Runestone U 29, Gerlög's runic slab on Färingsö, Ekerö

U 29
Gerlög, Hilleshög

The runic inscription

Tyd (Interpret the runes)

Germund got Gerlög (to wife) in her maidenhood. Then they got a son, before he (Germund) drowned. And then the son died.

Then she got Gudrik. He … this... then they got children. And one maid lived; she was called Inga. Ragnfast of Snottsta got her (to wife). Then he died, and thereafter the son. And the mother (Inga) came to inherit from her son.

Then she got Erik. Then she died. Then Gerög came to inherit from Inga, her daughter.

Torbjörn Skald (the poet) carved the runes.

raþu - - - - -

kaiRmuntr -ik · kaiRlauk · maytumi þa · finku · þau sun · aþ han · truknaþi · in sun to :

siþan : þa + fik hu- --þrik · ha- … þinsa · þa · finku þau barn … in maR ain lifþi · hun hit ' …g[a] ' ha… fik raknfastr · i · snutastaþum · þa uarþ han tauþr · auk · sun · siþan · in · moþir kuam + at sunar ' arfi '

þa ' fik hun ' airik ' þar ' uarþ hun tauþ ' þar kuam ' gaiRlauk at arfi ' inku tutur sinar

þurbiurn ' skalt ' risti runar

About the runic inscription

The rune slab's ornamentation basically consists of two dragons.
In the left dragon's eye, the rune carver Torbjörn skald has carved the word "raþu" (rathu) which means "take control, master (the inscription).

The head of the right dragon has been lost but in that eye the continuation of the word was probably "runar" (the runes) or "sakuni" (the one who can). Together the words of the eyes form: "Raþu runes" which means (do you counsel the runes, decipher the runes).

On runestone U 11 in Hovgården on Adelsö, the runic inscription begins with the same meaning: "raþu runar". The words can be seen as a well wish for you as a reader so that you can understand the meaning and message of the runes.

Unique runic inscription

But it's not just Gerlög's rune slab U 29 that makes the story unique. Her daughter Inga's runestones in Snåttsta and Vreta also belong to Gerlög's amazing but sad story.

Snottsta, a beautiful day in January 2000
Beryl Kornhill, who made the performance Gerlögs Runa on Adelsö in 1995, visits Snåttsta and Inga's runestones with me and Roger Wikell as guide.

On Inga's runestones in Snåttsta:

Runestone U 329:
Inga had these stones erected for Ragnfast, her husband. He was the brother of Gyrid and Estrid.

Runestone U 330:
Inga had the stones raised and the bridge made after Ragnfast, her husband. Assur was his armourer.

Runestone U 331:
Inga had the runes carved after Ragnfast, her husband. He alone owned this village after Sigfast, his father. God help their spirits.

Runestone U 332:
Inga raised pole and stones for Ragnfast, her husband. She inherited from her child.

On Inga's runestones, a concern that the inheritance may come into question can be read. The entire Snåttsta farm had changed hands in just a few years, and Ragnfast's sisters Gyrid and Estrid, who had grown up there, now had to watch as Ragnfast's widow Inga ruled and cared for their childhood farm.

Inga's runestones are heritage documents carved in the hardest granite. One of these is also carved directly on the rock slab so it can neither be moved nor knocked over. Inga also chose the skilled and very careful runecarver Fot for the job.

The ornamentation

Gerlög's rune slab has an unusually beautiful and well-planned ornamentation that is unlike anything Thorbjörn created before. It is most likely that someone else and more skilled artist has created the artwork while Thorbjörn created the inscription and carried out the work.

This rune slab not only has Uppland's longest runic inscription, but also gives us a unique insight into Viking age society together with Inga's runestones in Snåttsta. These are almost 1,000-year-old historical documents that I believe should be protected for all time by becoming a World Heritage Site.

The rune slab is feeling bad today.

In all intents and purposes, but without professional help, the rune slab has ended up in a pit surrounded by applied soil masses to form a lawn.

Vegetation such as flowers planted for decorative purposes retain moisture on the slab, which in turn risks being blasted by frost when winter comes.

A helping hand
The rune slab is on a private plot of land, but it cannot possibly be an obstacle for Ekerö municipality or the responsible authority to give a helping hand and offer the owner both professional knowledge and finances to be able to save save this unique work of art for future generations.

Hilleshög

During Viking age, when Färingsö was divided into three blocks due to a five meter higher water level, Hilleshög was located at the northern entrance and could control boats and ships traveling through the strait.

At the same time, another road went overland through Hilleshög's properties via Vifärna, Kvarsta and Lisselby to the important Ting (court) which was looked after by the man on Lisselby farm, which in turn was part of Hilleshög.

On the Ting (court), a mighty runestone (U 38) carved by Balle after "Gerlög's man" (his name has been lost) is erected. Next to it is another runestone, this time carved by Thorbjörn (U 37) and which better shows how his ornamentation is designed, simpler and with a strange dragon's head.

Thorbjörn's U 37 at the Ting is carved before Gerlög's rune slab U 29.

Links

Upplands runinskrifter >
About the rune slab U 29 page: 34-41
(Only Swedish)

Upplands runinskrifter >
About Ingas runestones U 329-332 page: 57-63
(Only Swedish)

Runor About U 29 >

Runor About U 329 >

Runor About U 330 >

Runor About U 331 >

Runor About U 332 >

Google map > Find U 29

Google map > Find Ingas farm in Snåttsta

Wikipedia > Inga by Svartsjölandet