A Stone's Silent Tribute: Viking Valiant

In Torestorp, just northwest of Gudhem, stands a Viking Age memorial runestone. Called Västergötland Runic Inscription 90 or Vg 90, the limestone stone is 2.1 meters in height and is carved in the oldest runestone style, RAK. This style is characterized by text bands with straight ends that do not have attached serpent or beast heads. King Magnus Ladulås noted the stone's existence in a letter written in 1287, which is believed to be the first modern notice of the existence of runestones in Sweden.

The unnamed runemaster who carved Vg 90 is also believed to have carved inscription Vg 85 in Stora Dala. The inscription on Vg 90 consists of runes carved in the younger futhark in a text band that forms an arch that then curves back in the interior for one word. A small cross is in the upper part of the interior. The stone was raised by a man named Bróðir as a memorial for a son whose name cannot be clearly determined. The deceased son is described as being harða goðan dræng or a very good valiant man.

The term drengr was mainly associated with members of a warrior group in Denmark, but over time it became more generalized and was used by groups such as merchants or the crew of a ship. Similar inscriptions that describe the deceased using the words harþa goþan dræng can be found in various locations across Denmark and Sweden. On Vg 90, the trik for drengr have been emphasized by their placement on the portion of the text band that bends back in the interior, although one scholar has suggested that this arrangement may have been caused by faulty planning on the part of the runemaster.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons