About this objectAbout 200 stones from the Viking period carved with pictures—and some, like this one, with runes as well—have been found in Gotland. Most were memorial stones placed by bridges or on the roadside, rather than by the grave. They mainly show the Old Norse gods and their stories.
This one has two registers. The upper shows an eight-legged horse and a rider being offered a drinking horn by a woman. The horse is Sleipnir, the mount of the Norse God Odin. In this image the rider could be either Odin or the deceased arriving at Valhalla—one of Odin's estates—on his horse. The female figure is usually identified as a valkyrie—the 'choosers of the slain' and Odin's servants. A Viking longship is depicted on the lower register.
Only part of the runic inscription survives and reads 'fuþork ... raised the stone in memory of Hjôrulfr/Jórulfr, his brother.'
Date Made800-1100
PeriodViking
Place MadeSweden
Place NotesGotland
Subject and Association KeywordsDeath and burials
Subject and Association KeywordsHorses
Subject and Association KeywordsShips
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Prince 2020.
