Uppland Runic Inscription 72

Standing side by side at Skansen, two stone memorials tell a tale of Viking-era brothers and their travel companions. Known as U 72 and U 73, these twin runestones are a rare find, dating back to the 10th century. Originally erected at Hansta in northwestern Stockholm, they were moved to Skansen in 1896, when the museum was still under construction. Initially thought to be separate, they were later discovered to belong together as a pair, created by the same carver, Visäte.

The stones are inscribed in Old Norse, the runic language of the Viking Age. U 72 is inscribed with: 'Gärdar and Jorund had these stones erected in memory of their sisters' sons, Ingemund and Erimund. U 73 continues the inscription: 'These memorials were made in memory of Inge's sons. She inherited from them, but the brothers inherited from her, Gärdar and his brother. They died in Greece. U 72 and U 73 are more than memorials; they are also legal documents, detailing the inheritance of the brothers Gärdar and Jorund after Ingemund and Erimund.

Note that the stones are memorials for the Viking-era travelers, but also for their parents Gärdar and Jorund. Interestingly, the stones do not bear a signature, but are attributed to runestone carver Visäte based on their ornamentation, spelling, and rune formation. The stones are marked with a cross, indicating they were created by Christians in the middle of the 10th century, during the Viking Age. Despite the passage of centuries, the runestones still stand tall at Skansen, representing a unique piece of Nordic history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons