Bryggen inscriptions

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Rune carving on a stick from Bryggen, Bergen, Norway. Kat nr 005 Pinne av tra; fran Bryggens mus. Bergen - KMB - 16000300015441.jpg
Rune carving on a stick from Bryggen, Bergen, Norway.

The Bryggen inscriptions are a find of some 670 medieval runic inscriptions on wood (mostly pine) and bone found since 1955 at Bryggen and its surroundings in Bergen, Norway. It has been called the most important runic find in the twentieth century. Before the find of these inscriptions, there was doubt whether the runes were ever used for anything else than inscriptions of names and solemn phrases. The Bryggen find showed the everyday use that runes had in this area, and presumably in other parts of Scandinavia as well. Another important aspect of the find was that many of the inscriptions were obviously at least as recent as the 14th century. Previously it was believed that the use of runes in Norway had died out long before.

Contents

The inscriptions have numbers for Bergen finds, mostly "B" followed by three figures.

Many of the inscriptions follow the formula Eysteinn á mik (Eysteinn owns me, B001), and were most likely used as markers of property – like modern-day name tags. Some contain short messages of different types, such as Ást min, kyss mik (my darling, kiss me, B017) and others have longer messages such as business letters and orders. Yet others contain short religious inscriptions, often in Latin, such as Rex Judæorum In nomine Patris Nazarenus (B005) and may have been intended as amulets.

The inscriptions are currently kept at Bryggens Museum in Bergen, and some are on display.

Examples found at Bryggen or nearby

B #Transliterated TextNormalized TextEnglish translationObject inscribedExternal image links
B001øystein:ami

hærmaþrhaæþrmþrhærmaþrmaria

Eysteinn á mi[k]

HerrmaðrHerrmaðrHerrmaðrMaria.

Eystein owns me

warrior warrior warrior Maria

Runekjevle (wooden cylinder) Image Image
B003auema Ave Maria Hail Mary (Latin text)Wooden plate Image Image
B004io(an)aJóhann áJohan ownsSkull of walrus Image Image
B005rexiudeorum innomini patrisnazarenusRex Judæorum In nomine Patris NazarenusKing of the Jews in the name of the Father of Nazareth (in Latin)Part of a small wooden cross Image
B006benatit a g l a la lagla [.](ln)bastii marhret. a g la ag l a ba. flkarel bar(aþ)olisWooden cross Image
B007a(ue)m(ar)iaAve MariaHail Mary (Latin text)Bottom piece of a wooden bowl Image
B008ly(an)þkat(af)mn(un)æruþkitShoe Image
B0093/1 3/2 3/3 3/4 3/5 = fuþor

þbiss

FuþorFuþorCane Image
B010tar
B011felleg er fuþ sin bylli

fuþorglbasm

Féligr er fuð sinn byrli

Fuðorglbasm. [1]

Lovely is the pussy, may the prick fill it up! [1] Flat wooden stick Image Image
B012inra... inr á... -inr ownsFlat wooden stick Image
B013mikæl petr ioanes andres lafranz tomas olafr klemet nikulas allerhælger

mengiætaimin notouk dahilfsminsouk salokuþsemikoksihni=kuÞkifiosbyrokkafomarih[..[lbemer ethialbemerallegzhlkarh[ ... ]

Mikjáll, Pétr, Jóanes, Andreas, Lafranz, Thomas, Ólafr, Klemetr, Nikulás. Allir helgir menn, gæti mín nótt ok dag, lífs míns ok sálu. Guð sé mik ok signi.

Guð gefi oss byr ok gáfu Mariu.H{já}lpi mér Klemetr, hjalpi mér allir Guðs helgir (menn)

Michael, Peter, John, Andrew, Lawrence, Thomas, Olaf, Clement, Nicholas. All saints, guard me night and day, my life and soul. God see me and bless. God give us ... and Mary's gifts. Help me Clement, help me all God's saints.Flat wooden stick, with a hole at the end. Image
B014d(el)usdeusgod (in Latin)Piece of wood, shaped into a narrow cross. Image Image
B015iuairfuþo... fuþo... fuþoWood stick. Image
B016aPiece of wood Image Image
B017ost min kis mik

fuþorkhniastbmly

Ást min, kyss mik

Fuþorkhniastbmly

My love, kiss me

Fuþorkhniastbmly (Younger futhark alphabet)

Wooden stick Image Image
B018þr:inliossa:log:rostirriþatbiþa:(aþ)

yþænþuæt[-]nuka:ældiriþsu(an)ahiþar:s(au)dælakumlynhuit(an)ha[--]klkolotak(ol)ahbohas(ol)ar:fiartar:tahs[--][ ... ]kuiþi þækanukabækiiar

Piece of wood Image Image Image Image
B019yakæyrfiar

rakæyrfiar

Squared broken wood piece Image
B020blm[-

fuþorkhniastblmy

blm[-

Fuþorkhniastblmy

FuþorkhniastblmySmoothed piece of wood Image Image
B149kya : sæhir : atþu : kakhæim : þ(an)sak : (ab)akist(an) : rþisGyða segir at þú gakk heimGyða tells you to go homeWooden stick Image

Other interesting inscriptions

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Spurkland (2005: 194-195)
  2. "Skaldic project".
  3. MacLeod, Mindy; Mees, Bernard (2006), Runic Amulets and Magic Objects, Woodbridge: Boydell Press, p. 39, ISBN   1-84383-205-4
  4. "Skaldic project".
  5. The excavation of Bryggen, Bergen, Norway Asbjorn E. Herteig in Recent archaeological excavations in Europe edited by Rupert Bruce-Mitford, page 65, Routledge, 1975 - Social Science - 335 pages

Bibliography