A man named Hermoðr had a brother named Bergvid who died in a distant land. The inscription Sö 39 is carved into a rock face at Åda and Trosa bro in Vagnhärads socken, Södermanland.
Standing 1.22 metres high and 1.45 metres wide, the carving marks a point along an ancient road. This path led to a bridge connection, likely a precursor to the current Trosa bro. The inscription is located near a rune slab featuring a four-footed animal and a circle of runic lines.
According to the runes, Bergvid drowned in Livland, a region situated between Semgale and other lands. The text records that Hermoðr had the inscription carved after his brother, Bergvid, drowned in Livland.
Today, the carving remains in its original location. It sits alongside the rune slab Sö 359 and the rune stone Sö 36, forming a small cluster of history preserved on the rock.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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