Ledberg stone

Ledberg stone
Created	11th Century
Discovered	Ledberg, Östergötland, Sweden
Rundata ID	Ög 181
Text – Native
See article.
Translation
See article.

The Ledberg stone, designated as Ög 181 under Rundata, is an image-stone and runestone located in Östergötland, Sweden.

Description

The Ledberg stone is a partially surviving runestone, similar to Thorwald's Cross. It features a figure with his foot at the mouth of a four-legged beast, below which lies a legless, helmeted man, with his arms in a prostrate position.^[1] This is thought to be a depiction of Odin being devoured by the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök, the final battle in Norse mythology, in which several gods meet their death.^[1] The battle and death of Odin are described in the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda.^[2]

Some scholars, however, believe that the images of the Ledberg stone depict the final story of either Þorgautr or Gunna,^{[citation needed]} who are memorialized in the runic inscription. If the images are followed in the same order as the runes are written, they seem to create a chronological account. The first image is of a ship; this depicts a journey abroad. Next, there is a figure walking to the left, carrying what is most likely a shield, in preparation for departure. In the third image, the figure is carrying weapons and a shield to the right, probably marching to battle. At the top of the second side of the stone, the figure's foot is being bitten by a wolf and finally, we see the figure legless with arms sprawled, likely lying dead on the battlefield. Wolves were often used in Viking art and poetry to signify combat,^[3] so it is thought to be unlikely that the figure fell in battle due to wounds caused by a wolf.

The warrior figures have shields, one carries a spear, and all have moustaches and beards, except for the Odin figure. The helmets are conical and similar in shape to those shown on the Bayeux Tapestry.^[4]

Inscription

The runic inscription of the Ledberg stone is carved in the Younger futhark, and is dated to the 11th century. It reads:^[5]

Charm

The final part of the B-side contains a rhyming charm or spell (galdr), which reads:

which is to be read (in normalized Old Icelandic spelling):

This type of charm (istill formula) is found on a few other inscriptions, among them the runic inscription on the Gørlev runestone, DR 239, from Sjælland, Denmark.^[6] It has been noted that Pliny the Elder recorded that the Celts gathered mistletoe as a cure for infertility, and that singing a charm over herbs increased their power, which may have led to the þistill mistill kistill combination.^[6]

Of the personal names in the inscription, Þorgautr contains as a name element the Norse god Thor.

See also

• Runic magic

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ledberg stone.