sweden and 17 in the Swedish provinces around lake Mälaren. In contrast, modern-day Denmark has no such runestones, but there is a runestone in Scania which mentions London. There is also a runestone in Norway and a Swedish one in Schleswig, Germany. Some Vikings, such as Guðvér did not only attack England, but also Saxony, as reported by the Grinda Runestone Sö 166 in Södermanland:[1]

Grjótgarðr (and) Einriði, the sons made (the stone) in memory of (their) able father. Guðvér was in the west; divided (up) payment in England; manfully attacked townships in Saxony.[1][4]

Below follows a presentation of the England Runestones based on information collected from the Rundata project, organized according to location.

The transcriptions from runic inscriptions into standardized Old Norse are in the Swedish and Danish dialect to facilitate comparison with the inscriptions, while the English translation provided by Rundata give the names in standard dialect (the Icelandic and Norwegian dialect). There are eight runestones in Uppland that mention voyages to England. Several of them were raised in memory of men who had partaken in the Danegeld in England. U 194This secluded runestone is located in a grove near Väsby, Uppland, Sweden. It was raised by a Viking in commemoration of his receiving one danegeld in England. It is classified as being carved in runestone style Pr3 and, together with U 344, it has been said to be the earliest example of an Urnes style inscription in Uppland.[5] The runic text follows a common rule to only carve a single rune for two consecutive letters, even when the letters were at the end of one word and the beginning of a second word.[6] When the text shown as Latin characters, the transliterated runes are doubled and separate words are shown. For U 194 has three examples where this occurred, þinoftiʀ is transliterated as þino| |oftiʀ, tuknuts as tuk| |knuts, and anklanti as a| |anklanti. al|i|Ali/Alli|l|itletraisaræisastainstæinþino|þenna|oftiʀæftiʀsiksiksialfansialfan.'honHanntuk|tok|knutsKnutskialtgialda|a|anklantiÆnglandi.'kuþGuðhialbihialpihonshansantand."Áli/Alli had this stone raised in memory of himself. He took Knútr's payment in England. May God help his spirit."[7]U 241This runestone is one of the Lingsberg Runestones and was part of a paired monument with U 240. It is located on the courtyard of the estate Lingsberg in Uppland. It was raised by the grandchildren of Ulfríkr in commemoration of his receiving two danegelds in England. It is carved in runestone style Pr3.

nEntanDanaukokhuskarlHuskarl'aukoksua(i)nSvæinn'l(i)tuleturitarettastinstæinaftiʀæftiʀ'ulfrikUlfrik,'faþurfaþurfaðurfaðursinosinn.'honHannhafþihafðio|a|onklantiÆnglandituhtukialt|giald|takittakit.+kuþGuðhialbihialpiþiʀaþæiʀakiþkafæðgasalu|salu|uk|ok|kuþsGuðsmuþ(i)moðiʀ."And Danr and Húskarl and Sveinn had the stone erected in memory of Ulfríkr, their father's father. He had taken two payments in England. May God and God's mother help the souls of the father and son."[8]U 344The runestone U 344, in the style Pr3, was found in 1868, at Yttergärde, by Richard Dybeck,[9] but it is today raised at the church of Orkesta, see Orkesta Runestones. Together with U 194, it is considered to be the earliest example of the Urnes style in Uppland.[5] The runes are written from right to left with the orientation of the runes going in the same direction, but the last words outside the runic band have the usual left-right orientation.[9] It can be dated to the first half of the 11th century because of its use of the ansuz rune for the a and æ phonemes, and because of its lack of dotted runes.[10] This stone is notable because it commemorates that the Viking Ulf of Borresta had taken three danegelds in England.[9] The first one was with Skagul Toste in 991,[11] the second one with Thorkel the High in 1012[11] and the last one with Canute the Great in 1018.[11] Since there were many years

between the danegelds, it is likely that Ulfr returned to Sweden after each danegeld to live as a wealthy magnate.[12][13] inEnulfrUlfʀhafiʀhafiʀo|a|onklatiÆnglandi'þruþrykialt|giald|takattakit.þitÞetuasvasfurstafyrstaþisþet'stustiTostika-tga[l]t.'þ(a)Þa----[galt](þ)urktilÞorkætill.'þaÞakaltgaltknutrKnutr."And Ulfr has taken three payments in England. That was the first that Tosti paid. Then Þorketill paid. Then Knútr paid."[14]Side C of U 539This runestone is located at the church of Husby-Sjuhundra. It is one of the older runestones as it is in the style RAK. It is raised in memory of Sveinn who intended to go to England but died en route in Jutland. Omeljan Pritsak comments that Sveinn probably died in the Limfjord, Jutland, as the fjord was usually the starting point for campaigns against England.[15] Jansson dates Svein's death to 1015, when Canute the Great's great invasion fleet had been assembled in the Limfjord, a fleet that had many young warriors from Uppland.[16] When the fleet departed for England, Sveinn was no longer aboard.[16] The hope that God and God's mother would treat the man better than he deserved is an expression that appears on several runestones, and it

is not understood as an expression of his having a bad character but it is a request that he should be favoured in the afterlife.[17] AtiarfʀDiarfʀ×ukiok×urikaOrøkia×ukok'uikiVigi×ukok×iukiʀIogæiʀʀ×ukok×kiʀialmʀGæiʀhialmʀ,×þiʀþæiʀbryþrbrøðr×aliʀalliʀ×lituletu×risaræisa×"Djarfr and Órœkja and Vígi and Jógeirr and Geirhjalmr, all of these brothers had"Bstinstæinþinaþenna×iftiʀæftiʀ×suinSvæin,×bruþurbroður×sinsinn.×saʀSaʀ×uarþvarð×tuþrdauðraa×iut(l)atiIutlandi.×onHannskultiskuldi"this stone raised in memory of Sveinn, their brother. He died in Jútland. He meant to"Cfarafara×tiltil×iklanþsÆnglands.×kuþGuð×ialbihialpi×(o)nshans×atandukoksalusalu×uk|ok×|kusGuðsmuþiʀmoðiʀ×betrbætr×þanþananhannkarþigærðitiltil."travel to England. May God and God's mother help his spirit and soul better than he deserved."[18]U 616This runestone is located at Tång, and it is raised in memory of a man who died in battle in England. It is classified as being carved in runestone style Pr1, but the runemaster is considered to have had little experience in the craft. The runic text contains a bind rune, which is a ligature combining two runes, for an a-rune and a l-rune, which may have been done simply to save space.[19]

fir--(r)iui<fir--riui>:litletritaretta*kumlkuml:yfitiʀræftiʀ:fnþurfaður:sihsinn:baosaBosa(?)/Bausa(?):aukok:boruþurbroður:kuru-<kuru->.*kuþGuðhi=a=l-...hial[pi]*ul<ul>kuru<kuru>-ial[f]iollutiuti*a|a|akla--Ængla[ndi]."<fir--riui> had the monument erected in memory of his father Bósi(?)/Bausi(?) and (his) brother <kuru->. May God help <ul> <kuru> fell abroad in England."[20]U 812This runestone is carved in runestone style Pr2 and was raised at the church of Hjälsta. It was raised in memory of a man's father who died in England. Based on its size and runic text, it has been suggested that U 812 was once part of a coupled monument located in a cemetery, but that the runestone with the first half of the overall text has been lost.[21] Other pairs of runestones that may have formed a coupled monument in a cemetery are U 49 and U 50 in Lovö and Sö Fv1948;282 and Sö 134 in Ludgo.[21] ×faþurfaður×sinsinn.×saʀSaʀ×uarþvarð×tauþrdauðr×oaeg×lotiÆnglandi.×"his father. He died in England."[22]U 978This stone is located in the wall of the church of Gamla Uppsala. It is carved in runestone style Pr2 and made of sandstone. It was made by a man who called himself "traveller to England" in memory of his father.

sihuiþrSigviðr...-i[ræist]i+stainstæin+þinaþenna+iklats+fariÆnglandsfari+iftiræftiʀ+uitarfVidiarf,+faþ(u)(r)faður[+-.........sia].........ku---..."Sigviðr, traveller to England, raised this stone in memory of Védjarfr, (his) father ... ... ..."[23]U 1181This fragmented runestone is classified as being carved in the runestone style Fp and is located at Lilla Runhällen. It was raised by a man who had travelled to England in memory of himself. ...-(i)...×litlet×(a)kuahaggva.........[k[si]k×sa](l)fansialfan,×ek-...ns*fariÆng[la]ndsfari,'a(f)iafi×kunu-s<kunu-s>.*"... had (the stone) cut ... (in memory of) himself, traveller to England, grandfather of <kunu-s>."[24]There are six known runestones in Södermanland that mention men who had travelled to England. Sö 46This runestone was found in Hormesta, and it is one of the older runestones as it is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is considered to be the oldest style. It is raised by two men in memory of their brother who died in England. iskilÆskell:aukok:knauþimanrGnauðimandr(?):raisturæistu:stainstæin:þansiþannsi:atat:bruþurbroður:sinsinn:sueraSværra(?),:ases:uarþvarð:tauþrdauðr*oa*eklantiÆnglandi.kumlKumbl*kiarþugiærðu:þatsiþatsi:[kitilKætill[ok]slakʀ]Stakkʀ."Áskell and Gnauðimaðr(?) raised this stone in memory of their brother Sverri(?), who died in England. Ketill and Stakkr made this monument.