Varangian Biker

Tystberga, Södermanland, Sweden

A kilometer to the east of Tystberga church, by a dirt road, there stands three runestones.

The runestone was raised in memory of Rodger who travelled both to the west, and with Ingvar to the east, where he died. It’s cracked, and the upper left part of the face has fallen off.

Inscription

§A ᛘᛂᛋ᛬ᚴᛁᛅ ᛬ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛬ ᛘᛅᚾᛁ ᛬ ᛚᛁᛏᚢ ᛬ ᚱᛅᛋᛅ ᛬ ᚴᚢᛘᛚ ᛬ ᚦᛅᚢᛋᛁ ᛬ ᛅᛏ ᛬ ᛒᚱᚢᚦᚢᚱ ᛫ ᛋᛁᚾ ᛬ ᚼᚱᚢᚦᚴᛅᛁᛦ ᛫ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛬ ᚠᛅᚦᚢᚱ ᛋᛁᚾ ᚼᚢᛚᛘ᛬ᛋᛏᛅᛁᚾ ᛫ §B ᚼᛅᚾ ᚼᛅᚠᚦᛁ ᛫ ᚤᛋᛏᛅᚱᛚᛅ ᚢᛘ ᛬ ᚢᛅᛦᛁᛏ ᛫ ᛚᛂᚾᚴᛁ ᛬ ᛏᚢᚢ ᛬ ᛅ᛬ᚢᛋᛏᛅᚱᛚᛅ ᛬ ᛘᛂᚦ ᛬ ᛁᚾᚴᚢᛅᚱᛁ

Latin transliteration

§A mus:kia/mes:kia : a(u)[k :] (m)an(i) : litu : rasa : ku[(m)(l) : þausi : at : b]ruþur · (s)in : hr(u)þkaiʀ · auk : faþur sin hulm:stain · §B · han hafþi · ystarla u(m) : uaʀit · lenki : tuu : a:ustarla : meþ : inkuari

Old norse transcription

§A Myskja ok Manni/Máni létu reisa kuml þessi at bróður sinn Hróðgeir ok fǫður sinn Holmstein. §B Hann hafði vestarla um verit lengi, dóu austarla með Ingvari.

Translation

“Meskia and Manni had these monuments raised in memory of their brother Rodger and their father Holmsten. He had long been in the west; they died in the east with Ingvar.”

Location

Photos

References

• Scandinavian Runic-text Database latest, “Runic inscription Sö 173 ”, Department of Scandinavian Languages, Uppsala University.