Södermanland Runic Inscription 194

Carved into a granite boulder that is 1.4 meters in height, this unsigned inscription has been attributed to the runemaster Balle, who was active during the last half of the eleventh century.

The runic text states that the stone was raised by two sons named Ingimundr and Þjalfi in memory of their father Þorketill.

"[1] Þjalfi means "Digger" or "Delver," and Þjálfi was the name of a servant or follower of the Norse god Thor that is listed in the Prose Edda.

[2] The name Þorketil signifies a "Vessel or Kettle of Thor," possibly a type of sacrificial cauldron.

[3] The Poetic Edda poem Hymiskviða has a story in which Thor fetches a large cauldron to brew ale.