The unusual cross-shaped Ringerikestil runestone in Skålhamra

The unusual cross-shaped Ringerikestil runestone in Skålhamra

Delve into the story behind a unique runestone with a cross-shaped ornament, carved in the 11th century in Skålhamra, Sweden.

The stone's material is gray granite, and the ristning's ornament is in Ringerikestyle, which dates the stone to the period 1010-1050. In the center of the ristning, there is an unusual, cross-shaped cross of a Ryskbysantinsk type, known as a Dagmarskors. This cross is what gives the stone its unique appearance. Above the unusual cross-shaped cross (Dagmarskors), there is a larger Christian cross. To the left of the stone's top, two small, normal crosses can be seen.

It's suspected that there may have been a third cross on the currently damaged upper part. Other types of cross-shaped crosses can be found on various runestones, for example, U 867, U 921, U 1047, U 1074, U 1076, U 1081, and U 1105. The person named in the inscription, 'Ulv in Skålhamra', was the headman of the Skålhamra-släkt. Ulvkell, the person who commissioned the carving, was related to Ulv. Two more runestones can be found near Vallentunasjö, dedicated to the viking and landlord Ulv in Skålhamra, namely U 225 and U 226. Ulv in Bårresta is also mentioned on U 336.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nik Frost

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