Runestone U 687
June 6, 2019
The carvings of the stone are in the runestone style Pr 4 (c. 1070-1100) pertaining to the Urnes style.
The inscription is signed by the runemaster Øpir.
The inscription on the granite stone is c. 1,48 m tall and 1,26 m wide.
Runic inscription
The first part of the rune text starts at the tail of the animal. The second part runs along the outer edge of the rune ribbon inside of the bottom right loop.
Runes
[1] ᚱᚢᚾᛅ ‘ ᛚᛁᛏ ᚴᛁᛅᚱᛅ ‘ ᛘᛁᚱᚴᛁ ᛅᛏ ‘ ᛋᛒᛁᛅᛚᛒᚢᚦᛅ ‘ ᚢᚴ ‘ ᛅᛏ ‘ ᛋᚢᛅᛁᚾ ‘ ᚢᚴ ‘ ᛅᛏ * ᛅᚾᛏᚢᛁᛏ ‘ ᚢᚴ ᛅᛏ ‘ ᚱᛅᚴᚾᛅᛦ ‘ ᛋᚢᚾᛁ ‘ ᛋᛁᚿ ‘ ᚢᚴ ‘ ᚽᚴᛚᛅ ‘ ᚢᚴ ‘ ᛋᛁᚱᛁᚦ ‘ ᛅᛏ ‘ ᛋᛒᛁᛅᛚᛒᚢᚦᛅ ‘ ᛒᚭᚿᛏᛅ ᛋᛁᚾ ᛅᚾ ᚢᛅᛦ ‘ ᛏᛅᚢᚦᚱ ‘ ᛁ ᛡᚢᛚᛘᚴᛅᚱᚦᛁ ‘ ᛁ ᚭᛚᛅᚠᛋ * ᚴᚱᛁᚴᛁ ‘ [2] ᚢᛒᛁᛦ * ᚱᛁᛋᛏᛁ ‘ ᚱᚢ
Transliteration
runa ‘ lit kiara ‘ mirki at ‘ sbialbuþa ‘ uk ‘ at ‘ suain ‘ uk ‘ at * antuit ‘ uk at ‘ raknaʀ ‘ suni ‘ sin ‘ uk ‘ ekla ‘ uk ‘ siriþ ‘ at ‘ sbialbuþa ‘ bonta sin an uaʀ ‘ tauþr ‘ i hulmkarþi ‘ i olafs * kriki ‘ ubiʀ * risti ‘ ru
Old Norse
Runa let gæra mærki at Spiallbuða ok at Svæin ok at Andvett ok at Ragnar, syni sina ok Hælga/Ægla/Ængla, ok Sigrið at Spiallbuða, bonda sinn. Hann vaR dauðr i Holmgarði i Olafs kirkiu. ØpiR risti runaR.
English
Rúna had the landmark made in memory of Spjallboði and in memory of Sveinn and in memory of Andvéttr and in memory of Ragnarr, sons of her and Helgi/Egli/Engli; and Sigríðr in memory of Spjallboði, her husbandman. He died in Holmgarðr in Ólafr’s church. Œpir carved the runes.
Notes
The runic text tells us that a widow by the name Runa together with the widow of her eldest son Sigrið had the runestone made in memory of Runa’s four sons and her husband. Spiallbuði who was the eldest son of Runa and husband to Sigrið died in Holmgarðr, which is the Old Norse name for Novgorod (Russia). The Ólafr’s church mentioned is interpreted to be Saint Olaf’s Church. Olaf the Holy formerly known as Ólafr Haraldsson (c. 995–1030) was king of Norway from 1015–1028 and was canonised a saint a year after his death at the Battle of Stiklestad.
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Sjusta, Uppland, Sweden
U 687