Runestone G 319 is the

Rundata The Scandinavian Runic-text Database () is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of transliterated runic inscriptions. The project's goal is to comprehensively catalog runestones in a machine-readable way for future resea ...

catalog number for a

runic inscription A runic inscription is an inscription made in one of the various runic alphabets. They generally contained practical information or memorials instead of magic or mythic stories. The body of runic inscriptions falls into the three categories of E ...

on a

runestone A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic alphabet, runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition of erecting runestones as a memorial to dead men began in the 4th centur ...

made from

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

that is located in the Rute church in

Gotland Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Description

The runestone, which is 1.76 meters tall and 0.765 meters wide, is dated to the years 1200 – 1250. Similar to many runestones, it was repurposed and used in the construction of a church. It was first described as being in the Rute church in a runestone survey published 1749. The stone was hidden under a wooden floor in the 1870s, and removed to its current location during a church restoration in 1951. It is the only Gotland runestone that mentions

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. The word "Aglia" at the end of the inscription is problematic, but it has been interpreted as focusing the place of death of Audvalds. This runestone is considered to be one of the Baltic area runestones, which are

Varangian runestones 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. There are also many additional runestones in Sca ...

raised in memory of men who took part in peaceful or warlike expeditions across the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

, where Finland and the

Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

are presently located.

Inscription

Original inscription: si ris : aruar : litu : giera : st n : yfir : auþu-l- : broþur : sin : a : finlandi : do : aglia... Translation to Old West Norse: ''Sigtryggs(?) arfar létu gera stein yfir Auðv ?), bróður sinn, á Finnlandi dó 〈aglia...〉.'' Translation to English: Sigtryggr's(?) heirs had the stone made over Auðvaldr(?), their brother, who died in Finland ...

References

{{Reflist G319 13th-century inscriptions