GP 193 Hellvi Ire III

Context and Discovery
The cemetery of Ire is one of Gotland’s largest and most important Iron Age burial grounds. It lies directly south of Lilla Ire farm, on a narrow, elongated elevation in the terrain, an area of about 385 x 40–70 m (NNV-SSÖ) immediately along and east of the road between Lilla Ire and Stora Ire. An estimated 400 (according to RAÄ, while Stenberger mentioned about 600) stone settings (rösen (cairns) and other circular stone settings) are still visible today. The burial ground was used continuously from the Roman Iron Age to the late Viking Period, is rich in finds and barely disturbed. During the straightening of the road, the first graves, which date to different periods, were archaeologically investigated in 1933–34. This was followed by isolated investigations of graves in various areas of the cemetery. In 1941–43 and 1945, the southern, Viking-Age part of the burial ground was completely excavated under the direction of Mårten Stenberger (1936; 1942a–b; 1961; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, pp. 390–437).

Hellvi Ire III was discovered by Stenberger in 1933. It had been reused as covering slab on the undisturbed cremation grave no. 162 (= grave no. 305 in Nerman 1969/75; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, p. 392; Rundkvist 2012, p. 153 no. 19). The cremation grave was not visible above ground. The picture stone lay face down directly on the grave pit, which was about 20 cm deep, with a 35 cm thick layer of earth, fieldstones and limestone slabs above it. Besides some less significant finds (pottery sherds, a bronze sheet fitting, an iron nail), the burial contained a seax. However, the type and date of the seax, i.e., the only dateable find in the grave, has been assessed differently – late Vendel or early Viking Period (see IX).

Measurements, Material and Condition
The fragment represents a complete middle-type picture stone, including its root. It had been broken into two pieces; the root and a small part of the base are broken off but both fragments still perfectly fit together. Otherwise, the monument is undamaged. The slab is described by Lindqvist as follows (1941/42 II, p. 74): “Limestone slab, 8 cm thick. The obverse obviously was dressed above the root. The narrow sides are hewn flat at right angles towards the obverse and have a chamfer of about 0.5 cm width towards the obverse. The reverse is raw. The height is 85.5 cm, of which 50 cm are accounted for by the part above the base. The width between the upper corners is 38.5 cm, at the neck, it is 33.5 cm, and at the base 40 cm.” The carvings are secondarily painted. Lindqvist’s photo (1941/42 I, fig. 37) was taken by Harald Faith-Ell in 1933 (ATA run- och bildstenssamling 1718:45).

Description of Ornament and Images
Lindqvist describes the carvings as follows (1941/42 I, p. 74): “Decorated with lines of nearly 2 mm width, with rounded bases. There is a framing border with a simplified band [twisted cord] pattern; the lower panel of the field is filled with a rhombic pattern reminiscent of basket work, the upper panel has a band looped into two pretzels in a slightly chiselled field.”

Interpretation of the Imagery
If the interlace and knot motifs on Hellvi Ire III and other middle type ʻdwarf stonesʼ such as 74 Endre skog and GP 249 Lärbro Norder-Ire I represent more than just decoration, an apotropaic intention should be considered. The conception of knot, net and interlace patterns as magical protective devices against all kinds of harm, fettering, capturing and caging the evil in their impenetrable web, is widespread and well documented in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and has also been discussed regarding Late Iron Age Scandinavia, namely in case of the animal style (e.g. Scheftelowitz 1912; Weigert 1938; Wessel 1971; Zischka 1977; Kitzinger 1993; Graf 2010, 29–35; Wamers 2008, 52–54; Oehrl 2011a, pp. 265–288; Oehrl 2019a, p. 123). That serpent-like animals, intertwined and knotted together, represent fettered and defanged demons, is easy to imagine. In the case of the Gotlandic picture stones, the considered apotropaic power of interlace and knot motifs (possibly also of ʻnetʼ patterns depicted on GP 92 Gammelgarn Rommunds; GP 354 Sjonhem Lilla Sojvide; GP 340 Sanda Sandegårda I; GP 273 Norrlanda Bjärs; GP 578 Alva Änge; and perhaps also Hellvi Ire III) would most probably be directed against grave robbers or against the buried person, whose return was feared. Measures against both are well proven, e.g., by runestone inscriptions (Düwel 1978).
GP 74 Endre skog
GP 249 Lärbro Norder-Ire I
GP 92 Gammelgarn Rommunds
GP 354 Sjonhem Lilla Sojvide
GP 340 Sanda Sandegårda I
GP 273 Norrlanda Bjärs
GP 578 Alva änge

Type and Dating
Middle-type picture stone, i.e., Type B according to Lindqvist, dating to between AD 500 and 700. The stone belongs to those Type B stones described by Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 38–39) as ʻdwarf stonesʼ with convex head and pronounced corners protruding horizontally. Lindqvist assigns it to his Sojvidegruppe (1941/42 I, pp. 36–37), which is characterized by the shape described above and simple or no remaining decoration at all. Lindqvist compares the interlace or knot motifs of Hellvi Ire III and other middle-type picture stones with the decoration of Vendel Period brooches in order to support his dating of ʻAbschnittʼ B (ibid. p. 116).

The date of the burial in which the stone was found depends on the dating of the seax (see IV). Nerman dated the grave to Period VII:3 (c. AD 650–700), while Nørgård Jørgensen (1999, p. 266) assigns the weapon to her type SAX7, i.e., the early 9th century. Thunmark-Nylén also placed the burial in the Viking Age and included it in her study. In Martin Rundkvist’s opinion (2012, p. 153), however, the sword’s dimensions and proportions assign it to type SAX3. Therefore, he dates the burial to the interval AD 600–750.

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 I, pp. 37, 116, fig. 37; II, p. 74; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, p. 392; Guber 2011, p. 130 cat. no. 42; Rundkvist 2012, pp. 151, 153, 157, 159.

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