Jelling stones

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. King Gorm was the first king of all of Denmark. The runic inscriptions on these stones are considered the most well known in Denmark.

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 stones lie in a Jelling churchyard between two large mounds. They represent the transitional period between the indigenous Norse paganism and the process of Christianization in Denmark. The stones are strongly identified with the creation of Denmark as a nation state.

After having been exposed to all kinds of weather for a thousand years cracks are beginning to show. On the 15th of November 2008 experts from UNESCO examined the stones to determine their condition. Experts have requested the stones moved to an indoor exhibition hall to prevent further damage from the weather, but no decision has been reached on this issue.

Runestone of Gorm

The older and smaller of the runestones reads: "King Gormr made this monument in memory of Thyrvé, his wife, Denmark's adornment." ( Rundata, DR 41) The Old Norse inscription in Younger Futhark runes appears as follows:

(side A) ᛬ ᚴᚢᚱᛘᛦ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢᚴᛦ ᛬

᛬ ᚴ(ᛅᚱ)ᚦᛁ ᛬ ᚴᚢᛒᛚ ᛬ ᚦᚢᛋᛁ ᛬

᛬ ᛅ(ᚠᛏ) ᛬ ᚦᚢᚱᚢᛁ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢ

(side B) ᛬ ᛋᛁᚾᛅ ᛬ ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᛦ ᛬ ᛒᚢᛏ ᛬

(side A) : kurmR : kunukR :

 : k(ar)þi : kubl : þusi :

 : a(ft) : þurui : kunu

(side B) | sina | tanmarkaR | but |

(Jacobsen & Moltke, 1941-42, DR 41)

Runestone of Harald Bluetooth

The larger of the two runestones reads: "King Haraldr ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian." ( Rundata, DR 42)

(side A)

ᚼᛅᚱᛅᛚᛏᚱ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢᚴᛦ ᛬ ᛒᛅᚦ ᛬ ᚴᛅᚢᚱᚢᛅ

ᚴᚢᛒᛚ ᛬ ᚦᛅᚢᛋᛁ ᛬ ᛅᚠᛏ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚱᛘ ᚠᛅᚦᚢᚱ ᛋᛁᚾ

ᛅᚢᚴ ᛅᚠᛏ ᛬ ᚦᚭᚢᚱᚢᛁ ᛬ ᛘᚢᚦᚢᚱ ᛬ ᛋᛁᚾᛅ ᛬ ᛋᛅ

ᚼᛅᚱᛅᛚᛏᚱ (᛬) ᛁᛅᛋ ᛬ ᛋᚭᛦ ᛫ ᚢᛅᚾ ᛫ ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ

(side B)

ᛅᛚᛅ ᛫ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᚾᚢᚱᚢᛁᛅᚴ

(side C)

᛫ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᛏ(ᛅ)ᚾᛁ (᛫ ᚴᛅᚱᚦᛁ ᛫) ᚴᚱᛁᛋᛏᚾᚭ

Transliteration

(side A)

haraltr : kunukR : baþ : kaurua

kubl : þausi : aft : kurm faþur sin

auk aft : þąurui : muþur : sina : sa

haraltr (:) ias : sąR * uan * tanmaurk

(side B)

ala * auk * nuruiak

(side C)

* auk * t(a)ni (* karþi *) kristną

(Jacobsen & Moltke, 1941-42, DR 42)

Phonetic transcription:

(side A)

(side B)

(side C)

The stone has a figure of Christ on one side and on another side a serpent wrapped around a lion.

In 1955, a plaster cast of this stone was made for a festival in London. It is now located in the grounds of the Danish Church in London, 4 St Katherines Precinct, Regents Park, London. The copy is painted in bright colours, like the original. Most of the original paint has flaked away from the original stone, but enough small specks of paint remained to tell us what the colors looked like when they were freshly painted. A copy is also located in the National Museum of Denmark, and another copy just outside the Jelling museum, which lies within sight of the Jelling mounds.[1]

See also

• Haraldskær Woman
• Boris stones — similar landmarks in Belarus
• Tourism in Denmark

References

Further reading

• [2]C. Michael Hogan, "Jelling Stones", Megalithic Portal, editor Andy Burnham
• Rundata, Joint Nordic database for runic inscriptions.

External links

• World Heritage (UNESCO)
• Rune stones, mound and church in Jelling

ca:Pedres de Jelling

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