GP 41 Bro Ekes

Context and Discovery ⓘ
The stone was found in 2001 during plowing for a cable on a wrecking yard between Lokrume and Eriks in Bro parish. The stone was found by a team from Arnes maskinstation i När AB (AMAB) (Widerström 2002a; Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 86). In a local radio broadcast, the excavator operator Mikael Karlsson described that he suddenly had a picture stone in the shovel (P4 Gotland 2001-11-06). It was lifted and put aside, leaning against a tree in a garden near the find spot. Later, it was transported to the museum storage at Kajsarporten by Wallins Åkeri i Lummelunda AB. Before transport, stone conservators Tord Andersson and Paterik Stocklassa were consulted. It was noticed that flakes needed fastening and cracks needed gluing, but the stone was brought to the museum storehouse to dry before further measures (Widerström 2002a).

An investigation was made to find out the original context of the stone, led by Per Widerström. As the lower part of the stone had been broken, there were hopes that the missing root or the supporting construction could be found. The work team which first found the picture stone also took notice of a limestone piece raised adjacent to the find spot of the picture stone. At first, it was suspected that this was part of the missing root (Widerström 2002a; Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 87).

As the first step, a survey was made with metal detector in a 50 x 5 m area in 18th December 2001. The reason behind this survey was a rumour that coins had been found earlier on the site, but no objects were found. In the next step, the soil in the area where the picture stone was found was peeled off in layers with a digger on February 12, 2002. The original site of the stone could not be found. However, a number of relatively large limestone slabs appeared, but they were not positioned in any deliberate order. It was suspected that these slabs had been shuffled around during road work in the 1940s and 1950s. The interpretation of the result is that the stones were the remains of a road pavement or a bridge. The picture stone might have been used as building material for the bridge. If so, it was probably obtained from somewhere nearby. This bridge may have had a predecessor made of wood, adjacent to which the picture stone originally had been placed. Alternatively, there may have been a stone raised on either side of the bridge (Widerström 2002a; Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 88). The oldest map is from 1700 and shows that at that time, there was a watercourse near the find spot of the picture stone, strengthening the idea of a bridge (Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 88).

From Bro parish, 17 picture stones are presently known. In Bro church, four picture stones were found in 2001, all of an older type than this stone. Of 16 picture stones remaining in their original sites on Gotland, four are situated in Bro parish. These four appear in pairs on two sites. On one of the sites, Bro Stenstugu, the stones (GP 38 and GP 39) were probably standing by a road. On the other site, Bro Suderbys, the stones (GP 37 and GP 45) were situated in the vicinity of an iron age house foundation and near a Vendel period grave (Widerström 2002a).
LKÅ/PW
GP0038
GP0039
GP0037
GP0045

Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘ
Today the height is c. 296 cm, the maximum width 125 cm, and the thickness c. 25 cm. The width at the neck 117 cm. A large part of the base is missing, but originally the stone’s width at the base was at least 220 cm. Limestone. The surface is smooth and there are no visible remains of colour.

The stone is broken below the ship, and its lower right corner is missing. A part of the left corner is missing, as well as the root (Widerström 2002a). The present height is probably the height that originally was above ground (Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 87). The carving is weathered, but parts of the motifs can be distinguished by touch and side lighting. The motifs in the head of the stone remain obscure. The interlace border ornament is best visible to the right of the sail.
LKÅ/PW

Description of Ornament and Images ⓘ
A first preliminary interpretation was made in the field on the find spot, aided by sidelight but in a hurried and economically tight situation. Widerström could discern the chequered sail of a ship, a dome-shaped knob at the top of the mast, a zig-zag ornament near the edge and a horse with a rider followed by a person carrying a spear. In the photos, some white scratches appear, which were made by the digger when it first touched the stone. Well aware that more pictures might appear in further investigations, Widerström suggested that the stone might be similar to GP 258 Lärbro Tängelgårda I (Widerström 2002a). With further examination, Widerström could observe faint traces of the stern of the ship and some crew members. An interpretation of the then visible pictures was presented in Gotländskt arkiv 2004 (Norderäng/Widerström 2004, p. 87, Bild 4–6).

The stone was 3D-scanned in 2007 by Laila Kitzler Åhfeldt and Widerström as part of a research project at Stockholm University. The stone was 3D-scanned with an optical 3D-scanner (ATOS II from GOM). Although the complete carving could not be reconstructed, more traces of the motifs could be distinguished (Kitzler Åhfeldt 2012, pp. 184–185, 2013).

The stone seems to have five image zones, even though no horizontal divider can be discerned in the head of the stone. The size, the number of image zones, the elaborate ship and the pictures with horses and people mark it as a parallel to, e.g., GP 258 Lärbro Tängelgårda I.

Best preserved is the ship at the foot of the stone. It has a chequered sail with lozenges, incised with thin lines. The ship has a high arched stem to the left and an elaborate hauling system. The top of the sail has an arched yardarm and at the top of the mast, there is a dome-shaped knob.

In the image zone immediately above the ship, there is a human figure to the right, probably a woman judging by the long gown and the shawl. This human figure may possibly have a beak like a bird. The faint lines in the middle seem to indicate a horse. What happens in the right part of the image zone cannot be made out.

In the third image zone, counting upwards, there is a horse with a rider. A rein seems to be dangling from the horse’s mouth. However, the vertical line crossing the back of the horse is misleading; it looks like an object in the hand of the rider but it is one of the scratches made by the digger. Behind the horse, there is a figure in a long gown, possibly a woman, carrying a spear. The horse and the human figure were visible with sidelight, but the 3D-scan helped in adding details. We can now see the rider and that the figure has a spear. Due to the reins hanging from the horse’s mouth, Sigmund Oehrl draws a parallel to the battle scenes on GP 258 Lärbro Tängelgårda I and GP 253 Lärbro Stora Hammars I. Oehrl further suggests that the figure above the horse back may be a bird, as on these two stones from Lärbro (Oehrl 2019, p. 95).

An RTI-documentation was made by Oehrl in 2013, which led to further discoveries. The human figure behind the horse has been reinterpreted by Oehrl as a man with a cloak, with the corner of the mantle hanging from his arm. In front of his face, there is a triangular shape pointing downwards from above (Oehrl 2019, p. 95, Taf. 66, a–b). Furthermore, the RTI-images reveal a man lying beneath the horse’s belly, lifting his arm (Oehrl 2019, p. 95, Taf. 66 c–d). The man lying under the horse is a frequent motif in the Lärbro-group. In addition, this motif may appear on the stone GP 244 Lokrume Kyrka and in the head of GP 260 Lärbro Tängelgårda III (Oehrl 2019, p. 95–96).
LKÅ/PW
GP0258
GP 253 Lärbro Stora Hammars I
GP 244 Lokrume kyrka
GP0260

Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘ
The ship is a well-known feature of the picture stones, the most common motif and almost compulsory on the Viking Age stones. It is often interpreted as a death ship carrying the deceased to the afterlife (see also GP 280 När Smiss I and GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III).

The human figure above the ship may possibly have a beak like a bird, and if so, must be interpreted as a human in bird’s shape or a supernatural being. On the picture stones, humans or gods with animal features are largely restricted to bird-like creatures, extensively discussed in relation to valkyries and Óðinn (Hauck 1960; Oehrl 2019, pp. 214–222). A bird-like woman is likewise an aspect of the goddess Freya (Näsström 1998, p. 272).

The woman with a spear is a feature found on the 9th-century Oseberg tapestry (Vedeler 2019). The spear-carrying woman is a case in which there previously seemed to be a distinction between the picture stones and the Oseberg tapestry. The Oseberg tapestry abounds with female warriors with spears, but it is unknown whether the scenes are mythical or real events (Vedeler 2019, 38), while women with spears were not previously known to exist on picture stones. However, if the motif revealed by the scan really is a woman with a spear (Kitzler Åhfeldt 2012, p. 185) is still open for discussion, as the succeeding analysis by RTI may suggest that the figure is a man with a cloak (Oehrl 2019, p. 95).

According to Oehrl, the battle scene may be connected to motifs on the Vendel period pressblechs, featuring a warrior riding on top of a fallen enemy, who in turn jabs a sword against the belly of the horse. This scene harks back to Classical equestrian motifs, showing either the victorious emperor or a warrior saint riding away over recumbent enemies, who are trying to ward this off (Oehrl 2019, p. 97).

The perpendicular line dividing the horse has been mentioned as another parallel to the Lärbro-stones (Oehrl 2019, pp. 95, 98, Taf. 66, c–d). One possible interpretation is that this line represents a supernatural power killing the rider and the horse (Oehrl 2019, pp. 97–98). Unfortunately, as mentioned above, this is a scratch that might have been caused by the digger during the lifting of the stone, but this has not been stated clearly enough in earlier publications. However, this line is not decisive for the interpretation.

The small figure on or above the horse’s back may suggest a hovering bird, but on examination of the RTI-images, Oehrl arrived at the conclusion that it is a small-scale man or woman. In the light of divine helpers seen on other stones, his interpretation is that it may be a divinity interfering in the fate of the warrior (Oehrl 2017, p. 98).
LKÅ/PW
GP 280 När Smiss I
GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III

Type and Dating ⓘ
The shape, size and pictures indicate Type C, 8th–10th century.
LKÅ/PW

References ⓘ
Widerström 2002a, 2002b, 2012, p. 36; Norderäng/Widerström 2004, pp. 86–88, Bild 4–6; Kitzler Åhfeldt 2012, pp. 184–185, 2013, p. 56 Figure 1, p. 61, 2015, p. 418, p. 431, p. 436 Fig. 9; Oehrl 2019, pp. 95–98, p. 289, Taf. 65–66.

mer grejer

Find Context

The Stone

Carvings

Detailed Information

Svensk sammanfattning

Identification

Links

Export

More media

Plane	Position	Flip