DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

58

Runes and picture stones

VȪȬȪȯȨȴȤȦȭȦȣȳȢȵȦȥȣȳȢȷȦȳȺ in battle

and the glory of dead relatives by raising

memorial stones. These were carved with

pictures and writing in runic letters

(runes), often inside an intricate border of

snakes. Some stones were raised by people

who wanted to show off their own

achievements. Others tell of loved ones

who died on far-off voyages. The

stones were set up in public

places where many people

could stop and admire them.

The unusual picture stones

from the island of Gotland

often have no runes. But

they are crowded with

lively scenes of gods,

ships, and warriors.

SIGURD THE DRAGON KILLER

The complete legend of Sigurd (p. 51) is

carved on a great rock at Ramsund in

Sweden. The carver has cleverly

placed clues about all the episodes

into the frame made of snakes.

He has also turned one of

the serpents into the

dragon Fáfnir.

Sigurd’s horse

Birds

Dragon

Sigurd kills dragon Fáfnir

Sigurd sucks his t humb

Headless body of Regin

Warrior killed in batt le

The eight-legged

horse Sleipnir

carries Odin

t hrough t he sky

The large piece of

limestone was carved

and painted in t he

8t h century

Interlace border

Headless bodies

of t he king’s

two sons

Völund’s forge

wit h his hammer

and tongs

Wild beast,

perhaps a

Many ot her wolverine

pictures cannot be

identified wit h certainty

Two figures fishing

The bird may be
Völund flying away

Possibly Thor and Hymir

fishing from a small boat

Ship full of warriors, wit h

a large rectangular sail

A JUMBLE OF PICTURES

This picture stone from Ardre, Gotland,

is a hodge-podge of pictures. But several

stories can be seen. At the top, Odin’s

mysterious eight-legged horse, Sleipnir,

carries the god across the sky. Below is

a Viking ship, surrounded by episodes

from the bloody story of Völund the

blacksmith. He was taken prisoner by

King Nidud. In revenge, Völund cut

off the heads of both of the king’s

sons and made their skulls into cups.

In the end, Völund escaped by

forging a pair of wings and flying

away. The small boat below the

ship may be the god Thor fishing

with the giant Hymir. According

to the legend, Thor caught the

World Serpent. But Hymir was

so terrified that he cut the line.