The Gunderup Runestone, or DR 143, is located in Gunderup, North Jutland County, Jutland, Denmark. It is notable because it is one of few runestones raised in commemoration of a woman.
The Gunderup Runestone was first documented in 1629 as being located on a hill, [1] but was later used for construction materials. The stone is granite and has a height of 2.46 meters. The inscription consists of two sections of runic text and is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK. This is the classification for inscriptions where the ends of the runic bands are straight and do not have any beast or serpent heads attached. The inscription is dated as being carved in 900-960. [1]
The runic text states that it was raised by Tóki in memory of his step-father who was either named Api or Ebbi and of his mother Tófa. It is one of only two runestones in Denmark that memorialize both parents, the second being the now-lost DR 201 from Allerup. [2] That stepsons did not usually inherit under local law is indicated by the text, which goes on to indicate that Api/Ebbi made Tóki his heir through some process. [3] The text also describes the father as being þægn goþan or "a good thegn," a phrase that is also used on two Swedish runestones, Vg 8 from Hjälstads and, in its plural form, on Sö 34 from Tjuvstigen. A thegn was a class of retainer, and about fifty memorial runestones in Denmark and Sweden mention that the deceased was a thegn.[ citation needed ]
The runestone, which is known locally as the Gunderup-sten 1, is currently stored at the church in Gunderup.[ citation needed ]
:
tuki
Toki
:
raisþi
resþi
:
stini
stena
:
þoisi
þæssi
:
auk
ok
:
karþi
gærþi
:
kub(l)
kumbl
(:) ¶ :
þausi
þøsi
:
aft
æft
aba
Apa/Æbba,
:
mak
mag
:
sin
sin,
:
þaikn
þægn
:
kuþan
goþan,
:
auk
ok
:
Tóki raised these stones and made this monument in memory of Api/Ebbi, his kinsman-by-marriage, a good thane, and
:
tufu
Tofu,
:
muþur
moþur
:
sino
sina.
:
þau
Þø
:
lika
liggia
:
baþi
bæþi
:
i
i
:
þaum
þem
:
hauki
høgi.
: ¶
abi
Api/Æbbi
:
uni
unni
:
tuka
Toka
:
fiaʀ
feaʀ
:
sins
sins
:
aft
æft
:
sik
sik.
:
Tófa, his mother. Both of them lie in this mound. Api/Ebbi granted Tóki his wealth after himself. [4]
The Jelling stones are massive carved runestones from the 10th century, found at the town of Jelling in Denmark. The older of the two Jelling stones was raised by King Gorm the Old in memory of his wife Thyra. The larger of the two stones was raised by King Gorm's son, Harald Bluetooth, in memory of his parents, celebrating his conquest of Denmark and Norway, and his conversion of the Danes to Christianity. The runic inscriptions on these stones are considered the best known in Denmark. In 1994, the stones, in addition to the burial mounds and small church nearby, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an unparalleled example of both pagan and Christian Nordic culture.
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.
The two Sigtrygg Runestones, designated as DR 2 and DR 4 in the Rundata catalog, are two of the Hedeby stones that were found in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which during the Viking Age was part of Denmark. The runestones were raised after the Danish king Sigtrygg Gnupasson by his mother Ásfriðr. Together with the account of Adam of Bremen, the two inscriptions constitute evidence for the House of Olaf on the Danish throne.
The Glavendrup stone, designated as DR 209 by Rundata, is a runestone on the island of Funen in Denmark and dates from the early 10th century. It contains Denmark's longest runic inscription and ends in a curse.
The Jarlabanke Runestones is the name of about 20 runestones written in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark rune script in the 11th century, in Uppland, Sweden.
The Norra Härene Runestone, designated as Vg 59 by Rundata, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that is located on the grounds of Dagsnäs Castle, which is about seven kilometers south of Skara, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, in the historic province of Västergötland.
Sønder Vissing I or DR 55 is a runestone located in the church of Sønder Vissing in eastern Jutland, Denmark. Sønder Vissing is a small settlement located in Horsens municipality approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Silkeborg, 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Skanderborg and 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of the Viking monuments of Jelling.
Tryggevælde Runestone, designated as DR 230 under Rundata, is a runestone housed in the National Museum of Denmark, in Copenhagen. It is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, and is dated to about 900 CE.
The Rimsø stone or DR 114 is a runestone from the 10th century near Århus in Denmark. It is one of few runestones raised after a woman, and it is raised by her son who exclaims that losing one's mother is the worst thing that can happen to a boy.
The England runestones are a group of about 30 runestones in Scandinavia which refer to Viking Age voyages to England. They constitute one of the largest groups of runestones that mention voyages to other countries, and they are comparable in number only to the approximately 30 Greece Runestones and the 26 Ingvar Runestones, of which the latter refer to a Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea region. They were engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark.
The Varangian Runestones are runestones in Scandinavia that mention voyages to the East or the Eastern route, or to more specific eastern locations such as Garðaríki in Eastern Europe.
The Viking runestones are runestones that mention Scandinavians who participated in Viking expeditions. This article treats the runestone that refer to people who took part in voyages abroad, in western Europe, and stones that mention men who were Viking warriors and/or died while travelling in the West. However, it is likely that all of them do not mention men who took part in pillaging. The inscriptions were all engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark. The runestones are unevenly distributed in Scandinavia: Denmark has 250 runestones, Norway has 50 while Iceland has none. Sweden has as many as between 1,700 and 2,500 depending on definition. The Swedish district of Uppland has the highest concentration with as many as 1,196 inscriptions in stone, whereas Södermanland is second with 391.
The Skern Runestone, designated as Danish Runic Inscription 81 or DR 81 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in the small village of Skjern, Denmark between Viborg and Randers. The stone features a facial mask and a runic inscription which ends in a curse. A fragment of a second runestone designated as DR 80 was also found in Skjern.
The Bjäresjö Runestones are three Viking Age memorial runestones originally located adjacent to Bjäresjö Church in Bjäresjö, which is about 3 kilometers northwest of Ystad, Skåne County, Sweden. Two of the stones were discovered near the church, and two of the stones have been moved to other nearby locations. Although these three stones are located in Sweden, they have been given Danish designations because Scania was part of the historic Denmark.
The Bjärby Runestones are two Viking Age memorial runestones located near Grästorp, Sweden, in Bjärby synod, which was in the historic province of Västergötland. The two stones are memorials to men who held the titles thegn and drengr, and one has a depiction of the hammer of the Norse pagan deity Thor.
The Västra Nöbbelöv Runestone, listed as DR 278 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in Västra Nöbbelöv, which is about 3 kilometers east of Skivarp, Skåne County, Sweden, and was in the historic province of Scania.
The Asferg Runestone, listed as DR 121 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone found at Asferg, which is about 10 km northeast of Randers, Aarhus County, Region Midtjylland, Denmark.
DR 110, or the Virring stone, is a runestone made of granite that measures 155 cm (61 in) in height, 120 cm (47 in) in width and 27 cm (11 in) in thickness. It is written in Old East Norse in the Younger Futhark, and the runestone style is in a form called RAK.
The Glemminge stone or DR 338 is a Viking Age runestone engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark runic alphabet. It is found in the wall of Glimminge church in Scania, in Ystad Municipality in Sweden. The style of the runestone is the runestone style RAK.
The Södermanland Runic Inscription 49 is a Viking Age runestone engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark runic alphabet. The style of the runestone is a categorized as Fp. It is located in Ene in Nyköping Municipality.