Uppland Runic Inscription 328

Runefacts|name=Uppland Runic Inscription 328
rundataid=U 328
country=Sweden
region=Uppland
city=Stora Lundby
produced=11th Century
artist=Ulf of Borresta
text_native=Old Norse : See article.|text_english= See article.|picture=|

The Uppland Runic Inscription 328 stands on a hill in a paddock at the farm Stora Lundby, in Uppland, Sweden. The runestone is one of several runestones that have permitted scholars to trace family relations among some powerful Viking clans in Sweden during the 11th century.

It is an example of the Ringerike style,Fuglesang, S.H. "Swedish runestones of the eleventh century: ornament and dating", Runeninschriften als Quellen interdisziplinärer Forschung (K.Düwel ed.). Göttingen 1998, pp. 197-218. p. 202] and it is categorized as style Pr1. The runestone was raised by two women named Gyrið and Guðlaug in memory of the master of the homestead whose name was Andsvarr and in memory of their father whose name was engraved as unif. These runes are interpreted as "Ónæm", the accusative case of "Ónæmr", a name which means "slow learner". A man having this rare name, Ónæmr, is also mentioned on two nearby runestones, U 112 and U 336, and so the three runestones are held to refer to the same person.

The other runestones tell of the family of the two women, their father and the runemaster who made it. The runemaster Ulf of Borresta declared on U 336 that he was Ónæmr's paternal nephew, and consequently he was Gyrið and Guðlaug's first cousin. Ulf is notable in himself since the runestone U 344 declares that Ulf had taken three danegelds in England. The first one was with Skagul Toste in 991, the second one with Thorkel the High in 1012 and the last one with Canute the Great in 1018.Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). "The origin of Rus". Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN: 0-674-64465-4 p. 389] Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). "The origin of Rus"'. Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN: 0-674-64465-4 p. 392] Enoksen, Lars Magnar. (1998). "Runor : historia, tydning, tolkning". Historiska Media, Falun. ISBN 91-88930-32-7 p. 125] Jansson, Sven B. (1980). "Runstenar". STF, Stockholm. ISBN: 91-7156-015-7 p.36] Enoksen, Lars Magnar. (1998). "Runor : historia, tydning, tolkning". Historiska Media, Falun. ISBN 91-88930-32-7 p.122]

The runestone U 112 informs that a maternal nephew of Ónæmr was Ragnvaldr who was the commander of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople. Ragnvaldr had the runestone U 112 made in memory of himself and his mother, Ónæmr's daughter.Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). "The origin of Rus". Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN: 0-674-64465-4 p. 389]

Ónæmr's daughter Guðlaug appears to have had the son Holmi who fell in Italy which is mentioned on the runestone U 133.Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). "The origin of Rus"'. Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN: 0-674-64465-4 p. 392] It is likely that Holmi fell in battle as a member of the Varangian Guard in southern Italy.

Andsvarr (an allomorph of "Özurr" and "Assur"), in memory of whom the runestone also was raised, may be the same man as the housecarl who is mentioned on the runestone U 330.Pritsak, Omeljan. (1981). "The origin of Rus". Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISBN: 0-674-64465-4 p. 391-392]

Inscription

;Latin transliterationkuriþ * uk * kuþluk * þaR * litu * risa * stin * þina iftiR unif * faþur * sin * uk * iftiR * onsur * bunta * sin * raþ| |þisi;Old Norse transcription"Gyrið ok Guðlaug þaR letu ræisa stæin þenna æftiR Onæm(?), faður sinn, ok æftiR Ansur, bonda sinn. Rað þessi!"

;English translationGyríðr and Guðlaug, they had this stone raised in memory of Ónæmr(?), their father and in memory of Andsvarr, their husbandman. Interpret these! [Entry U 328 in Rundata.]

Notes and references