Gripsholm stone
One of around thirty Swedish stones commemorating men lost on Ingvar’s expedition east. It ends in verse: they fed the eagle far in the east, and died in the south in Serkland.
At a glance
- Alphabet
- Younger Futhark
- Date
- 11th century
- Found at
- Gripsholm, Södermanland, Sweden
- Signature
- Sö 179
The text
Transliteration in the conventional runological form. Translations on this site are our own and deliberately literal.
tula : lit : raisa : stain : þinsa at : sun : sin : haralt : bruþur : inkuars : þaiʀ furu : trikila : fiari : at : kuli : auk : a:ustarla ar:ni : kafu : tuu : sunar:la : a sirk:lan:ti
Tóla had this stone raised in memory of her son Haraldr, Ingvarr’s brother. They travelled boldly, far after gold, and in the east gave food to the eagle. They died southward in Serkland.
Discovery
Built into the foundations of Gripsholm Castle and recovered from there; it now stands in the castle courtyard. It was raised by a woman, Tóla, in memory of her son Haraldr, Ingvarr's brother.
Why it matters
The Ingvar stones are the largest group of runestones commemorating a single event, and they are the reason a failed expedition of the 1040s is known at all. This one closes with a verse couplet in fornyrðislag: feeding the eagle is a standard kenning for killing in battle, and Serkland is the Norse name for the Islamic lands to the south-east. It is a memorial formula doing literary work.
Common misconceptions
Claims about this object that circulate widely and do not hold up.
Where Serkland actually was is not fixed: readings range from the Caucasus and the Caspian to Muslim territories more generally. The stones are often quoted as though they pinned the expedition to a known destination, which they do not.
Runes attested here (2)
Every dictionary entry that cites this object, with the reason it gives.
Sources
Full references on the sources page.