the mound. These stones were rough-hewn and varied greatly in size and shape; some were twelve to fifteen feet high; others were very low and did not appear more than one or two feet above ground. At times, they were in the form of an obelisk, but more frequently the sides were roughly vertical, with a height two or three times the thickness (Fig. 49).34 Such stones were raised over the dead whether the remains were burned or buried; and often similar ones were erected to the memory of people lost at sea, or who died in foreign lands. Occasionally, they were even set up in honor of the living. These monuments of various sorts were especially numerous along the wayside, where the dead were frequently buried. In Sweden, in particular, as in ancient Rome, the roads were in places lined with them; and thus they served as waymarks as well as memorials.35 Fig. 49. Rough Hewn Monumental Stone with Thor's Ham mers. (From Petersen's Om Nordboernes Gudedyrkelse og Gudetro i Hedenold.) Previous to the ninth century the bauta-stones appear rarely to have borne inscriptions; but with the opening 34 Nicolaissen, O., "Bautastene i det Höie Norden," in Aarböger, 1897, pp. 57-66. 35 Friesen, Otto von, Upplands Runstenar: en Allmänfattlig Ofversikt, Epitaphs of the viking period it soon became very customary to engrave upon them epitaphs and other inscriptions in runic characters.36 This practice was doubtless in imitation of Christian lands, for it was much more common in southern Scandinavia where the contact with Christian Europe was closest. In the far northern part of the land no runic inscriptions of any sort are found upon the bauta-stones of this period. The epitaph gave the name and the position of the dead person and usually also told who erected the monument and who engraved the runes. If the deceased had journeyed in foreign lands, this fact was generally mentioned, for it added to his prestige. Often words of appreciation or praise of the dead were added. At times there were also warnings to the passer-by not to harm the memorial; or even a threat to "have the law on" any one who should remove or deface it.37 On the later stones it was also not uncommon to cut an invocation to Thor, accompanied by the figure of his hammer; or the symbol of some other god. In the late Viking Age elaborately carved stones came into use, particularly in the island of Gotland. These stones showed genuine skill in workmanship. The tops were commonly semi-circular or horseshoe shaped, and the surfaces, smooth.38 Such stones occasionally had 38 Ibid., 7. 37 Wimmer, Ludv. F. A., Die Runenschrift, 335–382. The following are typical runic inscriptions: "Ragnhild erected this stone for Ale Salvegode, the highly honorable temple priest. Ale's sons raised this mound in memory of their father, and his wife for her husband; but Sote cut the runes for his master. May Thor consecrate these runes!" "Whoever removes this stone to raise it over another or injures it will be required to make good the damage." Wimmer, 369. and "Rolf raised this stone in memory of Gudmund, his brother's son, his men, who were drowned at sea. Aweir cut the runes." Ibid., 346. 38 Pipping, Hugo, Om Runinskrifterna på de Nyfunna Ardre-Stenarna. |