The First Mention of England

This stone marks a specific and distant geography. The inscription identifies two men, Björn and Åsbjörn, who raised it to honor their father, Vigfast. He was the son of Helga and died in England. While the tribute is short and functional, it remains a unique landmark as the first secure instance of the name England appearing in the Östergötland rune corpus.

For centuries, the stone stood in a field near Nykvarn by the Stångån river. It was likely situated near a significant road until industrial development transformed the area. In 1950, the stone was discovered on the grounds of Kallerstads säteri in Linköping. At that time, its carved face was turned toward the earth.

Today, the stone stands outside the Östergötlands museum in Linköping. It measures 395 centimetres tall in total, with 298 centimetres remaining above ground. Although the narrow and shallow carvings are weathered by time, the text remains clear enough to identify the men who raised the stone for their father.

If you walk through the Kallerstads area today, you can still find the names of the men from the stone preserved in local street signs. Vigfastgatan and Åsbjörnsgatan carry their names, and Vigfast is also the name of a local roundabout.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons