Oddernes stone
The Oddernes stone (Oddernessteinen) is a rune stone from Oddernes Church at Oddernes in Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway. The stone was originally just in the church yard east of the church. In 1990 it was moved into the church porch.[1][2]
History
[edit]Oddernes stone was described in 1639 when the site was visited by Tomas Cortsen Wegner (1588-1654), Bishop of the Diocese of Stavanger. He had been commissioned by Ole Worm to provide inscriptions from rune stones located from within his diocese. Bishop Wegner gave a description of the stone with a drawing of the two inscriptions. Ole Worm was a Danish antiquarian who wrote a number of treatises on rune stones. He was at this time preparing his great work, Monumenta Danica. which was first published during 1643.[3][4] [5]
Both inscriptions are written with the younger runes and they are approx. dated to year 1030 and to 1040.
Inscriptions
[edit]Inscription from 1030
[edit]The first inscription (N209) is carved on one flat side of the stone, and is almost indistinguishable. It can be read (Old Norse into Latin letters):
....ur- (n)iriþs| |sun is| |st(a)in sa
This is interpreted as "... Neriðs son er steinn sá". In modern English: "After (NN) Neriðs' son is this stone," or "In memory of Tore Neridsson is this stone."
Inscription from 1040
[edit]The second inscription on the narrow side of the stone (N210) is much longer and is much more startling:
- aʀintr × karþi × kirkiu × þesa × kosunr × olafs × hins × hala × a oþali × sinu
Worm interpreted parts of this text, namely Olaf hins hala as "Olaf the saint" (St Olaf), and this is reproduced in Monumenta Danica..
Subsequent interpretations
[edit]
In 1805, Danish antiquarian and runologist Martin Friedrich Arendt (1769-1823) documented a number of rune inscriptions and other memorials in southern Norway. At Oddernes he gave a complete reading of the text: Eyvind gerði kirkiu þessa, guðsonr Olafs hin helga, à oðali sinu; modern English: "Eivind made this church, godson of St. Olaf, on his heir".[6][7]
This interpretation has been accepted by a number of authorities including Sophus Bugge and Magnus Olsen. however others have interpreted the word hala differently, and believe it may have a different meaning than holy or saint. This would override the impression that St. Olaf had actually been present here. As a consequence, the interpretation of this inscription remains debatable.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Oddernessteinen". Kulturminnesøk. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Oddernes Church, Heritage website Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian and English)
- ^ "Biskop Tomas Cortsen Wegner". vagshaug.no. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Patricia Carlsen Mikkelsen (September 15, 2011). "Tomas Cortsen Wegner". Arkivverket. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Born on This Day: Ole Worm – collector extraordinaire". Victoria and Albert Museum. April 22, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Frans-Arne H. Stylegars (April 22, 2007). "Martin Friedrich Arendt - vandrende oldgransker". Arkeologi i nord. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Frans-Arne H. Stylegar (December 6, 2006). "Oddernessteinen og Eyvind Urarhorn". Arkeologi i nord. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Frans-Arne Stylegar "Oddernessteinen" at Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian)
Other sources
[edit]- Spurkland, Terje (2005) Norwegian Runes and Runic Inscriptions (Boydell & Brewer) ISBN 9781843831860
Related reading
[edit]- Sawyer, Birgit (2003) The Viking-Age Rune-Stones: Custom and Commemoration in Early Medieval Scandinavia (Oxford University Press) ISBN 978-0199262212
- Stocklund, Marie; et al., eds. (2006) Runes and Their Secrets: Studies in Runology (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press) ISBN 978-87-635-0627-4