The Twist on Medelpad Runestone

The Medelpad Runestone, a dominant structure located at Attmar church in Attmars parish in Medelpad, Sweden, dates back to the Viking age and is the largest in the region. It was originally uncovered in Attmarby in 1875 and later moved to the church. The inscription underneath the runic text reads: 'Funnen 26/8 1875 CPGS', signifying the stone's discoverer, Carl Petter Grafström. In a rare twist, the runic inscription (younger futhark) reads: Hakon let upresa denna sten till minne av Skygne, sin broder, och till minne av Altrud, sin moder.

Gud och Guds moder hjälpe deras själ. Translated to modern Swedish, it reads: Håkan lät upresa denna sten till minne av Skygne, sin broder, och till minne av Altrud, sin moder. Gud och Guds moder hjälpe deras själ. This stone shares an anomaly with another runestone (M 3 Berga in Njurunda parish, about 20 kilometers from Attmar), where Altrud is the daughter of the individuals the stone is erected in memory of. This raises a question about the nature of Altrud's relationship with Hakon.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons