GP 564 Väte kyrka 1

Context and Discovery
In 1983, Beata Böttger-Niedenzu discovered two previously unknown picture stones in the choir of Väte church. Böttger-Niedenzu, who submitted her master’s thesis on Gotland’s picture stones to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich in 1982, went through the Gotlandic rural churches during the years 1981 to 1985 and discovered no fewer than 38 new picture stones, which she published in a brief catalogue in 1988.

Both stones from Väte church were re-used as floor slabs in the altar room. Picture stone no. 2 lay directly east of (i.e., just behind) the altar. Stone no. 1 instead was placed approximately 1.5 m south-east of the altar, next to the stone steps located in the south-east corner of the room. Only the lower half of stone no. 1 was visible when Böttger-Niedenzu found it; the upper half was covered.

In 1986, during of a restoration of the altar, both stones were uncovered completely and moved to the western part of the church, where they are still located today (see V; ATA dnr 2374/92; Ämbetsarkivet, K2, Fotografisamlingen, Gotland, Väte sn, KB, RVIII:556 and PVIII:752 [93-108-15 and 93-108-3]). The choir and the sacristy from around 1300 represent the oldest parts of the remaining church building.

Measurements, Material and Condition
Before it was re-used in the church floor, the large limestone slab was reworked to a rectangular piece, which was 1.24 m high, 0.84 m wide and 0.14 m thick. The surface is polished by footsteps; however, the carvings are relatively well preserved. Compared to other exquisite monuments of that type, like GP 43 Bro kyrka I or GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV for instance, the disc motifs on the Väte stone are executed in a rather rough manner. Since 1986, both picture stones originating from the choir floor – Väte kyrka 1 and GP 563 Väte kyrka 2 – are exhibited inside the western part of the church, next to the tower portal. They are attached to the wall directly left to the organ, side by side, by means of four metal holders each.
GP 43 Bro kyrka I
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV
GP 563 Väte kyrka 2

Description of Ornament and Images
When Böttger-Niedenzu discovered the slab, only one half of a large disc motif and a single small disc were visible, both depicting whorls formed by alternating raised and recessed crescent fields. Today, the entire discs can be seen, as well as a second small disc, presumably depicting a star-shaped rosette. All three roundels are framed by double lines. The large disc is located in the middle part of the remaining stone piece. As can be seen from this fact, a considerable part of the picture stone’s lower half is missing. Originally, the slab must have been much taller, significantly more than 2.00 m.

Interpretation of the Imagery
Concerning the possible interpretation of whorl motifs on Type A stones see in particular GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV.
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV

Type and Dating
The stone belongs to Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ A, commonly dated to about AD 400 to 600. A more detailed classification is not possible, as the stone is mutilated and both the outer shape and the edge border are missing. Basically, the composition with a large roundel and a pair of smaller roundels below it corresponds to Lindqvist’s Bro- or Martebotypus, but also to some representatives of the ʻPavalsgruppeʼ, such as GP 196 Hellvi Ire I, on which the smaller discs also depict rosette motifs.
GP 196 Hellvi Ire I

References
Böttger-Niedenzu 1988, p. 17, fig. 5; Guber 2011, p. 156 cat. no. 94.

mer grejer

Find Context

The Stone

Carvings

Detailed Information

Svensk sammanfattning

Identification

Links

Export

More media

Plane	Position	Flip