Fot (Old Norse: Fotr) was a runemaster who flourished in mid-11th century Sweden.
Fot (Old Norse: Fotr) was a runemaster who flourished in mid-11th century Sweden.
Most early medieval Scandinavians were probably literate in runes, and most people probably carved messages on pieces of bone and wood. [1] However, it was difficult to make runestones, and in order to master it one also needed to be a stonemason. [1] During the 11th century, when most runestones were raised, there were a few professional runemasters. [1] Fot was active as a runemaster in southern Uppland during the late Viking Age. His work is representative of the runestone style known as the Urnes style. [2] This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animal heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks.
Fot is prominent among the known runemasters as the leading representative of the classic Uppland or Urnes runestone style, and has been called the most artistic of the runemasters of that time. [3] A salient trait is the care with which he chose the stones, how he treated the surface of them, the harmonious ornamentation and the evenly chiseled and firmly designed runes. He is also noted for the consistency of his use of the punctuation mark × between the words in his runic inscriptions. [4] Only a few runestones were signed by Fot. Rundata lists the following inscriptions in Uppland as having Fot's signature: U 167 in Östra Ryds, U 177 in Stav, U 268 in Harby, U 464 in Edeby, U 605 in Stäket, U 638 in Mansängen, U 678 in Skokloster, and U 945 in Danmark. An additional 40 runestones can be attributed to him based upon stylistic analysis.
The runestone U 678 at the church of Skokloster belongs to his most famous works.
One runestone from Södermanland, the now-lost Sö 341 in Stavsta, was apparently signed by a different runemaster with the same name. [5] [6]
Runestone U 308 in Ekeby was apparently carved by a son of Fot named Þorgautr, often normalized as Torgöt Fotsarve, and the influence of Fot's style is apparent in the son's work as this inscription has been classified as being carved in runestone style Pr4 or Urnes style. [7] The runic inscription on this stone states that Þorgautr risti runaʀ þessaʀ, Fots arfi, or "Þorgautr, Fótr's heir, carved these runes." [8] Other inscriptions signed by Torgöt Fotsarve include U 746 in Hårby and U 958 in Villinge. An additional 18 inscriptions are listed by Rundata as being attributed to him based on stylistic analysis.
The Funbo runestones constitute a group of four runestones originally from Funbo in the province of Uppland, Sweden, which were raised by members of the same family during the eleventh century.
This runic inscription, designated as U Fv1976;107 under the Rundata catalog, is located at the Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden.
Uppland Runic Inscription 613, also known as the Torsätra runestone, is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone originally located in Torsätra, which is approximately 8 kilometers northeast of Bro, Stockholm County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Uppland.
U 678 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age image stone with a runic inscription located in Skokloster, Uppland, Sweden.
The Näsby Runestone, designated as U 455 under the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Näsby, Uppland, Sweden.
Balle or Red-Balle was a runemaster who was active in the areas of western Uppland, Västmanland, and northern Södermanland of Sweden during the second half of the 11th century.
The Granby Runestone, designated as U 337 under the Rundata catalog, is one of the longest Viking Age runic inscriptions located in Uppland, Sweden.
Runic inscription U Fv1986;84 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial that is located at Bo gård on the island of Lidingö in Uppland, Sweden.
Uppland Runic Inscription 308 or U 308 is the Rundata catalog designation for a memorial runestone that is located in Ekeby, Stockholm County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Uppland. While the tradition of carving inscriptions into boulders began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, most runestones date from the late Viking Age.
This runic inscription, designated as U 839 in the Rundata catalog, is on a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Ryda kungsgård, which is about 6 kilometers north of Enköping, Uppsala County, Sweden, and in the historic province of Uppland.
Runic inscription U 873 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located in Örsunda, which is about one kilometer west of Örsundsbro, Uppsala County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Uppland.
This runic inscription, designated as U Fv1948;168 in the Rundata catalog, is on a Viking Age memorial runestone to two sons that is located in Alsike, Uppsala County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Uppland.
This runic inscription, designated as U Fv1976;104 in the Rundata catalog, is on a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located at the Uppsala Cathedral, Uppland, Sweden.
The Lilla Vilunda runestones are three Viking Age memorial runestones that were erected by members of the same family and which are located at Lilla Vilunda in Upplands Väsby, Stockholm County, Sweden, and in the historic province of Uppland.
The Björklinge runestones are five Viking Age memorial runestones designated in the Rundata catalog as U 1045, U 1046, U 1047, U 1048, and U 1050 that are located at the church in Björklinge, Uppsala County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Uppland. In addition, there is a small fragment of a runestone with a partial runic text i * lit * rita * meaning "had erected" that has been given the catalog number U 1049.
Uppland Runic Inscription 80 or U 80 is the Rundata catalog listing for a Viking Age memorial runic inscription that is located in Sundby, which is in Solna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, and in the historic province of Uppland.
Uppland Runic Inscription 181 or U 181 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone located at Össeby-Garn, which is about one kilometer east of Karby, Uppsala County, Sweden.
Uppland Runic Inscription 993 or U 993 is the Rundata catalog number for a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Brunnby, which is one kilometer west of Gunsta, Uppsala County, Sweden, which was part of the historical province of Uppland.
Uppland Runic Inscription Fv1953;263 or U Fv1953;263 is the Rundata catalog listing for a Viking Age memorial runestone that was discovered at Helenelund, which is in Sollentuna, Stockholm County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Uppland.
Uppland Runic Inscription 1158 or U 1158 is the Rundata catalogue listing for a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located at Stora Salfors, which is one kilometre east of Fjärdhundra, Uppsala County, Sweden, and is in the historic province of Uppland. The stone is a memorial to a man named Freygeirr, and may have been the same Freygeirr who was a Viking chieftain active on the Baltic coast in the 1050s.