Princes Street Gardens Runestone

The Swedish Runestone in Princes Street Gardens, designated U 1173 in the Rundata catalogue, is an 11th-century[1] Swedish Viking Age runestone which was located in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, below Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, within a fenced enclosure adjacent to Ramsay Garden.[2] Due to security concerns it was removed from its location in December 2017 and has been moved in 2020 to 50 George Square, Edinburgh just outside University of Edinburgh's Department of Scandinavian Studies.[3][4][5]

Princes Street Gardens Runestone
"Princes Street Gardens" runestone
Created1010–1050
DiscoveredLilla Ramsjö, Vittinge, Uppland, Sweden
Present location50 George Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates55.943863°N 3.186608°W / 55.943863; -3.186608
Rundata IDU 1173
RunemasterErik (A)
Text – Native
Old Norse: Ari ræisti stæin æftiR Hialm, faður sinn. Guð hialpi and hans.
Translation
Ari raised the stone in memory of Hjalmr, his father. May God help his spirit.

Originally from Lilla Ramsjö, Vittinge, it was donated to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1787 by Sir Alexander Seton of Preston and Ekolsund (1738 - 1814),[6] and was presented to the Princes Street Proprietors by the Society in 1821.[7] It is one of three Swedish runestones in Britain; the other two (U 104 & U 1160) are in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford in England.[8][9][10]

Carving

The carving on the stone features a centrally located cross, encircled by a serpent. The runic inscription is carved within the serpent, whose head and tail are linked with the cross' shaft. There are 18 runestones in Sweden which bear similar features and are believed to have been carved by a runemaster called Erik.[4][11]

There are two additional crosses carved into the runestone - one on the right-hand edge of the stone, and one at the front of the stone, above the inscription, on the right-hand side. They do not exhibit the same level of craftsmanship and are believed to have been added later, perhaps in the 19th century.[12][13]

Inscription

Transliteration into Latin characters: ' ari + rasti + stain + aftir + (h)ialm + faþur sin + kuþ + hialbi + ant hans[1]

Transcription into Old Norse: Ari ræisti stæin æftiʀ Hialm, faður sinn. Guð hialpi and hans.[1]

Translation into English: "Ari raised the stone in memory of Hjalmr, his father. May God help his spirit."[1]

References
  1. Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata entry for U 1173.
  2. "Edinburgh, Princes Street Garden (Rune Inscribed Stone)". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.
  3. "Edinburgh's forgotten Viking stone to get new home".
  4. "Runestone Project | Society of Antiquaries of Scotland". Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  5. "» Ancient stone moves". ewh.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  6. "The Setons of Abercorn Descent". The Seton Family.
  7. McNaughton, Adam (1980). "Edinburgh's Runestone" (PDF). Northern Studies: 29, 31.
  8. Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata entry for U 104.
  9. Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk - Rundata entry for U 1160.
  10. McNaughton, Adam (1980). "Edinburgh's Runestone" (PDF). Northern Studies: 29.
  11. "Runestone U 1173 - a missing runestone recreated". www.runristare.se. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  12. "Edinburgh, Princes Street Gardens | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  13. "Runestone U 1173 - a missing runestone recreated". www.runristare.se. Retrieved 2019-03-21.

Further reading
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