Rök Runestone

The Rök Runestone (In Swedish Rökstenen) (Ög 136) is one of the most famous rune stones, featuring the longest known runic inscription in stone. It is placed by the church in Rök (), Östergötland, Sweden, and considered the first piece of written Swedish literature and thus marks the beginning of the history of Swedish literature.

About the stone

The stone was discovered built into the wall of the church in the 19th century and removed from the church wall a few decades later. It was probably carved in the 800s, judging from the runic style (short-twig runes) and state of the language. It is covered with runes on five sides, all except the base part, that was to be put under ground. A few parts of the incription are damaged, but most of it remains readable.

The name "Rök Stone" is something of a tautology: the stone is named after the village, "Rök", but the village is probably named after the stone, "Rauk" or "Rök" meaning "stone" in the Old Norse language.

The stone is unique in that it contains a fragment of what is believed to be a lost piece of Norse mythology. It also makes a historical reference to Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.

The inscription is partially encrypted in two ways; by displacement and by using special cipher runes. The inscription is probably intentionally hard to read, perhaps as part of a magic ritual or just to show off the carver's abilities in runic.

Inscription

This is a transliteration of the runes:

aft uamuþ stonta runaR þaR n uarin faþi faþiR aft faikion sunu sakum| |mukmini þat huariaR ualraubaR uaRin tuaR þaR suaþ tualf sinum uaRin| |numnaR t ualraubu baþaR somon o umisum| |monum ' þat sakum onart huaR fur niu altum on urþi fiaru miR hraiþkutum auk tu miR on ub sakaR raiþ| |þiaurikR hin þurmuþi stiliR flutna strontu hraiþmaraR sitiR nu karuR o kuta sinum skialti ub fatlaþR skati marika þat sakum tualfta huar histR si kunaR itu| |uituoki on kunukaR tuaiR tikiR suaþ o likia ' þat sakum þritaunta huariR tuaiR tikiR kunukaR satin t siulunti fiakura uintur at fiakurum nabnum burnR fiakurum bruþrum ' ualkaR fim ra=þulfs| |suniR hraiþulfaR fim rukulfs| |suniR hoislaR fim haruþs suniR kunmuntaR fim (b)irnaR suniR * nuk m--- (m)-- alu --(k)(i) ainhuaR -þ... ...þ ... ftiR fra sagwm| |mogmeni (þ)ad hOaR igOldga OaRi gOldin d gOonaR hOsli sakum| |mukmini uaim si burin| |niþR troki uilin is þat knuo knati| |iatun uilin is þat (n)(i)(t) akum| |mukmini þur sibi uiauari ul niruþR

This a transcription of the runes in Old East Norse (Swedish and Danish) dialect of Old Norse: Aft Væmoð/Vamoð standa runaR þaR. Æn Varinn faði, faðiR, aft faigian sunu. Sagum mogminni/ungmænni þat, hværiaR valraufaR vaRin tvaR þaR, svað tvalf sinnum vaRin numnaR at valraufu, baðaR saman a ymissum mannum. Þat sagum annart, hvaR fur niu aldum an urði/yrði fiaru meðr Hraiðgutum, auk do meðr hann umb sakaR. Reð ÞioðrikR hinn þurmoði, stilliR flutna, strandu HraiðmaraR. SitiR nu garuR a guta sinum, skialdi umb fatlaðR, skati Mæringa. Þat sagum tvalfta, hvar hæstR se GunnaR etu vettvangi a, kunungaR tvaiR tigiR svað a liggia. Þat sagum þrettaunda, hvariR tvaiR tigiR kunungaR satin at Siolundi fiagura vintur at fiagurum nampnum, burniR fiagurum brøðrum. ValkaR fim, Raðulfs syniR, HraiðulfaR fim, Rugulfs syniR, HaislaR fim, Haruðs syniR, GunnmundaR/KynmundaR fim, BiarnaR syniR. Nu'k m[inni] m[eðr] allu [sa]gi. AinhvaRR ... [sva]ð ... æftiR fra. Sagum mogminni/ungmænni þat, hvaR Inguldinga vaRi guldinn at kvanaR husli. Sagum mogminni/ungmænni, hvaim se burinn niðR drængi. Vilinn es þat. Knua/knyia knatti iatun. Vilinn es þat ... Sagum mogminni/ungmænni: Þorr. Sibbi viaværi ol nirøðR.

This a transcription of the runes in the Old West Norse (Norwegian and Icelandic) dialect of Old Norse (the de facto standard dialect of Old Norse):

Eptir Vémóð/Vámóð standa rúnar þær. En Varinn fáði, faðir, eptir feigjan son. Sögum múgminni/ungmenni þat, hverjar valraufar væri tvær þær, svát tolf sinnum væri numnar at valraufu, báðar saman á ýmissum mönnum. Þat sögum annat, hverr fyrir níu öldum án yrði fjör með Hreiðgotum, auk dó meðr hann umb sakar. Réð Þjóðríkr hinn þormóði, stillir flotna, ströndu Hreiðmarar. Sitr nú görr á gota sínum, skildi umb fatlaðr, skati Mæringa. Þat sögum tolfta, hvar hestr sé Gunnar etu véttvangi á, konungar tveir tigir svát á liggja. Þat sögum þrettánda, hverir tveir tigir konungar sæti at Sjólundi fjóra vetr at fjórum nöfnum, bornir fjórum brœðrum. Valkar fimm, Ráðulfs synir, Hreiðulfar fimm, Rugulfs synir, Háislar fimm, Hörðs synir, Gunnmundar/Kynmundar fimm, Bjarnar synir. Nú'k m[inni] m[eð] öllu [se]gi. Einhverr ... [svá]t ... eptir frá. Sögum múgminni/ungmenni þat, hvar Ingoldinga væri goldinn at kvánar húsli. Sögum múgminni/ungmenni, hveim sé borinn niðr drengi. Vilinn er þat. Knúa/knýja knátti jötun. Vilinn er þat ... Sögum múgminni/ungmenni: Þórr. Sibbi véaveri ól nírœðr.

Translation

The following is one translation of the text: most researchers agree on how the runes shall be deciphered, but the interpretation of the text and the meaning is still a subject of debate. The first part is written in ljóðaháttr meter, and the part about Theoderic is written in the fornyrðislag meter. (See alliterative verse for an explanation of these meters.) In memory of Vémóðr/Vámóðr stand these runes. And Varinn coloured them, the father, in memory of his dead son.

I say the folktale / to the young men, which the two war-booties were, which twelve times were taken as war-booty, both together from various men.

I say this second, who nine generations ago lost his life with the Hreidgoths; and died with them for his guilt.

Þjóðríkr the bold, chief of sea-warriors, ruled over the shores of the Hreiðsea. Now he sits armed on his Goth(ic horse), his shield strapped, the prince of the Mærings.

I say this the twelfth, where the horse of Gunnr sees fodder on the battlefield, where twenty kings lie.

This I say as thirteenth, which twenty kings sat on Sjólund for four winters, of four names, born of four brothers: five Valkis, sons of Hráðulfr, five Hreiðulfrs, sons of Rugulfr, five Háisl, sons of Hôrðr, five Gunnmundrs/Kynmundrs, sons of Bjôrn.

Now I say the tales in full. Someone ...

I say the folktale / to the young men, which of the line of Ingold was repaid by a wife's sacrifice.

I say the folktale / to the young men, to whom is born a relative, to a valiant man. It is Vélinn. He could crush a giant. It is Vélinn ... [Nit]

I say the folktale / to the young men: Þórr. Sibbi of Vé, nonagenarian, begot (a son).

Interpretation

Apart from the mentioned Theodoric, Gunnr and the Norse god Thor, the people and mythological creatures mentioned are unknown to us. Some interpretations have been suggested:

The two war-booties are likely to be two precious weapons, such as a sword and a shield or a helmet. Several stories like these exist in old Germanic poems.

The Hreidgoths mentioned are a poetic name for the Ostrogoths, appearing in other sources. To what sea the name Hreiðsea referred is unknown. Considering the location of the Ostrogoths at the time of Theoderic, it should be a name for the Mediterranean.

The part about Theodoric (who died in 526 A.D.) probably concerns the statue of him in Ravenna, which was moved to Aachen by Charlemagne. This statue was very famous and portrayed Theodoric with his shield hanging across his left shoulder, and his lance extended in his right hand. The Mærings is a name for Theodoric's family. According to the old English Deor poem from the 900s, Theodoric ruled the "castle of the Mærings" (Ravenna) for thirty years. The words about Theodoric may be connected to the previous statement, so the stone is talking about the death of Theodoric: he died approximately nine generations before the stone was carved, and the church considered him a cruel and godless emperor, thus some may have said that he died for his guilt. The dead person may just as well be someone else though.

Gunnr whose "horse sees fodder on the battlefield" is presumably a Valkyrie (previously known from Norse mythology), and her "horse" is a Wolf. This kind of poetic license is known as kenning in the old Norse poetry tradition.

The story about the twenty kings says that the twenty were four groups of five brothers each, and in each of these four groups, all brothers shared the same names, and their fathers were four brothers (4 x 5 = 20). This piece of mythology seems to have been common knowledge at the time, but has been totally lost. The Sjólund is similar to the name given to Roslagen by Snorri Sturluson but it has often been interpreted as Sjælland (nowadays a part of Denmark).

Starting with the Ingold-part, the text becomes increasingly hard to read. While the first part is written in the 16 common short-twig runes in the younger fuþark, Varin here switches over to using the older 24-type elder fuþark and cipher runes. It has been assumed that this is intentional, and that the rows following this point concerns legends connected specifically to Varin and his tribe.

After the word It is Vélinn ... follows the word Nit. This word is yet uninterpreted, and its meaning is unclear.

In the last line, the carver invokes the god Thor and then he says that Sibbi "of the shrine" got a son at the age of ninety. Since Thor is evoked before telling about Sibbi's connection with the sanctuary and his potency at old age, it may be a recommendation that being a devout worshipper is beneficial.

Speculation

There have been numerous speculations written about the stone and its purpose. The most common include:

Varinn carved the stone only to honour his lost son and the inclusion of mythical passages was a tribute from fantasy (Elias Wessén's theory). There is strong evidence to support this view, not the least being the fact that Thor is referenced; this use of a deity in this context is quite conceivably a prefiguration of what was to later become a common practice (anterior to Christianity), where graves were frequently inscribed with runic dedications such as þórr vigi, "may Thor protect you".
Varinn carved the stone to raise his tribe to vengeance over the death of his son. The dramatic battle mentioned may have been the cause of his son's death. (Otto von Friesen's theory)
Varinn carved the stone to preserve the tribal myths, as he had the function of a story-teller in his tribe, and this retelling task was to be passed on to his son. Perhaps he feared that the stories could be lost because of the death of his son, and therefore he tried to preserve them in a short form in the stone.
The stone was a sign to strengthen the position of the tribe leader (since the stone could not be missed by anybody passing the land). He tries to justifiy his position by showing a long line of powerful ancestors which he follows.
The battle field where twenty kings lie, has been connected (at least by Herman Lindkvist) to the Battle of Brávellir which in Norse mythology took place not far from the location of the Rök stone about 50 years earlier.
According to one theory, Varinn was the local chieftain and as such also the one who performed sacrifices to the gods. Then arrived Ansgar , the first to bring Christianity to Sweden, and the wife of Varin's son Vémóðr/Vámóðr was baptized by him. Therefore, Varinn was forced to sacrifice his own son to the gods as indicated in the verse: "I say the folktale / to the young men, which of the line of Ingold was repaid by a wife's sacrifice" (the word "husl" can be interpreted both "sacrifice" and "baptism"). Shortly: Vémóðr/Vámóðr paid with his life for his wife's betrayal to the gods and Varinn had to kill his own son. That might also be the reason that Varinn used the word "faigian" (who is soon to die) instead of "dauðan" (dead) in the first line.

Sources

Bugge, Sophus: Der Runenstein von Rök in Östergötland, Schweden, Stockholm 1910
von Friesen, Otto: Rökstenen, Uppsala 1920
Grönvik, Ottar: Runeinnskriften på Rökstenen in Maal og Minde 1983, Oslo 1983
Gustavson, Helmer: Rökstenen (produced by Riksantikvarieämbetet), Uddevalla 2000, ISBN 9171928227
Jansson, Sven B F: Runinskrifter i Sverige, Stockholm 1963, 3rd edition in 1984
Schück, Henrik: Bidrag till tolkningen af Rökstenen in Uppsala Universitets årsskrift, Uppsala 1908
Ståhle, Carl Ivar and Tigerstedt, E N: Sveriges litteratur. Del 1. Medeltidens och reformationstidens litteratur, Stockholm 1968
Wessén, Elias: Runstenen vid Röks kyrka, Stockholm 1958