Danish Runic Inscription 66

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  
Danish Runic Inscription 66
Name Mask Stone
Rundata ID DR 66
Country Denmark
Region Jutland
City/Village Aarhus
Produced c. 1000
Runemaster unknown
Text - Native
Old Norse : See article.
Text - English
See article.
Other resources
Runestones - Runic alphabet - Runology - Runestone styles

The Runestone DR 66 or the Mask stone is a granite runestone discovered in Aarhus, Denmark. The runestone is famous for bearing a depiction of a mask and an Old Norse runic inscription describing a battle between kings. There is insufficient evidence to establish which battle the inscription refers to, but the Battle of Svolder[1] and the Battle of Helgeån have been proposed as candidates. The mask depicted has been explained by the Moesgård Museum as "probably intended to be protection against evil spirits."[1]

The stone may have originally been located along the important road into Aarhus from the west, as it was found with most of the other runestones in Aarhus in buildings adjoining this important road - in the Mask Stone's case, it was discovered beneath Aarhus Mill, where the city park Mølleparken ("The Mill Park") now exists. The stone is currently on exhibition at the Moesgård Museum, the logo of which was inspired by the mask itself.[1]

[edit] Inscription

Latin transliteration:

  • kunulfR auk augutr auk aslakR auk rulfR risþu
  • stin þansi eftiR ful fela(k)a sin iaR uarþ ( ) ...y-- tuþr
  • þo kunukaR barþusk

Old Norse transcription:

  • A GunulfR ok Øgotr/Øþgotr ok AslakR ok RolfR resþu
  • B sten þænsi æftiR Ful, felaga sin, æR warþ ... døþr,
  • C þa kunungaR barþusk.

English translation:

  • A "Gunnulfr and Eygautr/Auðgautr and Áslakr and Hrólfr raised
  • B this stone in memory of Fúl, their partner, who died
  • C when kings fought."[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Damm 2005, page 49.
  2. ^ Entry DR 66 in Rundata 2.0 for Windows.

[edit] References