England runestones
The Anglo-Saxon rulers paid large sums, Danegelds, to Scandinavian Vikings who arrived to the English shores during the 990s and the first decades of the 11th century.
Canute sent home most of the Vikings who had helped him conquer England, but he kept a strong bodyguard, the Thingmen, and its members are also mentioned on several runestones.
honHannhafþihafðio|a|onklantiÆnglandituhtukialt|giald|takittakit.+ kuþGuðhialbihialpiþiʀaþæiʀakiþkafæðgasalu|salu|uk|ok|kuþsGuðsmuþ(i)moðiʀ.n tan auk huskarl ' auk sua(i)n ' l(i)tu rita stin aftiʀ ' ulfrik ' faþurfaþur sino ' hon hafþi o| |onklanti tuh kialt| |takit + kuþ hialbi þiʀa kiþka salu| |uk| |kuþs muþ(i)En Dan ok Huskarl {} ok Svæinn {} letu retta stæin æftiʀ {} Ulfrik, {} faðurfaður sinn.
Omeljan Pritsak comments that Sveinn probably died in the Limfjord, Jutland, as the fjord was usually the starting point for campaigns against England.
[17] tiarfʀDiarfʀ× ukiok× urikaOrøkia× ukok' uikiVigi× ukok× iukiʀIogæiʀʀ× ukok× kiʀialmʀGæiʀhialmʀ,× þiʀþæiʀbryþrbrøðr× aliʀalliʀ× lituletu× risaræisa× tiarfʀ × uki × urika × uk ' uiki × uk × iukiʀ × uk × kiʀialmʀ × þiʀ bryþr × aliʀ × litu × risa ×Diarfʀ {} ok {} Orøkia {} ok {} Vigi {} ok {} Iogæiʀʀ {} ok {} Gæiʀhialmʀ, {} þæiʀ brøðr {} alliʀ {} letu {} ræisa {}"Djarfr and Órœkja and Vígi and Jógeirr and Geirhjalmr, all of these brothers had"stinstæinþinaþenna× iftiʀæftiʀ× suinSvæin,× bruþurbroður× sinsinn.× saʀSaʀ× uarþvarð× tuþrdauðraa× iut(l)atiIutlandi.× onHannskultiskuldistin þina × iftiʀ × suin × bruþur × sin × saʀ × uarþ × tuþr a × iut(l)ati × on skultistæin þenna {} æftiʀ {} Svæin, {} broður {} sinn.
sihuiþrSigviðr...-i[ræist]i+ stainstæin+ þinaþenna+ iklats+fariÆnglandsfari+ iftiræftiʀ+ uitarfVidiarf,+ faþ(u)(r)faður[+ -.........sia].........ku---...sihuiþr ...-i + stain + þina + iklats+fari + iftir + uitarf + faþ(u)(r) [+ -... ...sia]... ...ku---Sigviðr [ræist]i {} stæin {} þenna {} Ænglandsfari {} æftiʀ {} Vidiarf, {} faður {} ... ... ..."Sigviðr, traveller to England, raised this stone in memory of Védjarfr, (his) father ... ... ..."[23]This fragmented runestone is classified as being carved in the runestone style Fp and is located at Lilla Runhällen.
"[25]This runestone in Bjudby was raised by a man in memory of his son Hefnir who went to England and back, and instead of having a warrior's death overseas, he died at home.
[26] He suggests that Hefnir was part of the invasion force sent to England by Sweyn Estridsson, in 1069, and which was intended to defeat William the Conqueror's Normans.
[27] The invasion had been planned for two years, but William the conqueror bought off the commander of the force who was Sweyn Estridsson's brother Asbjörn.
(u)[rist]ustanstæinþenaþenna.þorstain (l)(i)... ...sa : stain : þena : ... sik : sialfan : auk : sun : sin : hefni : uaʀ til : enklans : ukr : trenkr : farin : uarþ : þa * haima : at : harmi tauþr kuþ hialbi : sialu : þaima bruni : auk : sloþi : þaiʀ ...(u) stan þenaÞorstæinn le[t ræi]sa {} stæin {} þenna {} [æftiʀ] sik {} sialfan {} ok {} sun {} sinn {} Hæfni.
The inscription has been attributed based on stylistic analysis to the runemaster Näsbjörn, and what little remained of the stone when it was discovered said that a man drowned in England.
: aybirn : raisþi : stain : þansi : at : karþi : han uarþ : tauþr : o| |oklati i liþi{} Øybiorn {} ræisþi {} stæin {} þannsi {} at {} Skærði.
According to Omeljan Pritsak, the gold which was divided was part of the danegeld,[31] and Erik Brate argues that it was the same expedition as the one mentioned on the Berga Runestone.
: kriutkarþr : ainriþi : suniʀ : kiarþu : at : faþur : snialan : kuþuiʀ : uaʀ uastr : a : aklati : kialti : skifti : burkiʀ : a : sahks:lanti : suti : kaula{} Griutgarðr, {} Æinriði, {} syniʀ, {} giærðu {} at {} faður {} sniallan.
... (f)aþur sin * fur * hfila * hn * til * iklans * kuþ halbi * sil hnsGuð... ... faður sinn.
[kra-hni- × lit × resa × s... ...] + uas × farin + til + ekla-s [× (t)u i × sbelbuþa × --s(a)þu × helb]i × kuþ [× se... ... ... sigi * iuk × -u...]
"
(k)hunaltrGunnaldr* lietletresaræisa* sthinstæin* þensaþennsa* iftiræftiʀ* kerfastGæiʀfast,* sunsunsensinn,* trek|dræng|kuþangoðan,* aukok* uasvasfarinfarinn* tiltileklansÆnglands.* hiolbiHialpi* kuþGuð* salusalu* hanshans.
(k)hunaltr * liet resa * sthin * þensa * iftir * kerfast * sun sen * trek| |kuþan * auk * uas farin * til eklans * hiolbi * kuþ * salu * hansGunnaldr {} let ræisa {} stæin {} þennsa {} æftiʀ {} Gæiʀfast, {} sun sinn, {} dræng goðan, {} ok {} vas farinn {} til Ænglands.
The stone is located near an ancient road and was raised to its current position in 1866. : ruþrRauðr: ristiræisti: stinstæin: þinsiþennsi: iftiʀæftiʀ: tuk-Tok[a],: bruþurbroður: sinsinn,: saʀsaʀ: uarþvarð: trbindrepinn: aa: ilatiÆnglandi,: triʀdrængʀ: arþaharða: kuþrgoðr.
[42] The Rundata designation for this Östergötland inscription, Ög Fv1950;341, refers to the year and page number of the issue of Fornvännen in which the runestone was first described.
...-iur-...[b]ior[n]: aukok: as-iurnAs[b]iorn: þiʀþæiʀ: risturæistu: stinstæin: þasiþasi: eft-ʀæft[i]ʀ: uikfastVigfast,: faþurfaður: sinsinn,: esesuasvas: tuþrdauðr: oa: eklatiÆnglandi,: sunsun: helguHælgu....-iur- : auk : as-iurn : þiʀ : ristu : stin : þasi : eft-ʀ : uikfast : faþur : sin : es uas : tuþr : o : eklati : sun : helgu...[b]ior[n] {} ok {} As[b]iorn {} þæiʀ {} ræistu {} stæin {} þasi {} æft[i]ʀ {} Vigfast, {} faður {} sinn, {} es vas {} dauðr {} a {} Ænglandi, {} sun {} Hælgu.
Óníðingr, which with the ó- prefix means the opposite of the Old Norse pejorative word níðingr, was used to describe a man as being virtuous and is translated in the Rundata database as "unvillainous."
: urai : sati : stin : þonsi : eftiʀ : kuna : bruþur : sin : han : uaʀ tauþr : o : iklati{} Vrai {} satti {} stæin {} þannsi {} æftiʀ {} Gunna, {} broður {} sinn.
"[49]The Nävelsjö runestone is located at the estate of Nöbbelesholm, and it is raised in memory of a father who died in England and was buried by his brother in Bath, Somerset.
: kun(t)(k)el : sati : sten : þansi : eftiʀ : kunar : faþur : sin : sun : hruþa : halgi : lagþi : han : i : sten:þr : bruþur : sin : a : haklati : i : baþum{} Gunnkell {} satti {} stæin {} þannsi {} æftiʀ {} Gunnar, {} faður {} sinn, {} sun {} Hroða.
risti × stin × iftiʀ × kurmar × sun × sin + iaʀ × uaʀ + trbin × a × iklanti ×... ræisti {} stæin {} æftiʀ {} Guðmar(?
* eʀEʀ* aaok*lantiÆnglandi* altrialdri* tynþitynði.× + giʀi * sati * stin * þana * eftiʀ * kuþa * bruþur * sin * eʀ * a ok*lanti * altri * tynþi ×{} Gæiʀi {} satti {} stæin {} þenna {} æftiʀ {} Guða, {} broður {} sinn.
Christ ... ..."[56]This runestone, also known as Br E2), is a Viking Age runic inscription from the early 11th century, in a coffin of limestone in Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.
[58] It is possible that it was made in memory of a Viking warrior who died in service of king Canute the Great,[59] and the creature on the stone may represent Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse.
