GP 361 Stenkumla kyrka I

Context and Discovery
The stone and its find circumstances are treated extensively in Gotlands runinskrifter (GR II, see G 207). The stone was first brought to notice in the churchyard by Georg Wallin (1686-1760), who made drawings of the runes in the 1730s (GR II; Källström 2015, p. 60). The stone was found together with its pair stone GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II. Additional drawings were made by C. G. Hilfeling in 1799 (GR II, p. 199).

The stone was moved about outside the church several times. In 1799, when the first known drawing was produced by C. G. G. Hilfeling, the two stones lay south of the church. In photos by Otto von Friesen in 1923, it can be seen that the stones had been moved to the west side of the church. In 1932, they were situated outside the churchyard wall for a while – in a bush behind a chicken farm – but it was moved back inside it and placed at the northern gate of the wall. In the same year, the Swedish National Heritage Board requested that the stones should be kept inside the church (ATA 3279/32). Apparently, this was delayed for economic reasons. In a photo by Mårten Stenberger in 1940, we can see the stone standing upside-down, leaning against the church wall. Only in 1941, on the initiative of archaeologist Mårten Stenberger and a renewed request from Sigurd Curman (ATA 2185/40), were the stones taken inside and placed in the tower. There, they were painted by Mårten Stenberger in 1941. The runic inscriptions were runologically investigated by Elias Wessén in 1944 and 1947. In 1963, an organ was installed in front of the stones, making investigation difficult (GR II, pp. 198–200). However, by 2013, the stones were accessible again.

A stone church was built on the site in the 12th century, some remains of which can still be found in the tower of the present 13th-century church (BeBR; Roosval 1942, p. 18; Lundh 2019, p. 75). The triumph crucifix, dated to c.1175-1200, suggests a dating of the first stone church to c.1190 (Lundh 2019, pp. 75–76). Except the pair monument GP 361 (G 207) and GP 362 (G 208), there are only two other picture stones found in Stenkumla parish, GP 363 Stenkumla Forsa I and GP 364 Stenkumla Forsa II.
LKÅ
GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II
GP 363 Stenkumla Forsa I
GP 364 Stenkumla Forsa II

Measurements, Material and Condition
Height 1.63 m (originally c. 2.5 m), width 1.35 m, thickness 0.18-0.20 m. The height of the runes is c. 4.5-6 cm. Light-grey lime stone.

The top of the stone is broken off below the neck and is missing. The root was secondarily reshaped, probably in the 14th century (GR II, p. 200). The drawing by Hilfeling shows that the top was already damaged and the root reshaped when he made his drawing in 1799. In the head of the stone, cross stood on a horizontal border across the neck of the stone. The stone was broken into two parts and only the lower part is now preserved (GR II, p. 199). Another drawing was made in 1833 by J. H. Wallman, but the middle part of the stone was now missing, meaning that it was lost between 1799 and 1833 (GR II, p. 199). Judging by notes on a drawing by P. A. Säve, the stone (together with GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II) seems to have functioned as a pavement stone outside the southern wall of the church, which explains the worn surface (GR II, p. 199). Säve’s drawing seems to indicate that the two stones GP 361 and GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II (G 208) were lined up in a row (Säve, Gotl. Saml. V, p. 799).

The carving surface is badly weathered, especially in the central parts of the carving. The ornament and the inscription are better preserved along the edges of the stone. The backside of the slab is raw.
LKÅ
GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II

Description of Ornament and Images
The stone has an 11th-century runic ornament. The runic animal follows the edge of the stone, its head and tail entwined by slender ornamental snakes. Across the neck of the stone, there was a horizontal cross ribbon with runes, but this part of the stone is now lost.

In the year 2013, an RTI analysis was made by the Swedish National Heritage Board, in order to evaluate the usefulness of this method for the reading and documentation of obscure runic inscriptions. The main aim was to produce a colour neutral documentation, allowing for an unprejudiced runological reading and assessment of the ornament. As mentioned above, the stone was painted in 1941 by archaeologist Mårten Stenberger, which caused irritation among runologists of the time. The inscription was investigated in 1944 and 1947 by Elias Wessén. From the viewpoint of runology, it was feared that there were errors in the painting. Elisabeth Svärdström complained that the runological investigation was impaired by this, and for her reading in Gotlands runinskrifter she chose to go back to older documentation made by Sven Söderberg from 1891, before the painting (GR II, G 207; Källström 2015, p. 59). As a result of the RTI-analysis, some more ornament lines could be discerned, although the head of the runic animal still could not be made out (Laborativa runanalyser II: Svårlästa runinskrifter 2018, pp. 33–44). Another result of the RTI is that it now could be stated that Stenberger’s painting was modest and did not exceed beyond what had been seen by Söderberg.

Drilled holes at the endpoint of the branches of runes is a characteristic type of adornment also found on the weathervanes from Källunge and Söderala. According to Lindqvist, it is a metal technique with a wide distribution in contemporary Europe (Lindqvist 1941, pp. 55). This adornment is also found on early medieval stone crosses in Norway and Scotland. Greek crosslets with pitted terminals, as seen on the Rogaland crosses, can also be observed on earlier stone monuments in Argyll, Western Scotland (Crouwers 2019, p. 205).
LKÅ

Runic Context and Comments
Together with GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II (G 208), this stone made a pair monument. The inscriptions mention the same sponsors. Lindqvist presented a view that knowledge about Christian burial forms triggered an interest in producing monuments consisting of several stones (Ge. Vielsteinmonumente), for example the monuments from Sjonhem (GP 355 – GP 357) and the stones from Stenkumla (GP 361 and GP 362) discussed here. He argues that contemporary monuments of several stones are found on Öland as well as on the Swedish mainland (Lindqvist 1941, p. 53). This view has been further developed and discussed by other scholars. The pair monuments are interpreted as churchyard monuments, with a gable stone standing at each end of the grave (Bäckvall 2015; Hagenfeldt & Palm 1996, p. 59; Ljung, 2016). Maja Bäckvall found that about 60 stones in Samnordisk runtextdatabas (SRD) are defined as pairstones/-carvings or monuments. In addition to these, Bäckvall found more cases. She distinguished between five different patterns for how the texts on the separate stones relate to each other. The pair GP 361 and GP 362 belongs to either of the first two categories, where 1) the stones contain essentially the same inscription, or 2) the stones have the same sponsor/s but were raised in memory of different persons (Bäckvall 2015, p. 182).

Due to the similarity of the formulation of the memorial formula on the pair stone GP 362 (G 208), it can be assumed that the three sponsors were brothers who raised the stone in memory of a fourth man (Zilmer 2005, p. 94f.). The deceased died in ulfshala, which has been understood as Ulvshale on the island of Møn, on the trade route from Gotland to western Europe (GR II, p. 209; Jansson/Snædal Brink 1983, pp. 433-435; Zilmer 2005, p. 95). An alternative suggestion is that it can be identified with one of the rapids in Dnipro (Melnikova 1998, p. 650). The fur mentioned in the inscription is a rare example of trade goods mentioned in a runic inscription – the only other one is the stone brought from Gotland, as is mentioned in U 414 (Düwel 1999, p. 578).
LKÅ
GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II
GP 355 Sjonhem kyrka I
GP 356 Sjonhem kyrka II
GP 357 Sjonhem kyrka III

Type and Dating
Type E. Runic picture stone. The top is missing, but Hilfeling’s drawing shows that the stone originally had a mushroom shape (GR II, p. 201). In his drawing from 1799, Hilfeling has tried to render the shape of the runic animal’s head. Although it does not seem altogether successful, he has captured the rolled-up snout and the intricate ornament composed of slender snakes entwined with the runic animal.

Based on Hilfeling’s drawing, the stone can probably be classified as belonging to the style group Pr 3 or Pr 4 in Anne-Sofie Gräslund’s style chronological system, suggesting a date around the middle of or in the second half of the 11th century (Gräslund 2006). Diagnostic parts of the ornament are missing except the tails of the small snakes, but the pair stone GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II (G 208) is judged as belonging to the style group Pr 3 according to Gräslund’s style chronology, implying a dating for this stone to c. AD 1045–1075 (Gräslund 2006, p.126). As a pair monument, it is reasonable but not necessary to assume that they were carved in the same style. Thorgunn Snædal includes the stone in her group of c. 20 runestones in Middle Scandinavian runestone style but with picture stone shape, dating from the Christianization period c. 1000–1150 (Snædal 2002, p.67; Gustavson 2012, pp. 112–113). Another view presented by Lena Thunmark-Nylén redates the so-called runestone style on a Gotlandic animal head brooch to 1150 at the earliest. However, the runestones in Uppland have a rather secure dating to the 11th century. Thunmark-Nylén’s conclusion is that the runestone style remains in fashion longer on Gotland than in Uppland (Nordanskog 1996, p. 24; Thunmark-Nylén 1988, p. 37).
LKÅ
GP 362 Stenkumla kyrka II

References
Hilfeling 1799, 218 taf. 51–52; Liljegren 1833; P. A. Säve Samlingar IV, p. 258, V p. 799 (drawings); C. Säve 1859, p. 44, Nr 82; Brate 1887–91, p. 296; Noreen 1904, p. 497; Lindqvist 1941/1942 II, p. 113; Roosval 1942, pp. 22–23; Jansson/Snædal Brink 1983, pp. 433-435; GR II, G 207; Zilmer 2005, pp. 95–97; Källström 2015.

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