Runestone U 654
January 9, 2020
The carvings of the stone are in the runestone style B-e-v (c. 1010-1050) pertaining to the Ringerike style and contemporary with Pr 1 and Pr 2.
The inscription is signed by the runemaster Alríkr.
The granite stone is c. 2,94 m tall and 0,57 m wide (across the centre of the cross). The decoration is 1,6o m tall and 0,50 m wide.
Runic inscription
First part of the rune text begins at the head end of the serpent to the left. The second part begins at the tail end of the serpent to the left, and stops at the top right corner of the stone. The third part begins at the head end of the same serpent and stops when it meets the previous part of the inscription in the same ribbon. The fourth and last part begins at the top of the ribbon at the bottom of the stone.
Runes
[1] + ᛅ[ᚾᚢ]ᛁᛏᚱ ᛬ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᚴᛅ(ᚱ) ᛫ [ᛅ]ᚢᚴ ᛬ ᚴᛁᛏᛁ ᛬ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛬ [ᛒᛚ]ᛁᛋᛁ ᛬ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᛏᛁᛅᚱᚠᚱ ᛬ ᚱᛅᛁᛋ[ᛏ]ᚢ ᛬ ᛋᛏᛅᛁᚿ ᛬ ᚦᛂᚿᛅ ᛬ ᛅᚠᛏᛁᚱ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚿᛚᛆᛁᚠ ᛬ ᚠᚯᚦᚢᚱ ᛋᛁᚿ [2] ᛁᛋ ᚢ(ᛅ)ᛋ ᚾᚢᛋ(ᛏ) ᛫ ᛘ[ᛁ](ᚦ) ᛁᚴᚢᛅᚱᛁ ᛬ ᛏᚱᛁᛒᛁᚾ ᚴᚢᚦ ᛬ ᚼᛂᛅᛚᛒᛁ ᛬ ᚯ(ᛏ) ᚦᛅᛁᚱᛅ [3] ᛅᛚ(ᚱ)ᛁᚴᚱ| |ᚱᛅᛁᛋᛏᛁᚴ ᛫ ᚱᚢᚾᛅᚱ [4] ᛁᛋ ᚴᚢᚾᛁ ᛫ ᚢᛅᛚ ᛫ ᚴᚾᛅᚱᛁ ᛋᛏᚢᚱᛅ
Transliteration
+ a–itr : auk * ka(r) auk : kiti : auk : -[l]isi : auk * tiarfr : ris[t]u : stain : þena : aftir : kunlaif : foþur sin is u[a]s nus(t)(r) * m[i](þ) ikuari : tribin kuþ : hialbi : o(t) þaira al-ikr| |raistik * runar is kuni + ual * knari stura
Old Norse
A[ndv]ettr ok Karr ok 〈kiti〉 ok [B]lesi ok DiarfR ræistu stæin þenna æftiR Gunnlæif, faður sinn. Es vas austr með Ingvari drepinn. Guð hialpi and þæiRa. Al[r]ikR(?) ræist-ek runaR. Es kunni val knærri styra.
English
Andvéttr and Kárr and and Blesi and Djarfr raised this stone in memory of Gunnleifr, their father, who was killed in the east with Ingvarr. May God help their spirits. Alríkr(?), I carved the runes. He could steer a cargo-ship well.
Notes
U 644 has also been raised by the five brothers who raised this stone.
U 643 has been raised after Andvéttr by his sons. The eldest of the two sons is named after Andvéttr’s father, Gunnleifr, and the other after Andvéttr’s brother, Kárr.
U 654 is one of c. 30 so-called Ingvar Runestones commemorating those who died following Ingvar the Far-Travelled on a viking expedition going far down the eastern trade routes of Europe.
The testament that Gunnleifr ‘could steer a cargo-ship well’ means that he was in charge of a ship and its crew.
Learn more about Ingvar and his fatal viking expedition here:
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Varpsund, Uppland, Sweden
U 654