The red-grey granite of Södermanlands runinskrifter 151 marks a connection between brothers. The inscription identifies a man named Näsbjörn, son of Spar, who raised this stone after his brother Sven. The text describes Sven as a throtar thiagn, a term scholars interpret as a powerful fighter.
Measuring 148 centimeters tall, the stone is 68 centimeters wide at the base and 24 centimeters thick. While the upper portion is broken away and some text is lost, the center holds five branch runes. These angular symbols are difficult to decipher, but researchers have suggested they could represent a poetic refrain regarding the stone being raised for Sven.
Though it stands today in Lövsund, the stone was moved to its current position on a low remnant of an old road bank on 15 July 1961 from Runtuna 228:1. Research regarding its original home varies, with some estimates placing it approximately 50 meters south of the current site, while others place it near the sound between Runnviken and Sundbysjön, about 500 meters northwest of its current location.
Visitors can see the stone standing near the modern road in Runtuna today. It remains a tangible connection to a family history preserved in the runes.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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