The Tillinge Runestone, designated as U 785 under

Rundata The Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base ( sv, Samnordisk runtextdatabas) is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of runic inscriptions. The project's goal is to comprehensively catalog runestones in a machine-readable way f ...

, is a Viking Age memorial runestone that was found at the church of Tillinge in Uppland,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Description

The Tillinge Runestone inscription consists of a runic text within a serpent. It was initially found within the church wall, but the full inscription could not be read until it was removed from the wall in 1946 and raised in front of the church. Many runestones were reused for materials in the construction of roads, bridges, walls, and buildings before their historical significance was understood. The inscription is dated as being from the first half of the 11th century and is in Old Norse and written using the younger futhark. The Tillinge Runestone was raised by a man in memory of his brother who died in Serkland, and ends in a prayer for the brother's soul. It may be one of the Ingvar Runestones, but is not included in that group as it does not mention Ingvar the Far-Travelled, the leader of a Swedish Viking expedition to the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad s ...

. As such, this runestone may be a memorial to a Varangian who died while in service in Asia. The inscription is unsigned and has been attributed either to

runemaster A runemaster or runecarver is a specialist in making runestones. Description More than 100 names of runemasters are known from Viking Age Sweden with most of them from 11th-century eastern Svealand.The article ''Runristare'' in ''Nationalencyklo ...

s named Torbjörn or Gunnar.Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk
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entry for U 785. The inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style Pr1, which is also known as the Ringerike style.

Inscription

Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters

:uifas-- ... : risa : s(t)in : þ(t)ino : ub : at : k-þmunt : bruþur : sin : han : uarþ : tuþr : a : srklant- kuþ halbi : ant : ans

Transcription into Old Norse

:''Vifas r etræisa stæin þenna upp at G �mund, broður sinn. Hann varð dauðr a Særkland Guð hialpi and hans.''

Translation in English

:Véfastr had this stone raised up in memory of Guðmundr, his brother. He died in Serkland. May God help his spirit.

References