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nancy | profile | all galleries >> Sweden >> Viking Rune Stones tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Viking Rune Stones

Rune stones are commemorative inscriptions carved into stone that began as early as 200 AD. The Vikings made many between 800 and 1100 AD, and still others are from the middle ages (1100-1500 AD). One way to date the stones is by which runic alphabet is used.
Here is an approximate distribution of where the stones are:
Sweden: 2500, of those: Uppland (around Uppsala): 1500 , Södermanland: 500 , rest of Sweden: 500
Denmark: 200
Norway: 100
Iceland: 50
England: 50
Ukraine: 2

Still, each year about two rune stones are discovered or re-discoverd in Sweden.
I happen to stay in Uppsala when in Sweden so I have been lucky enough to see several of these.
at Vaksala Church in Uppsala in Vaksala Churchyard next to Uppsala Cathedral at Skokloster Castle
large rune along the road near Skokloster look-alike rune stone by gamla Uppsala church outside a church south of Uppsala
by Sigtuna church ruins inside St Peter church ruins by Uppsala Cathedral by Uppsala Cathedral
by Uppsala University by Uppsala University rune detail rune detail at night
Uppsala University rune at night Uppsala rune at night by Gripsholm Castle by Gripsholm Castle
in Skansen, Stockholm in a churchyard off E4 off Hwy 55 SW of Uppsala in Balingsta (on the road to Wik's Castle)
on the road to Wiks Castle on the road to Wik's Castle Prehistoric Cemetery in prehistoric cemetery
in someone's yard in Balingsta

post a comment
me 22-Oct-2008 19:03
these pictures are helping me with my viking report.
me 06-Nov-2007 00:05
Totally awsome! What are they exactly?
Ashlinn Johnsson 11-May-2007 18:45
These photos are great!! Thank you for sharing!! Rune stones are very interesting!! XD
Marilyn 04-Apr-2007 17:40
I think that the colour looks very bad on the runes..
Kevin B 29-Jul-2006 16:45
Nice runes, good use of colour.
peter vk 23-Feb-2004 00:46
My compliments on your photographic skills. The topic itself is certainly interesting in itself but you made excellent and artistic challenging pictures. Nice job.
Peter
Mark Elert 05-Jan-2004 17:08
Fascinating gallery. The night pictures almost look three dimensional. /greetings Mark
richard 17-Sep-2003 13:45
A great set of pictures of runes. It is hard to find good quality images. What interests me is the patterns the runes were carved in as well as the text itself. These images helped in my research. Thankyou for some hi-res images.
click on thumbnails for full image