GP 130 Hablingbo kyrka 2

Context and Discovery
The stone is described in the manuscript for the third part of Gotlands runinskrifter under the signum G 370. The stone was found during grave digging on September 14, 1988, 31.5 m south to the west tower, 0.3–0.4 m beneath the ground and with the carved surface upwards (Manneke 1988, p. 227; RAÄ-nr Hablingbo 167). The stone was not intact when it was found; a piece of its upper left part was lying broken in smaller fragments beside the stone (Manneke 1988). However, the fracture surfaces were not new and cannot have occurred during the grave digging. Possibly, the breakage might have been caused by a tractor years before. Only some small parts of the damaged area are missing, and after restauration the stone is almost complete (Manneke 1988, p. 27; Gustavson et al. 1990, p. 23; GR 3, see G 370).

Several stones of the size 0.1–0.6 m under the ground surface were interpreted as supports for the runestone while it was standing, and as such indicating the original site for the stone (Manneke 1988, p. 227). The stone had been standing adjacent (NW) to a rectangular stone setting with the dimensions 4.5 x 5.5 m and 0.5 m high. According to local tradition, this is the burial of one of the two men who had the church built; he did not want to be buried under ground but preferred to lie upon the ground surface. Manneke tentatively suggests that this might be a reminiscence of pre-Christian times (Manneke 1988, p. 227).

The stone was found c. 30 m from GP 131 Hablingbo kyrka (I) (G 59), which was first recorded in 1799 as standing close to the southern church wall. Since 1920, the first stone GP 131 had been situated inside the tower chamber. On the discovery of the new stone, GP 131 was moved 2.5 metres to the west in the tower to make room for the new stone, GP 130, which thus was placed on the same spot as where the first stone had stood. The stones were placed with the pictorial scenes vis-à-vis each other, not to obscure the sight of the ship carving and a painting on the church wall (ATA 07347 89-11-29).

In Hablingbo parish, nine additional picture stones are known, including A-stones, one B-stone and kerbstones (GP 129, GP 132–139).

The first stone church was probably built c. 1170–1229. Only the tower and the northern portal remain of this church. The present chancel and the ship were built in 1350 (BeBR). Planks with carved ornament are preserved, possibly from an older wooden church (SHM; Norderäng & Widerström 2017, p. 5). In 2017, a small archaeological investigation was undertaken in the church; however, the presence of an earlier wooden church could not be confirmed (Norderäng & Widerström 2017, p. 11).
LKÅ
GP 131 Hablingbo kyrka (I)
GP 129 Hablingbo Stenstu
GP 132 Hablingbo Havor I
GP 133 Hablingbo Havor II
GP 134 Hablingbo Havor III
GP 135 Hablingbo Havor IV
GP 136 Hablingbo Havor V
GP 137 Hablingbo Havor VI
GP 138 Hablingbo Havor VII
GP 139 Hablingbo Havor VIII

Measurements, Material and Condition
Height 1.9 m, width at the base 1.2 m, thickness c. 0.1–0.12 m. The untreated root is c. 0.5 m high. The runes are c. 5–5.5 cm high.

Limestone. The stone material is of inferior quality, with a section with many fossils in the top of the stone. In this area, the carver has not levelled the surface but carried out the carving directly on the untreated surface. The rest of the carving surface is levelled, and the ornament stands out in half-relief. The carving surface is well preserved, and the carving technique can be studied in detail. The edges are dressed even (Gustavson et al. 1990, p. 23; GR 3).
LKÅ

Description of Ornament and Images
The stone is ornamented with a runic dragon along the edge in Urnes style with a runic inscription. The dragon’s head and tail are tied together in the lower middle. The foot of the dragon is placed in the lower right corner of the carved surface, with a slender tendril reaching in towards the neck and ending in a spiral. In the middle stands a monumental ringed cross with a double contour and palmette leaves between the cross arms.
LKÅ

Interpretation of the Imagery
The stone belongs to a category of Gotlandic runestones that are related to churches and churchyards and have obvious Christian elements. Gustavson et al. suggest that the stones in this category might have been precursors to the medieval Gotlandic grave slabs with runic inscriptions (Gustavson et al. 1990, pp. 24–25). Cecilia Ljung compares these monuments to early Christian grave monuments on Öland and further discusses these monuments in relation to Christianization (Ljung 2016, p. 165, 2020 p. 172–173; see GP 131).

The stone was 3D-scanned in 2013 as part of a research project at Swedish National Heritage Board. The data was included in a study aiming at a comparison of the carving techniques on Gotland and the Swedish mainland (Kitzler Åhfeldt 2019).
LKÅ
GP 131 Hablingbo kyrka (I)

Runic Context and Comments
As mentioned above, the inscription is treated in Gotlands runinskrifter 3 (GR 3) and only some notes will be made here. The runic sequence hlkair appears on the other stone from the churchyard (GP 131) as well, but it is uncertain whether they refer to the same man. Another remarkable feature is that the inscription ends with the expression, “He travelled to the west with the Vikings”. It is uncertain what “west” implies in this context. Considering the runestones from the Swedish mainland, where west in general refers to the British Isles and the runestones seem to be related to the campaigns of Cnut the Great, in addition to the many finds of English coins on Gotland, England lies close at hand. On the other hand, from the geographical perspective of Gotland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway lie in the west as well, and the trip could be either for war or trade. Neither can it be told whether Hailgi, who travelled to the west, actually died there (Jesch 2001, p. 48, p. 70; Snædal 2002, p. 70; GR 3). The word ‘Viking’ and what it actually might have meant has led to copious discussion. Helmer Gustavson indicates that its use on the Hablingbo stone indicates that it was a word of high status (Gustavson et al. 1990, p. 26). The evidence for the use of the word other than as a personal name is scarce in eastern parts of Scandinavia, but it appears on the Danish runestone in Tirsted on Lolland (DR 216) and on the Swedish runestone in Bro in Uppland (U 617). As a name, it occurs on around 19 runestones in Sweden, mostly in the eastern parts (Gustavson et al. 1990, p. 25–26; GR 3). Judith Jesch has pointed out that ‘Viking’ had positive connotations in the eastern parts of the northern world, in contrast to its negative connotations in the west Norse skaldic poetry (Jesch 2001, p. 49; cf GR 3).
LKÅ
GP 131 Hablingbo kyrka (I)

Type and Dating
Type E. Runestone shaped like a picture stone. Pr 3, c. 1045–1075 (Gräslund, 2006). According to Snædal, the stone belongs to a group of about twenty picture stone-shaped runestones with Middle Scandinavian runestone ornamentation (Snædal 2002, p.67; cf. Gustavson 2012, p.112–113).
LKÅ

References
Manneke 1988; Gustavson et al. 1990, pp. 23–26; GR 3, G 370; Snaedal 2002, pp. 6–70.

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